Stamping Is My Business!

VIDEO TUTORIALS! Now Part of the 2008 Blogger's Boot Camp!

I'm happy to annouce that, for the first time, the 2008 Fall Edition of the Blogger's Boot Camp will feature VIDEO TUTORIALS!

As some of you know, I've been beta-testing video tutorials over the last couple of weeks.  Well, your comments have convinced me that these video tutorials will add a lot to the Boot Camps... especially, the upcoming Blogger's Boot Camp, beginning October 7th.

Having the various video tutorials will allow you to take your learning to the next level.  Not only will you hear the step-by-step instructions for setting up, maintaining and marketing your blog, but you'll see them as well! 

In other words, you're going to see in the video tutorial exactly what you'll see on your computer screen when you complete the steps yourself. 

I think this will really help you get your blogs set up AND keep them dynamic and thriving.

To see a sample video tutorial, and/or register for the 2008 Blogger's Boot Camp, go to:

http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/2008blogboot12.htm

See you on the calls!

If You're Looking For Results

If your stamping business is not growing, not growing fast enough or, worst of all, shrinking, consider these numbers:

SIMB Group and 1-on-1 Coaching Clients achieved the following last year:

- 62% of them made Cruise!
- Their sales increased an average of 36% from the previous year!
- Their recruiting was up an average of 11% over the previous year!
- Their profit was up an average of 24% over the previous year!

If you aren't achieving similar numbers, but you'd like to, I'd like to invite you to step into 1-on-1 or Group Coaching. 

We have the following openings beginning in October:

Group Coaching:

- Tuesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Eastern - 1 space available
- Wednesday evenings at 10:00 p.m. Eastern - 1 space available
- Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Eastern - 1 space available
- Thursday evenings at 10:00 p.m. Eastern - 1 space available

To learn more, or sign up for Group Coaching, you can go to http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/GroupCoaching.htm

1-on-1 Coaching:

Unfortunately, at this time, I have no openings for either bi-weekly or weekly 1-on-1 Coaching.  If you'd like to be placed on my Waiting List, please e-mail me.

To learn more, or sign up for 1-on-1 Coaching, you can go to http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/OneOnOne.htm

The Groups meet via conference call once per week.  On the call, each member has time to talk about their personal business and receive personal coaching from me, as well as helpful guidance from the other Group members.  Following that, I then cover our topic of the month.

Past and future topics include: Marketing & Advertising, Downline Motivation, Getting on the Phone, Increasing Sales and Attendance at workshops and gatherings, and using technology to make your business more efficient and profitable.

1-on-1 Coaching is a more intense Coaching model.  It's for those stamping professionals who would like to see speedier progress, or feel like they would benefit more from the individual format.

All openings are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Once a slot if full, I will start a waiting list for future openings.

To learn more, or sign up for Group Coaching, you can go to http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/GroupCoaching.htm

To learn more, or sign up for 1-on-1 Coaching, you can go to http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/OneOnOne.htm

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

UPDATE - SU Demos Disaster Response Network

Gretchen has begun posting updates to her own blog.  To view those updates, click here.

Quote of the Week

"Starting a business is a lot easier when you have someone who's done it before and can walk you through the process."

 - Jim Kemerling, Founder, Triad Semiconductor

I'm a SplitCoast Poll!

Several people have let me know that I've rated a poll on SplitCoast!  Actually, my classes are the specific topic.

Here are the top three (not counting "Other") so far:

• Never Heard of Him - 28%

• Love Them - 17%

• Don't See the Need for Them - 17%

What's really upsetting isn't the 17% who don't see the need (or the 13% who called them a waste of money :-) ).  I know that some of those people haven't actually tried them out (and I would invite them to before making a decision), and for those who have, well, I'm not everyone's cup of tea... 

The number that really disturbs me, though, is the 28% of the people surveyed don't know me!  From a business point of view, you never want to see a number like that.

That means I need to do more marketing, which I will. 

It got me to thinking, though, during my Online Ordering Boot Camp last week, though, I was surprised by the number of stamping business owners who don't seem to be doing any marketing to people who don't already know them. 

So, here's my question for all of you... how many people in your target market don't know about YOU?  I bet its more than 28%. 

To be continued...

UPDATE - SU Demos Disaster Response Network

The generousity of the Demonstrator community in helping their fellow Demos affected by Hurricane Ike has been amazing and inspiring.  SU Demo, Gretchen Barron, who is organizing the effort, sent an e-mail this morning with an update.  As you'll see, although quite a bit has been donated, there is still a need, and as morAs of this morning, there has been quite a bit donated.  This is still a need, and, as they re-establish contact, more affected Demos are being identified.

To view the update, click here.

The Stampin' Up! Demonstrators Disaster Response Network

As you probably know, many Demos, from Texas to Illinois, have been hit hard by Hurricane Ike.  And while we can't do much to replace everything they've lost, we, as a community, can certainly help those Demos replace their stamping supplies and rebuild their hobbies and businesses.

 

Illinois SU Demo, Gretchen Barron, has established the Stampin' Up! Demonstrators Disaster Relief Network to help coordinate the efforts of the SU community to assist their fellow Demos in getting back on their stamping feet.

 

To learn more about the network and how you can contribute, click here.

How One Demo Lost Money This Weekend

I had an interesting experience this weekend with a local Demo.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I DID NOT have an interesting experience with a local Demo.  And although she doesn't know it, she lost money because of it.

As many of you know, I live in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.  Well, September and October is "Craft Fair Season."  There are one or two craft fairs each weekend and Liz, the baby and I will usually go to check them out.

As Liz and the baby were watching the clown show, I was walking around, looking at the exhibitors.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a Stampin' Up! Demo exhibiting.  Surprised because I had never met a local demo up here.  She had a basket of finished cards on her table and I was flipping through them.  She also had some really nice cards that were finished with birch bark (very popular with rustic design up here).  I was going to ask her about them when I realized I was in her booth for about five minutes and she still hadn't said anything to me.  Not even a hello.

So, I decided to do a little experiment.  After flipping through her card basket, I picked up a copy of the catalog (which she was selling for $10) and began to slowly look through it.  Still, nothing from her.  Then, I picked up the Holiday Mini and began to look at that.  I made sure to go thorugh it very slowly and show lots of interest.  Again... nothing.

I was about to say something to her when another person came into the booth.  This person, a woman, was immediately acknowledged.  The woman left as quickly as she came and we were alone once again.  Now, I figured, she would have to say something, if only because she said something to the other person!

Wrong!  I left without her ever having said a word... or spending a dime.

I watched her booth for another 15 minutes or so.  Although there was a decent crowd at this event, I noticed the SU booth wasn't getting a lot of business, and I wasn't surprised.

When you do a craft fair or trade show, if you want to make money, please follow these simple rules:

1. Be active. Not passive. - Don't just sit behind your table and barely acknowledge the people who visit.  Engage them in conversation.  Ask questions.  Start to build the relationship.

2. Don't pre-judge anyone.  Men or women. - You never know who's going to spend money with you.

3. Try to get everyone to sign up for your mailing list - you'll make more money after the event than during it

Quote of the Week

"If you want to continue to grow, you need to continue to take risks, and these risks are generally greater ones."

 - Mike Jackson, Adayana

Cheaters Will No Longer Be Rewarded!

Stampin' Up! annouced yesterday that, while they can not explicitly prohibt Demonstrators from offering permanent product and Starter Kit discounts, they would no longer be rewarding it, either.

Going forward, any Demo who offers continuous product discounts (20% off every order) or discounted Starter Kits (other than official SU promotions) will be ineligible for "Demo of the Year, Rising Star, Incentive Trip, bonus pools and other rewards" for a period of one year.

This has been a sore spot for Demos for some time, and we addressed this issue in our July newsletter.  In that newsletter, I questioned why the companies continue to be silent on this issue and "urged the companies to take action against these individuals and protect their brand's value."

I applaud them for listening AND for taking this action!

Quote of the Week

"Conservative customers buy core products, but core customers will never buy conservative."

 - Rick Alden, President, Skull Candy Audio Products

For Your Newsletter or Blog - Mark Twain Was A Scrapbooker

Many of you are currently putting together your September newsletters.  If you're at a loss for an informational article for your newsletter or blog, feel free to use this one.  You can download the picture by clicking here. 

 

Thanks to Linda Plett (www.virtualinking.com) for finding and sharing it:

 

Scrapbooking can frequently be viewed as a woman's hobby. There are however, many instances throughout the long history of this popular craft where men have played significant roles in developing the art that is loved by millions of hobbyists today. Unfortunately, the pull for men in scrapbooking was often the money, while there is plenty of evidence that some of them truly did enjoy scrapbooking as a hobby. Here are some of the finer achievements of men in scrapbooking history.

- In the mid 1800's, London based "W. H. Rock" began producing leather albums with pre-printed pages of flowers and birds. These albums became popular for scrapbooking hobbyists.

- In 1857, the production of "carte-de-vista" albums, containing photograph pockets, became popular.       

- Mark Twain, best known for Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn invented "Mark Twain's Adhesive Scrapbook" with pre-pasted pages. This idea was one of his most loved business adventures, possibly because it earned him over $50,000. Don't be too easily fooled, however, because Mark Twain enjoyed scrapbooking so much that he devoted his Sunday afternoon to keeping his scrapbooking albums up to date.

- Thomas Jefferson was an addicted scrapbooker. His albums included news clippings, drawings, and dried leaves. Men in the eighteenth century helped to produce "Dutch Gilt" or "Dutch Flowered Papers" (lithography or stenciling in Holland or Germany) using wood, metal, or blocks. Originally intended to line cupboards, these patterns quickly became a favorite in the scrapbooks of the day.

- In the 1870's companies began mass producing embossed paper for use in scrapbooking albums.

- While stickers, iron-on letters, buttons, rubber stamps, and metal accents are used today in scrapbooking, the Prang Company developed "album cards" for use in scrapbooks of the nineteenth century. These sets of ten cards were pictures of birds, flowers, or landscapes to be used in scrapbooks.

- Most nineteenth century scrapbooks have "calling cards" in them. These decorated cards were left by guests at the host's home. They eventually made their way into many scrapbooks because of the fond memories of wonderful parties and dances, not just by women, but, as you have already guessed, by men.

World Card Making Day - Is Your Event Scheduled?

World Card-Making Day is October 4th.  Are you doing a WCMD-related event?  If so, it should be scheduled NOW!  If you don't have it on your calendar, make sure you put it on TODAY!

Information about your WCMD event should be included in your September newsletter (going out this week), mentioned at all of your classes and workshops, and discussed during your customer phone calls.

Your WCMD event is also a good thing to highlight in a press release.  However, if you want to get any coverage, the release must go out sometime next week.

Good luck!

Quote of the Week

"Your task as a leader is to put the right people in the right bus, on the right seats."

 - Matthias Schmelz