Facts Tell....Stories Sell

I'd like to share a story from a recent event:

Woke up early on a gorgeous Saturday morning.  Coffee is brewing.  Take the dog out for her morning walk and enjoy the warm sun and that fact that its still fairly quiet on our busy busy street.  After Opal does her business, we go back in the house and I pour my coffee.  I check my email, peek on Facebook and log into my back office.  I print out the forms I need for the show later on that day, I google my directions and verify them with my travel advisor (dad) to make sure I've selected the best route and then finish packing my bag.
Signage: check
Invoices: check
Business cards: check
Pens, stapler, scissor, highlighter, clipboards: all check
Pamphlets: check
Procedure Manual: check (I'll admit, I'm still new at this and mistakes cost money...)
Laptop: check
Raffle tickets and prizes: check
Black table cloths: check

OK, I'm good to go so I can relax for awhile before I start getting showered and ready to leave.  I spend some time outside in the sun, going some gardening, running the sprinklers, and giving the dog some exercise by letting her do her laps around the yard since I expect to be gone for a fairly long portion of the day. I also had to spend some time emptying out my car.  3 very large bags plus a box containing 120 pairs of designer denim will need to fit into my car along with the passengers and all of the things that I need to set up and run the show with.

Time to get ready...  After showering and getting dressed (easy peasy:  (my standard) a black sleeveless shirt, along with my Citizens of Humanity jeans, and a pair of wedge shoes) I spend time flat ironing my hair, for a change (first impressions always matter) and putting on the face (light foundation, some bronzer, mascara, some shadow on the lid and chapstik, easy enough).  After I double check my list of things that I need, I get ready to head out, along with my assistants for the day: Ethan and Kate.

First stop is about 40 minutes away and that is to check out the inventory that will be presented at the show.  After we go through the process to obtain the inventory, we load up the car and then get back on the road, about 15 minutes later.  The location for this show was roughly 2.5 hours away from home, so we were well into our trip.  We cranked up the tunes, had a few laughs, got stuck in a little bit of traffic but overall, had a very smooth and enjoyable commute.  Arriving early, we stopped at the shopping center that contained a place for us to grab something to eat.  About 45 minutes later, we continued on our way to the trunk show site, less than 2 miles away from the shopping center.  Upon arrival, I introduced myself and my assistants to the hostess as she invited me in and determined where the denim would be set up.  That week prior, I messaged my hostess to let her know what we'd need: a changing area, a large mirror, enough flat surface to lay out 120 pairs of jeans, internet connection, some music, etc.  A few minutes later we brought the inventory in and began setting everything up.  Roughly 30 minutes later, we were good to go and it was perfectly timed as her first guest knocked at the door.

All 12 guests arrived within a half hour period.  Each guest arrived with a bottle of wine.  The hostess served up their wine of choice while offering light snacks: homemade bruschetta, homemade spinach dip, cheese and crackers and fresh fruit platter.  I introduced myself to each guest as they arrived and briefly explained how the denim was set up.  Gradually, as the first glasses of wine depleted, the ladies began to browse the jeans.  My hostess showed her guests to her Guest bedroom which was set up as the changing area.  The laughter and giggles that came from that room reminded me of going shopping as a teenager with my girlfriends and sharing communal fitting rooms as we tried things on.  Lots of fun and you'll never get a more honest opinion about clothes than from your friends!  One by one, they'd come out of the room to model their jeans to the other ladies still shopping.  I offered assistance to them while they were changing to see if I could assist with sizes, etc.  I reminded each how they could 'earn' raffle tickets for the drawing later in the evening. I provided some comparative shopping information for a few skeptics who wanted to compare the Vault denim price to the suggested retail.  Soon, I was checking a few of them out for their purchases as I was logged into the laptop and running credit card transactions for them, one by one.  I even had a few decide to pay by check.  Although I was prepared, no one paid cash that night.

Within an hour, the transactions came to a halt and the only one left to make a purchase was my hostess. I asked her on the side if she thought everyone was finished making purchases.  When she said yes, I had my assistants begin organizing and refolding the inventory for me in stacks so they could be easily recounted before they were packed up.  Meanwhile, I had my hostess pick out the 3 winning raffle winners for the evening.  As she did that, I totaled my sales and generated the transaction for my hostess.  When all was said and done, she'd earned enough denim credit that her purchase came to $2.37!  Upon completion of her transaction, I was able to reconcile my show and finish packing up the denim.  Everything checked out perfectly, so after I said goodbye to everyone and thanked them for coming out for the show, I packed my car back up and we were back out on the road for our 2.5 hour ride home.

That party generated 7 transactions, selling a total of 8 pair of denim.

It was a great Girls Night In!!! Can't wait to do it again!

Raffle ticket results

First, I can't believe how long its been since my last post. I really slacked off the last few months.  End of school activities really consumed a lot of my time and well, lets face it, it is summertime and I'd much rather be outside in the sun than sitting here at my desk.  I do take every opportunity I can to get outside.  I'll be cooped up inside long enough once the snow starts falling and the mercury dips below 40 degrees. 


Enough excuses though. Time to get back on the ball here.  Regarding my previous post about the raffle tickets for marketing, it was a pretty successful venture.  The tickets made the experience fun and did entice some extra purchases.  Mostly, it made the events FUN!  The attendees were actively engaged with the hostess and kept many of them lingering around at the end to wait for the tickets to be drawn.  What it was not successful at doing was growing my database for contacts (ie: permission to sign up for eNewsletters) but I'm not giving up on it!  I will continue to make those attempts. 

The next thing I'm working on is a Gift With Purchase event.  Stay tuned for details on that!

marketing with raffle tickets

Everyone wants something for nothing.  There are very few things one can actually get for nothing.  I have some freebie-giveaways...but they aren't 'free'.  You gotta give me something in return.

I just ordered some cool marketing materials from my company.  They are nice, pretty useful items that have our logo all over it.  I'm going to give them away at my next trunk show.  But, since it's an open house and I can afford to buy a gift with purchase for everyone because A) I have no way of knowing how many people are going to come, B) realistically how many people will actually make a purchase and C) I simply don't have that kind of budget! 

What I'm going to do is give away free raffle tickets.  Certain things will earn one ticket, certain things will earn two tickets, etc.  Obviously, the more tickets earned by a customer will increase the chances of winning a prize, or even two, and the random drawings make it fair and FUN!  Every been to a Chinese Auction?  If not, go...they are fun.

My goal is to sell more items, have higher trunk show sales, increase the number of people on my mailing list (via permission) and hopefully book another show or two!  My goals are directly related to those tickets.

I'll keep you posted on the results!  Can't wait!

Opportunity Knocked...did you answer?

Do you answer the phone every time it rings?  Do you answer the door every time the doorbell rings or someone knocks?  Do you read every email that comes through your inbox?

My best guess is that the answer is 'No' to these 3 questions for most people.  I'd love to hear from someone who can honestly answer 'Yes' to these 3 questions.

With every missed phone call, unanswered door or unread email, there's a chance for a missed opportunity.  Yes, we live in a society where we screen everything.  This is so we can choose and decide what we do, who we talk to and when/where we do it.  That much control prevents the 'unexpected' from occurring and yes,  for the most part, that is a good thing. 

But what if you an unexpected opportunity was trying to make it's way to you and you kept pushing it away?

I pray everyday for the opportunity to do better for myself, so I can take care of myself and my children, so I can live an honest, fruitful life that is full of fun.  God was listening to me because an opportunity was delivered to me.  I knew it was right because that night, I could not sleep.  The butterflies in my stomach kept swirling and my mind raced at all the possibilities.  There was not one reason I could come up with that this opportunity did not make sense for me.  All the check marks in the positive column completely eliminated those seeds of doubt that can grow like wildfire if you let them.

My favorite part is that I get to provide the same opportunity to those that are looking for it, especially moms that want to work from home.  I'll probably send the email, I might make the phone call...I won't come knocking but will certainly present it to anyone that asks.  Check your email and take the call...ask me the questions.  Not every opportunity presented is for everyone but if you're receptive you could easily miss it.

"It is less important to redistribute wealth than it is to redistribute opportunity."
Arthur H. Vandenberg

Seizing a New Opportunity

One thing I've learned is that I tend to be loyal to a person, situation, company, etc even when I'm being effected negatively.  I'm constantly in 'abusive' relationships because I always feel like if I prove my loyalty, things will always work out in my favor just because I stuck it out.  The 'For Better or Worse' vow applies to every situation, I guess?!?!?

Well, my patience and my loyalty are starting to wear very thin these days as I tune into my own destructive behavior of always allowing these situations to occur.  There is a fine line between sticking something out and running away.  I've stayed on the side of sticking it out because what I knew was safe even if it wasn't a necessarily positive situation.  Crossing over the line and actually running (well, walking) away from the destructive situation leaves a lot of unknowns, even if it's planned, and that's a scary place to be.  On a personal note, I ended my marriage a few years ago because it was destructive.  I didn't even know who I was when I looked in the mirror anymore.  Time to go when you don't even know who you are anymore, and the new you isn't someone you strove to become.

Consequently, I just recently made the decision to walk away from a situation that I gave a year to.  Granted, I didn't give it my all because I wasn't greeted with any immediate success.  Actually, I wasn't really greeted with any success.  It was a few thousand dollar loss to be quite honest.  But, it was a learning experience, albeit an expensive one.   You know it's right, though, when you take a deep breath and feel good about it. 

Recently I was introduced to a new opportunity and it's perfect for me.  It combines my retail and visual merchandising background, my passion for clothes and my desire to NOT work 50 hours week in a store.  Woo hoo!!! I cannot wait to have my official launch party and get things moving.  Working from home, it requires me to participate in a few conference calls per week, usually later in the evening once the house is quiet and the kids are ready for bed.  It requires me blog, it requires me to network, and ultimately it requires me to set up a few events every month with each event only 2-3 hours.  These are all things I can do around the other things going on in my life. 

Is it full time? No, but it could be and hopefully will be down the road.  Will it bring in full time money? No but it could and hopefully will down the road.  But, I'm not punching someone else's clock, I'm choosing my customers, I'm making my own schedule and ultimately determining my own destiny.  That is PRICELESS.

Multi-tasking versus Multi-jobbing?

Just ran into this post this morning, thanks to it being shared by a colleague on Facebook...

As a mompreneur, I'd never considered the difference between multi-tasking and multi-jobbing.  Truth be told, I actually never even heard of the term multi-jobbing until today.  I completely found the above mentioned article incredibly interesting and   I'm a multi-tasker, for sure.  I'm pretty used to planning my day and getting a few things done at once.   Personally, I think I do a pretty good job at it because the tasks do get completed effectively.  For example, if I'm working on the computer, I might update my social networks, work on blog entries, catch up on emails and edit pictures simultaneously.  That's standard multi-tasking.   On the flip side, if you're cleaning the shower but stop to vacuum the floor, then stopping again to change the sheets, then stopping again to throw out the trash, then stopping to start the laundry, then picking up the vacuum again only to stop and put toys away, you're not multi-tasking...you're doing a whole lot of hip-hopping from one thing to another and completing a whole lot of nothing.  Multiple jobs started but not completed isn't multi-tasking. 

But multi-jobbing...now that's something else. 

Clearly, at some point, one has to determine the difference between the two in order to manage effectively.  I mean, as much as we try, we just cannot do it ALL.  We can't.  Face the facts and don't feel bad about it.  It's just not possible as there's not enough time in the day, so it's smart to be realistic about what can and cannot be done.

Assistants are a great thing.  If your business is suffering or you're becoming overwhelmed with mounting tasks, then maybe an assistant is in order.  Prioritize what you need to do yourself and pass along the things that can be done by someone else.  Leave time available to focus on the things that you are good at, what you are known for, and/or where your strengths and passions lay.  Don't waste your time on things that can otherwise be delegated. 

Acknowledge that every job doesn't have to be DIY.  Don't have hours to tweak your website?  Hire a student who's looking to earn a few bucks and who's tech savvy (what teen/twenty-something isn't these days?) to help you out.  Tossed between spending hours writing content for your newsletter and attending networking event?  Hire a student who excels in writing or is a journalism major.  Provide them with a few topics you want to explore and pay them per completed piece, per your approval.  If bookkeeping is a bore and a chore when it would be more lucrative for you to spend more time revving the creative juices, hire someone!

Some food for thought.  As mentioned, I am the person who feels like I have to do it all, as if to prove something to the world that I am a superhero or something.  I try, but at some point it comes at an expense...expense to the business, expense to the family, etc.   Working from home poses it's share of distractions that can interfere with even the most organized plan.  While flexibility is important (and one of the bonuses of being home, let's face it), knowing when to NOT to flex is as well. 

So, mom's, you don't really have to do it ALL in order to succeed as a work at home mom (WAHM).  Find the right balance that works best for you both personally and professionally.  Relinquishing some of your work may, in fact, make you more successful in the long run.

Working from Home...it's not for everyone

Working from home...is it really all that it's cracked up to be?

I'd say yes, it is, if you can multi-task, do not need a structured schedule nor a supervisor breathing down your neck, micro-managing your every move. 

Is it for everyone?  Definitely NOT.  You decide.

As a small business owner, I spent many hours everyday working on my small business.  But, that was after my kids got off to school in the morning and after I started my day off with a power walk that varied between 2-3 miles.  Granted I started working around 9:30 every morning but I didn't have to factor in an hour to get dressed and another hour (or more) to commute into an office.  After my walk, I showered and got dressed, twisted my hair up into a bun and poured a hot cup of coffee and got to work.  My commute was walking from the kitchen into my home office.   So it's pure luxury to wake up at 7AM, get the kids off to school AND take a walk AND be ready to work at 9:30. 

The bulk of the day working included updating blog posts, editing pictures, sending emails, writing newsletters, making and answering business phone calls, writing up bids, designing and ordering marketing materials, etc.  Since I was essentially a one-man band, I did all of my A/P invoices, my A/R invoices, my banking, my business mail, managing my office supplies, purchased and managed my inventory, ordered my 'rental' props, wrote and printed my consultation reports.  I did it all. 

By mid-afternoon, I was ready for my next job, my children, when they arrived home from school mid-afternoon.  Once homework, dinner and other extra-curricular tasks were completed for the day, back to the office I'd roam for another few hours to respond to emails and blog posts and check in on other social networking avenues before bed.

Granted there were days that appointments needed to be made to meet with clients for consulting purposes, or to schedule work, and typically those appointments were made between 10AM and 2PM.  I still had plenty of time to get myself ready (hair, makeup, put together an outfit and brave the traffic) and then later return home before the kids got home from school.  Thankfully, great neighbors were on-hand for the days that afternoon traffic prevented me from getting back before the bus but it wasn't often.  (And in return, since I was usually home, I could easily return the favor.)

The added benefits to working from home: when the kids are sick, they can just stay home and no need to take a sick day or find a babysitter...if needed, you can reschedule your client.  They 99.9% will understand and accommodate you.  When someone forgets their project, HW or notebook and the call comes in to please drop it off, guess what?  You can!  Parent-Teacher conferences can be scheduled during the day without taking a day of from work.   And on and on...  You manage your time and your schedule.

So, do you still want to think about working from home or is it just easier to punch someone else's clock?