Stamping Is My Business!

The Online Ordering Boot Camp

Online ordering presents a fantastic opportunity for you, if you do it right!

 

To help you do it right, I'm happy to present...

 

THE ONLINE ORDERING BOOT CAMP!

 

As you know, SIMB has a huge online ordering component.  In fact, over the last several years, we've processed more than 10,000 online orders! 

 

This Boot Camp is designed to give you the benefit of that experience.  What works... what doesn't work... and how to make it work to the best of your advantage!

 

To learn more, or to register, visit:

 

http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/onlineorderingbootcamp.htm

 

Early Bird Discounts available now!

 

Hope to see you on the calls!

The Future Is Now! SU Announces Online Ordering!

One of the last holdouts for online ordering, Stampin' Up!, has annouced they will begin adding this component to their business in the Fall. 

Although some aspects of this annoucement have raised a few concerns among Demonstrators, in my opinion, this is an overwhelmingly positive (and necessary) change that will SU Demos, big and small.

We'll have a lot more to say about online ordering in the near future.  Make more you keep checking back for further developments!

Quote of the Week

"If you look at a competitive market, the successful company is always the one setting the agenda and forcing competitors to match it."

Joel Spolsky, Co-Founder & CEO, Fog Creek Software

Advertising Gets Creative!

As we're innundated with more and more advertising, it seems like consumers are getting more and more savvy.  That means advertisers (like you) have to get more creative.  Click the play button below for more:

Protecting Your Child From Nature-Deficit Disorder

Many of you know that I live in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate NY.  For a Brooklyn-born-and-raised kid, I am a surprisingly big fan of nature.

One of my favorite books to come out in the last few years is "Last Child in th Woods," by Richard Louv.  In this book, Louv discusses the dramatic reduction over the last several years in the amount of time children spend immersed in nature.  New studies now show that this "Nature-Deficit Disorder" can lead to developmental and physical problems.  The Today Show did a great piece on it this morning:

Quote of the Week

"I really believe that success is just getting up one more time than you fall."

 - Roxanne Quimby, Co-founder & Owner, Burt's Bees

Link to SIMB July Newsletter

In case you're not on my mailing list, here's the link to my July newsletter:

www.stampingismybusiness.com/newsletter070908.htm

This month's newsletter features the following articles:

• Should I Make My Customers Pay For The Catalog Or Give It To Them For Free?
• How to Keep Your Work Schedule When The Kids Are Home From School
• Bad idea of the Month... Offering Your Company Discount To Your Customers All The Time... When Will The Stamping Companies Take A Stand!?
• Have You Taken The SUDSOL Two-Week Trial?
• Sample of the Month

And if you're not on my mailing list yet, you can subscribe at www.stampingismybusiness.com/subscribe.htm (or just use the signup box on the right!)

 

The Therapeutic Value of Scrapbooking

Texas SU Demo, Anne Brown, has a great article on her blog about The Therapeutic Value of Scrapbooking.

To read the article, follow this link.

Would You Hire Your Husband?

Interesting segment on the Today Show this morning about women who own business and have their husbands working for them.

Mom Needs To Work! Testimonials Are Coming In!

Since its release last week, Mom Needs To Work!, has been very well-received!  Here's one of our first testimonials.  It's from Deb Gerlach, in North Carolina:

"OMG I totally love this book!  I was trying to work this morning and my kids kept coming in saying they were bored, so I said, "how about a science experiment?"  They were so excited!  We set everything up together and they got down to work and so did I!  Thanks so much for this book, it's definitely going to help make everyone's summer a happier experience!"

Thanks, Deb!  If you'd like more information about Mom Needs To Work!, just click the logo above. And, of course, if you have a testimonial you'd like to share, please send an e-mail to [email protected], or post to the Comments section below.

Two Reasons Why Die-Cut Stamps Will Increase Your Sales

SU recently announced that all new stamp sets will be die-cut.  This is HUGE and will help increase everyone's sales.  Why... two reasons:

1. Your customers hate cutting the stamps themselves!  Seriously.  One of the two main customer complaints my clients hear is that they really don't like cutting the stamps themselves because its tedious and/or they aren't good at it. 

It's an obstacle, and anytime you place an obstacle in front of your customers, its going to have a negative impact on sales.  Remove the obstacle and increase sales!

2. Customers will play with their stamps more!  Picture this scenario.. a new customer comes to their first workshop.  They really get into what you demo and they place an order.  A few weeks later, when they get their order, they see they have to cut the stamps themselves.  They don't have time at the moment, so they put the bag aside.  Will they ever pick up the bag again and cut the stamps? 

Maybe... maybe not. 

The truth is, there are lots of first-time customers out there who never get around to using the product they order.  By making it easier for them to use it, you increase the number that actually do, and you're a lot more likely to get repeat business from someone who actually used the product in their first order than from someone who didn't.

Promote the heck out of this.  Especially in your August newsletters!

And, if you can come up with more reasons, write them in the Comments section of this post!

New York Times article on Business Coaching

Interesting article in Saturday's New York Times on Business Coaching.  Feel free to skip the first two paragraphs (or, at least, take comfort in the fact that "dreams, ancient numerology and conversations with spirits" play no role in my coaching.  :-)

Need Help Finding Your Bliss?  Hire A Coach.

Quote of the Week

"Starting a business in a recession is like vacationing in the off-season. It's a little less crowded, and everything starts going on sale."

 - Eric Ryan, Founder, Method

SU or UL? Why "AND" Doesn't Make Sense

Today, July 1st, is the day SU Demos who have also signed up with Uppercase Living have to decide which company they want to stay with.  Since SU is now offering the Decor Elements line, UL is now a direct competitor.  Hence, SU Demos can no longer be affiliated with that company.

The larger issue here, though, is why anyone would sign up with two direct sales companies at the same time.  It's a bad idea on several levels:

1. You're not giving yourself the best chance of success in either company.  Think about it... if you're splitting your time between two companies, then you can't give 100% to either one.
2. It's a self-sabotaging move.  Your downline look up to you.  They may even want to be you.  Many of them signed up under you because they wanted the success you had.  So, what message are you sending to your downline when you sign up with another DS company?  What are they going to think? "Well, if my upline needs to sign up with another company, with all of her success, then what chance to I have?" 

So, not only are you hurting your once-successful business directly because you can't put as much time into it, but you're hurting it indirectly, as well, by demotivating your downline.

No matter how you slice it, two is definitely NOT better than one.