Holiday budget tips for you and your family

The holiday season can be tough on children and adults alike. Toy manufacturers and retail outlets start their advertising campaigns early, and kids are increasingly bombarded with dozens of advertisements for the latest and greatest toys or gadgets they “absolutely must have”. Kids then begin their own campaigns with their parents. “Everyone will have this…” or “I’ll die if I don’t have that….” or the tried and tested, “Please, please, please, please.”

While most of us will assess their children’s requests and buy wisely and appropriately, we too can fall prey to the pressures of the season. Did you know, each Canadian spends on average almost $1,200 every holiday season? That’s not a problem if we’ve budgeted for our purchases, but most of us don’t. In fact, 20 percent of Canadians say they are not sure how they will pay for the season.

So, with a little planning, we don’t have to start the New Year in debt. Here are a few tips on how to stay on budget this year.

Make a list.

Write down a list of each person, family member you want to buy gifts for. Beside each name, write the maximum amount you are willing to spend. If your kids are old enough, have them create a similar list of their friends and siblings.

If your list is too long, get in touch with your family and friends and suggest secret Santa or drawing names to give one gift per person. Another way to bring the list down is to suggest to friends and adult family members that each of you just buy for each other’s children or buying a single family gift, rather than individual, gifts.

Set a holiday budget.

Look at how much you can spend this year without having to rely on credit. Include expenses such as gift wrapping, entertaining and charitable donations.

Set expectations for your kids.

Older kids often have unrealistic expectations, communicate with them about your budget. Let them know how much you intend to spend this year and what they can expect. I usually tell my boys, I am spending $XX per person – so, create a list that fits within that budget. I like to tell them the dollar amount less than my actual spending amount, this way there will still be a few surprises.

Give homemade gifts.

This is the time of year that you can channel your inner Martha Stewart and make gifts for teachers, friends, co-workers and neighbours. Bake cookies, knit sweaters, or make them gift baskets. Your children will enjoy helping while learning that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show your love and appreciation. Pinterest will be your best friend when it comes to DIY gifts.

Use cash whenever possible.

No, not as the gift itself but for your holiday purchases. Only use a credit card if you know you can pay it off right away.

Do not wait until the last minute!

Allow time for comparison shopping. Shop around to get the best price. Take your kids with you and make it a fun learning experience by having them keep notes on what store charges for each item.

Take the “I” out of the holiday season.

Cheesy, I know but think about it! A great way to teach your kids about social responsibility (and the true meaning of the holidays) and allow older kids to explore different causes, is to make a family donation to a charity. Ask the kids what charity they would like the family to “adopt” and why. Then have everybody give a certain amount to the cause.

Plan ahead for next year.

Reduce financial stress next year by planning now! Put a small amount into a savings account every week – even $5 a week will result in a tidy sum of about $250 come next December. Put in $25 a week away and you’ll have $1,300 by the time the holidays roll around again!

Finally, It is a good idea to shop for gifts throughout the year. This way you take advantage of great sales and avoid the holiday rush! These are just a few ways to make the holiday season less stressful and more enjoyable!

Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!

Everything you want is on the other side of fear.

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” ~ Will Smith

Just kidding – That quote should be credited to the brilliant Jack Canfield.

Will Smith is credited for this quote all over the internet because of this amazing motivational video. He actually said, “On the other side of maximum fear are all of the best things in life.” Which is a pretty good quote in itself! The video is fun, witty and inspiring. Be sure to take a couple minutes to watch!

The internet is full of misquotes, what is your favourite?

Is being that busy really good for your business?

Are you really busy? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

I came across an article in the Huffington Post on how being busy is actually good for your brain. After reading it, I just so happen to come across another article – again by the Huffington Post – on how being busy makes you unproductive.

We can’t win, can we?

The first article, which you can find here, discusses a team at the University of Texas looked at the difference in memory and other brain functions of men and women. This was to see how people who are busy compared to those who are not. Lead researcher Sara Festini said “People who report greater levels of daily busy-ness tend to have better cognition, especially with regard to memory for recently learned information. Living a busy lifestyle appears beneficial for mental function.” I don’t know about that, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast – wait, did I even have breakfast? I guess I am not that busy.

I don’t buy it.

The article continues to say that maybe, the busier people are already just more cognitive and capable of doing more tasks. While their counterparts – not so much. So I have to ask, did they actually learn anything in that research? I am thinking the answer to that is up in the air because the second article goes on to tell me that the busier you are, the less productive you are. This I agree with. David Meyer from the University of Michigan published a study that showed switching what you are doing, mid-task, actually increases the time it takes you to finish each task by 25%! I firmly believe this and have always said so! Well, I didn’t exactly have the numbers before but now I do.

Science officially backs up my opinion that being busy is bad for business! You can find this article here. There is no such thing as multi-tasking and society today believes that you have to multitask to succeed. Pfft. Not true, you have to be able to prioritize and focus to succeed. (In my humble opinion.) When you are busy, you are not really present. There are a million moments happening around you, some good, some great, some – you’d rather not experience but when you are busy you are not able to be

When you are busy, you are not really present.

There are a million moments happening around you, some good, some great, some – you’d rather not experience but when you are busy you are not able to be in the moment. You tend to opt out of opportunities. Which are always around you, but if you are too busy you will end up passing some really good ones by. Which; in turn, causes your momentum to go stagnant. You are no longer moving forward, you are just too busy and are bouncing back and forth on task after task not getting much done. I could go on for hours about this but in short, when you are too busy you forget to invest in yourself and your business. It feels like you are because you are so busy, yet you are burning the

I could go on for hours about this but in short, when you are too busy you forget to invest in yourself and your business. It feels like you are because you are so busy, yet you are burning the candle at both ends, not really living and your business is not really growing.

This can cause you to lose patience, lose sight of your endgame, lose quality control on your products or services, shall I go on? When you are too busy you forget your purpose and your “why”. Your why is the reason you got into business in the first place, right? So, stop, take a moment, slow down, and focus.

With so much on your plate, maybe it is time to start delegating some of your projects or daily tasks. Helping your business grow, simplify your life and ensure you do not lose sight of your why!

Have you considered outsourcing some of your work or possibly hiring a VA? Leave a comment and let us know how you could slow down, be less busy and grow your business as a result.

5 ways to conquer a never-ending day and stay inspired.

We all have those days where they just seem to drag on and on and are never-ending. It is an attack of the Drag-On Dragon – that beast sucks the inspiration right out of us!

Well – NO MORE!

Facebook and your direct sales business.

When you think about Direct Sales, what comes to mind? Let’s face it, the direct sales business model has been given a bad rep. This is due to social media and the select few representatives that pushed and pushed their product, alienating friends and family along the way. Constant “buy my product” and “join my team” has cost some people more than a few relationships.

Direct sales may be pretty close to the oldest way to distribute products since civilization began. If it is really that bad, why is it still around? Because it is a solid and profitable way to run a business because of that it is more popular now than ever. However; it is time to find the balance between the old ways and the new ways because direct sales businesses are not going anywhere anytime soon.

The world needs to know that the misuse of social media is what is bad, NOT direct sales businesses. That being said, let’s look at the best way to utilize social media for your new business venture!

First, set up a Facebook business page.

Be sure to post all your business content there and NOT on your personal profile. Only use your personal profile once in a while to share your new business venture with friends and family or to share the odd promotion that may be coming up. If you use your personal profile on a consistent basis for your business, it will only end in a lot of “un-friending”. Not to mention, promoting your product through your personal profile is against Facebook policy and a fast way to lose potential customers.

Make it personal.

Once your page is set up, be sure to send personal invites to those you want to take part in your page. Be sure that these are sent to people with who you actually have been in contact within the last few months. Don’t send an invite to someone you haven’t spoken to in 15 years, they will ignore you and possibly block you right away. Business is about relationships, so be sure to start off on the right foot.

Provide value.

Even with only a few likes on your business page, it is time to post content. Be sure to create original content, you do not want to be an infomercial and post whatever your parent company is posting. Those that have liked your page do not want to support your parent company, they want to support you and your business. So, be sure to post valuable content, not just promotional material.

Be engaging, be human.

Post often, on your page, and be sure to reply to comments and questions. People want to do business with people they know, like and trust. So be sure to tell stories, introduce yourself and any of your team. Hold a Facebook live video every week; a Q&A or tutorial on using your products, opening a new delivery – get creative. Show the world who you are and what you have to offer. These few and simple suggestions for your Direct Sales business on Facebook will help grow and start you off on the right foot!

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Inspiring Greatness: How will you be remembered?

Have you ever put any thought into how you want to be remembered? I never did, not until I read about the amazing Sally Ride and her thoughts on the topic. This inspiring quote is really something that will stick with you.

I would like to be remembered as someone who was not afraid to do what she wanted to do, and as someone who took risks along the way in order to achieve her goals.

Sally Ride

I think this should be a life goal for everyone. It is definitely one of mine. So, I beg you to make it yours as well.

Move forward without fear, do what is right for you, take risks and achieve your goals.

Hostess Coaching Tips For A Successful Direct Sales Party!

If you have a direct sales or network marketing business, chances are parties are the lifeblood of your business. One of the most important aspects of to having a successful party is to work with your Hostess. Setting your Hostess up for success is just as important to your business as your sales. Effective hostess coaching is how you are able to do this.

It all starts with a plan, who knew “party planner’ was part of the job description of Entrepreneur Goddess?

Basically, when it comes to having a successful party, it will come down to a strong strategic plan, communication and truly partnering with your host or Hostess. You will be able to increase your party sales, and bookings, by working with them on several different levels. Here are a few things to remember when working with your host or Hostess.

Remember, if they have a successful party – you will have a successful party!

1. Appreciate your Hostess!

• Send your Hostess a handwritten thank you and let her know she’s appreciated. Build a solid foundation of trust and confidence by sharing that you’ll be there to guide her along the way. Include a link or email her a “save the date” graphic (easy to create in Canva) that she can easily send to her guests.

• Mail a Hostess packet with a cover letter, catalogue and order forms. Be sure to place post-it tabs in the catalogue on the Hostess program page and special products. Also, put a few extra post-it tabs in the package, so the Hostess can tab her favourite pages and products.

2. Be A Good Listener:

• Call your Hostess and set up a “Wish List, time it so you call soon after her packet arrives. Write down everything on her list and create an action plan to help her get it all. The plan should include pre-party orders and a pre-arranged booking.

• Discuss any concerns that your Hostess might have. Brainstorm ideas on how to get outside orders, create e-vite reminders for friends and family, not on Facebook, and possibly teaming up with a friend to double-host.

3. Set High Expectations:

• We’ve all heard, “Aim for the moon and you’ll fall among the stars.” So, aim high. Add a Hostess tip and tricks checklist in your hostess packet.

• Don’t settle. Challenge your Hostess to beat your highest or last party. Be sure to recognize her efforts on the event page, using fun graphics, emojis and stickers to build her confidence.

4. Create a strategy:

• If it is an online Facebook event, advise your Hostess to only invite FB friends that she knows well enough that she’d invite them to a home party. That will help keep both you and her in a spam-free zone.

• Encourage rules of engagement: Personal phone calls or send hand-written invitations to the party. Encourage social media engagement by having your Hostess comment on all posts on the event page put up by you and to post some herself. She could tag friends who shop and share her own pics of her fave products.

• Make sure your Hostess builds excitement for her own party: review your “day of party” game plan prior to the event, which should include personal reminders to everyone who is attending, a “party crashers welcome” post on her personal page and an “I’m so excited” post on the event page a few hours before party time.

5. Use your phone:

• Remember that your phone was created to be used as a… phone. Personal phone calls with your Hostess could be the most innovative risk you take and encourage her to do the same with her guests.

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Do you know your website bounce rate?

Do you know what a website bounce rate is? I have had a few questions regarding this topic, the first being “What is it?”.

The bounce rate is one of the most important things you should track on your website. It measures is the percentage of how often visitors “bounce” off of your web page.

Why it is important.

It is defined as a person landing on a page of your site then immediately leaving. They could be closing a browser window, hitting the back button to get a new URL or clicking on a link to go to another site. Meaning they only saw the one page, the page they came in on is the page they left on.

This percentage is something you want to pay attention to. In most cases, a high bounce rate is bad. It indicates that someone did not find what they were looking for and decided to leave your site. A visitor arrived for a reason then, maybe they couldn’t navigate or thought the information is irrelevant, there is no way to know why they left, only that they left. What you do know is they came to the site for one reason or another, possibly a google search, a paid ad or a referral click, they expected to see something when they arrived and it was not there. The higher your bounce rate the more you are not meeting that expectation, which means it is time to correct this.

When you see this happen, you need to take action on the pages with high bounce rates and lower the percentage. A lower bounce rate leads to a more effective website that will have visitors more engaged and will help them find what they are looking for.

When looking at your percentages, keep in mind some pages you would like a higher bounce rate than others. Pages that you would like a higher bounce rate on, are pages that will lead visitors to your Etsy store, to purchase products. Or a lead page that does not require your visitors to keep navigating your site but to collect contact information. Essentially, if the goal is to get visitors to this page for one specific reason only, then you may not have to worry about the bounce rate on that page.

So, when looking at your website analytics, look at bounce rates per page and not overall.

My suggestion is to play the video below, bounce to the music why you check out your website bounce rate!

Bounce Rate

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