5 Hostess Tips for your next party. | Direct Sales

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 successfully work with your Hostess.

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 “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

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:

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.

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. Risk Taking:

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.

Success is no accident! Free 2018 goal setting workbook!

It is time to actually live the life you have always dreamed of. Make 2018 the year you are going to achieve incredible things. Over the next year, you are going on an epic journey. You will be growing your business and will accomplish something incredible by creating a life you love.

All of this will not happen overnight, it won’t be by accident, and it will not be handed to you on a silver platter. It will happen because you will make it happen, with intention.

All you need to do is show up, work hard, and never give up.

About a that “hard work” part I mentioned, I am here to help, we will do this together! So, let’s get started!

First, be clear about what you want to achieve in 2018 – and stand by it! Everything you want to accomplish is going to need a plan, which is why you are going to make a plan to make it happen. It isn’t easy achieving your goals but with focus, you can set yourself up and get on the path to success.

Download the 2018 Goal-Setting & Planning workbook at start your year off with intention. No sign up required, it is totally free to download! As I said above, the only thing that will get you to where you want to be you. So it is time to make a plan for how you are going to be the best version of yourself for 2018.

Be sure to leave a comment and share your business goals for 2018!

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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!

Is starting your own business a good idea?

Have you ever wondered “Should I start my own business?” I am thinking that is a solid yes, or you would not be reading this. I hummed and hawed about it for years, the only regret I, eventually, had was that I did not start sooner. Starting Your Own Business

There are a lot of things you need to consider before you start your own business but that is not what this article is about. Today, I am only going to talk about the reasons why you should.

I am going to fill you full of “the grass is greener” syndrome. Don’t get me wrong, there are just as many perks to being an employee as there are being your own boss. The same goes for the downsides, there are plenty to go around on both sides of the fence. However; not everyone was born to be an employee. Some of us were meant to be leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs.

So here is my happy little list of why I say, Yes, it is a good idea to start your own business.

Freedom

The biggest reason, I feel, one should start their own business is freedom. When you are your own boss you have a lot more freedom. Yes, there will be customers, regulators and possibly investors telling you what and how to do things – but – you have the freedom to make your own decisions. You can even make the decision to not listen to those listed and do your own thing. The choice is yours, just remember so are the results.

You will have the freedom to determine your own work hours. Of course, within reason. You may not get away with sleeping until noon every day and only be available to customers only between the hours of midnight and 3 am – but – you will be able to plan your days according to your own personal schedule. You can schedule your days so you can pick up your kids from school, schedule any appointments whenever you want, or even go grocery shopping in the middle of an afternoon on a Tuesday. (It’s the little things in life, right?)

Being your own boss also gives you the freedom to be your creative self! Every person should strive for this, and when you are calling the shots you are able to do this by building on your own ideas as opposed to implementing them into someone else’s business success.

Challenges

As a business owner, every day will be full of new challenges. You will constantly be learning, creating, problem-solving and more. You will never say that your work is the “same old boring routine, day in and day out” again. I promise you that.

Job Security

Sounds a little wonky, I know but believe it, there is job security in owning your own business. How is this possible? You ask – well, as long as you have a business, you will have a job…

Financial Opportunity

Not trying to blow any smoke where it doesn’t belong but when you own your own business the financial opportunities are endless. Whereas an employee, your salary will most likely be capped at some point in your career.

There you have it! A few key reasons why I believe starting your business is a good idea. I am not saying it is the easy path to take but for some of us – it truly is the right path.

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Starting Your Own Business Why starting your own business is a good idea.

Starting Your Own Business

Create Your Social Strategy

The power of social media is that it is easy communication, a collaborative community builder and it has a high entertainment factor. In short, it’s simple, relatively easy, and fun. Because of this people gravitate towards it. When in business, whether large or small, social networking is your online connection to your customers and potential customers. Plan to have a social media presence, make it an enjoyable experience for you and your audience.

“If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.”
Russian proverb

With all the social media options out there, it is very important you chose the right path, or paths, in order to be successful with your business. Is Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Instagram, or YouTube the best place to invest your time and money? All of these are amazing platforms to promote your business but are they the right platform? In order to determine the best path; you are going to have to take a hard look at your business.

Where is your audience?

I am an advocate of knowing who your ideal customer is for everything business-related. With choosing your social media platform I am going to reiterate the importance of this. If you do not have a complete profile of who you want to work with for potential clients and customers, create one. This will help you locate them. If you know where they are, then you will know where your business needs to be. You don’t need to be where the world is, only where your clients and customers are.

Don't go chasing too many rabbits.

Align your social media goals with your business goals.

You want to ensure your social media efforts have a big impact on your business. To do this; your social media goals need to be aligned with your business goals. Your mission is clear, it needs to be apparent when you are engaging with others online. When you are setting your social media goals, keep in mind to look at the big picture. What are the top goals for your business and how will social media help you accomplish them?

Optimize your social media accounts.

There is a lot of value in social media so it is worth the time and effort into setting them up properly. Or, if you already have accounts set up, go and optimize them.

Ensure your bio or description is up to date and has your contact information and website clearly stated.
When you are filling out your bio or business description be sure to use keywords that relate to your business and industry. Using words or phrases that your potential clients and customers may use in a search to find your type of business.
Strive to have images that fall in line with your brand and represent your business accordingly. Also, with any platform, be sure that photos are sized to the correct dimensions for that social network.

Create a content plan and editorial calendar.

Having an amazing content plan and an editorial calendar is essential to succeeding at social media. Your content plan should have what type of content you intend to post on what platform, how often you will post, who will create the content and how you will promote the content. While your editorial calendar lists the dates, topics, and platforms you intend to publish the content.

Having this all planned out ahead of time, instead of updating constantly, will give you the opportunity to work hard on other aspects of your business.

It's called Social Media, so be social.

An engaged audience is an audience who know, like and trust you and your business. When it comes down to it, you are going to need to be social with your audience. Being engaged will help you build a community of people who know and love your business and what you have to offer.

Social media an opportunity to turn your fans, followers, readers, and subscribers into voices for your brand and ultimately, your sales force. Be sure to use it with purpose. Align your social strategy with your business goals and branding, be prepared and be engaged!

It is time to go out and get visible! Decide which social media network is right for your business and create or optimize your profiles.

If you are unsure what platform is the best fit for you and your business, set up a free 30-minute Support Session with me and we can figure it out together!

It really is a free personal support session, so there’s no pitch or pressure to commit.

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Sign up below, if that isn’t your thing, I still want to help you the best way I can! So be sure to check out other available resources I have that will help you grow your business!

Wake up Beauty. It’s time to Beast.

Wake up Beauty. It’s time to Beast.
I am a night owl. I have always been more productive and creative after dark. So, late nights became a natural thing for me.

These nights also came with late mornings and what felt like short days with zero time to do much of anything. Then I made the decision to start a second company, not long after that, I was burning the candle at both ends. This is when I came to the conclusion that being a night owl was no longer going to work for me.

Let me tell you that was not an easy conclusion to come too. In my mind, this meant I had to start adulting and adulting is hard. Waking up early was as appealing to me as biting into eggshells while enjoying a soft fluffy egg salad sandwich… Not cool, not cool at all.

But I did it and since I have gotten into the routine, I am happier than ever. My days are more productive, I have more energy and am eager to start my day, every day. I went from not getting out of bed before 9 am, then not even starting my day until almost noon to waking up at the crack of dawn and completing most of my to-do list before lunch.

Nothing worth doing ever comes fast or easy, so I have put together a small list of what it took to get me to this point to help all you other night owls become early birds.

Get up 15 minutes earlier. (each week)

Instead of forcing yourself to get out of bed 2 hours early right away – start in 15-minute intervals. Week one, set the alarm for 6:45 am. Week two set it for 6:30 am. Week 3, 6:15 am finally on week 4 you are finding it no problem to be up at 6:00 am. These small wins of getting up just that much earlier are motivating and within 2 months you will be up at 5 am, without even realizing it was hard in the first place!

Just get up!

The hardest part of starting your day is getting out of bed. Believe me – I get it! My favourite part of the weekends is waking up and staying in bed, chatting with hubs, planning our weekend, and on a GOOD day, I bring my coffee back to bed and just stay there for the entire morning! However; this is not something that we can do every single day. So, when your alarm goes off in the morning, just get out of bed. Do not snooze, it doesn’t help. Getting out of bed and starting your day is the only thing that will make it easier.

Wind down every night.

Whatever you do before bedtime is your body’s trigger for sleeping. This includes brushing your teeth, reading, etc. Try to keep these activities relaxing and stick to them like a routine.

For example, you could take a relaxing lavender bath then read a book for 15 minutes before bedtime. If you stick to this routine long enough, your body will soon recognize that these activities mean the day has ended and it’s time to relax. It’s important as well to do these activities in order and roughly the same time every day.

Bedtime is sleep time.

When my boys were young the rule was no toys in or on the bed – EVER. Even storytime was done on the couch, not in bed. Their bed was for sleeping – this made sure that after all the other bedtime routines we did every night, putting their head down on that pillow meant sleep time. When I implemented the same rule in my bedtime routine it made all the difference in the world.

No matter what, don’t give up and don’t give in to your brain begging for “just five more minutes.” It won’t be easy but it will be worth it. I promise. I have found it has boosted my creativity and productivity – getting projects done while the rest of the house sleeps –with no interruptions or distractions. Magic…

And once you get adjusted to your new schedule, you will be the early bird you used to snarl at in the am and never go back to being “not a morning person.”

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Inside the Inspired Action Mastermind, we are an intimate group of entrepreneurs, all of which are committed to the success of one another’s businesses. It is a mastermind that provides the support and guidance you need to help you move your business forward. Because, when you’re in the right mastermind group, you can start to see your business and yourself through someone else’s eyes as you support one another and leverage each other’s experiences.

If you are ready and willing to shift your mindset and tackle all the hard questions to accomplish your dreams, then join us.

Learn about the Inspired Action Mastermind

Wake up Beauty. It’s time to Beast.

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.