Q: Take out a pen and some paper and begin brainstorming ideas regarding your funeral. Write down whatever comes to mind, at least at first. You might include things that you’ve seen done at other funerals that you thought worked well. As you are sketching out ideas, pay attention to the intangibles as well. For example, what kinds of emotions do you want your funeral to create in others? Do you want your funeral to feel like a celebration or be a bit more somber in tone? You will need to choose between a burial or cremation. With a burial, your body is interred in the ground either with or without embalming. With cremation, your body is cremated to ash and the remains are placed in a container of your choice. You also have the option of a green burial, which is an environmentally conscious way of handling your deceased body. Go to the Green Burial Council website for additional information. It is your choice whether to have a gathering before or after your funeral or none at all. You can have a service in the funeral home or a graveyard service at the cemetery. You can have a body viewing or wake before your funeral as well. This decision should be based, at least in part, on how comfortable you are with others viewing your body after death. You can always opt for a closed casket service as well. Go and interview several funeral directors. Read online reviews. Ask friends and relatives who have attended funerals if they have any recommendations. All funeral providers are required to provide you with a price list upon request.  It is sometimes hard to differentiate between a locally-owned home and a franchise or corporation. Make sure to ask about the funeral home’s history as you shop around. You will also want to decide if you’d like to use one facility for the entire reception and funeral process or if you would like to only purchase part of a funeral package, a direct burial without a reception for example. Many people choose to have their funeral receptions held at a church or even at their home. If you plan to follow religious conventions, you’ll want to reach out to your minister, priest, or rabbi to discuss the details. Some churches or individuals charge fees for their services and you’ll want to ask about these now. You may also want to discuss using the church facility for part of the reception as well. A eulogy is a short speech delivered at a funeral in which the speaker discussed the life of the deceased. It is not required to have eulogists and, if you choose to include speakers in your funeral, you will want to carefully select people who know you well. Ask them in advance if they would be comfortable saying a few words when the time comes. You can select a poem that is particularly meaningful to you. Or, perhaps a few sentences from your favorite author. Maybe even a few lines that you’ve written. Spoken song lyrics also often work well. Select the readings that you would like to include and consider who you would like to read them as well. You might say, “I’ve started thinking about my funeral plans and, when the time comes, I would like for you to read a passage from Poe, if you are okay with that.” Think about the type of atmosphere that you would like during your funeral. Would you prefer violins or flutes? Do you want music at the graveside or just at the church reception afterwards? Be aware that you can also opt for a combination of live and recorded music as well. Make notes regarding your wishes and discuss them with the funeral director. Consider keeping a file on your computer containing possible memorial images to be used solely or as part of a general video during your funeral. You can also put these images on a zip drive and give it to a relative.  With technology now you can get even more creative if you like and request that your tweets or blog entries are also incorporated in your funeral. They could be added on to the program or projected alongside photos of you. It is also a good idea to put a close friend in charge of alerting the online community (Facebook, Twitter) regarding your passing. You can script a message for them to send along or leave it up to them. All of the personal touches that you add may have associated fees. And, regardless of whether you choose cremation or burial, your funeral home will likely add a set of standard fees onto your final bill. These fees can include the cost of obtaining death certificates or even housing your body. Keeping in mind how much you can reasonably spend will help you to make realistic choices. For example, you can sometimes opt out of embalming and choose refrigeration instead, which can cut the cost. Many funeral homes will accept payment for your service in advance. Ask the funeral directors about their policies in this area. Some states require that these monies go into a trust of some sort for security, whereas other locations offer very little in the way of security.
A: Make a list of your likes and dislikes. Decide on a type of funeral. Decide on a reception style. Choose a funeral home and memorial site. Decide if you want a religious element. Select your eulogists. Decide if you want to include readings. Select music for the service. Choose photographs or other displays. Consider your budget when planning. Look into prepayment.

Q: A big part of network marketing is convincing others that the product you are selling is high quality and worthy of an investment. Using and loving the product you are selling goes a long way in convincing others that they should buy in, as well. Try to avoid companies that are oversaturated in your area. For example, if everyone in your community is selling makeup from a particular company, there may not be many potential new customers, no matter how much you believe in the product. A company that has been around for years and has a fair and clear pay plan for distributors is most likely to get you to success. Ask about support and resources the company has for new distributors. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions before committing to a company. If your recruiter pushes you to join without really answering your questions, it is probably a scam. Your goals can be income-based, sales-based, or even lifestyle-based. Write down your goal and display it somewhere you can see it. Ask yourself every day what you are doing to work towards your goal. Having an objective in mind will motivate you to work towards something. For example, you could aim to generate $2000 a month, make 30 sales, or quit your job to pursue network marketing full time. Start by contacting the person who recruited you. They were convincing enough to get you on board, so take a few tips from their playbook. Ask them what was useful when they were getting started. Get into contact with top sellers and recruiters, if you can. Often, if you have a polite approach and an open mind, they will be more than willing to share advice.  Conferences and networking events can be useful for making contact with successful network marketers. Look for resources like books, magazines, podcasts, and videos on how to be successful in network marketing. Be sure to return the favor once you are successful and share your tips with people getting started! Who would most benefit from buying your product? Knowing who you are selling to, what their needs are, and how to reach them is a key to success in network marketing. If you can, avoid relying on friends or family to make the majority of your sales. It can put a strain on your relationship if you ask your loved ones to buy your product and they don't. For example, you may sell clothes that are comfortable and practical for stay-at-home moms, or maybe you sell skincare products for young professionals. Think of different ways you can reach out to those groups, like motherhood groups on social media or networking events in your city. It can take time to see your hard work pay off. Many people get discouraged and give up when they don't reach their goals right away. However, it takes time to build a successful business. Persistence can pay off! If you have a day job, hold off on quitting until you have a reliable stream of income from sales and recruiting.
A:
Select a company with products you believe in. Go with a company that is well-established. Set goals for yourself. Learn from established pros. Know your target market. Keep at it for at least a year.