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Many of you are struggling with resizing your images to use as your Facebook Business Page Cover Photo. In this video, I show you a super-easy way to do it:
Click here to learn more about the SIMB Photoshop Elements Class.
In Friday's blog post, I mentioned that I thought there's never been a better time than right now to own your own stamping business.
One of my readers, Jan Brumbelow, asked in the Comments section why I believed that.
Rather than just answer her, I decided to write an entire blog post for all of you. So here are...
The 3 Reasons I Believe There's NEVER Been A Better Time To Own Your Own Stamping Business!
1. Paper Crafting Continues To Grow Annually
According to the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association), paper crafting continues to be the number one craft-related hobby. In fact, spending on paper crafting supplies has grown by approximately $100 million per year for the last several years... a time-period where the overall economy has not done well AND most discretionary spending has decreased dramatically.
While I wouldn't exactly call the industry 'recession-proof,' it certainly has prospered in an era of adversity. If you were going to start a business now, THIS is the business to start!
2. More Ways To Make Money Than Ever Before
As technology evolves, and consumers become more comfortable utilizing it, the number of revenue streams a stamping business owner can open up has steadily increased.
Selling product, charging for classes and growing your downline have now been joined by online classes and clubs, e-books, DVDs, Etsy stores, custom-cardmaking and more!
Stamping businesses have never had more flexibility and opportunity. Frankly, it is a LOT easier to run a stamping business that pays you what you deserve now than it ever has been!
Truly, whatever your situation, you should be able to find a profitable model that fits your lifestyle!
3. More Tools To Reach More People Than Ever Before
At one time, you had to spend a great deal of money to get your marketing message out to a handful of people. Now, the opposite is true! It costs little or nothing to get your business in front of thousands... even tens of thousands of potential customers!
Again, as technology has advanced, the playing field has been leveled to the point where you, the home-based business owner, have the same tools at your disposal as a large corporation. You can now tap into the same marketing channels that big businesses do with a minimal investment.
The fact that you can expose your business to more people than has ever been possible before means the growth potential of your stamping business is greater than its ever been before!
Whether you want to run a very traditional stamping business, an entirely online one or any other model, it's never been easier to get in front of your potential customers and make that happen!
The notion that you could run an incredibly profitable stamping business out of your home with no employees and very little overhead has never been more true than it is today!
I've been working with stamping business owners since 2000, and I've always been a huge fan of the business model, but as someone who's job it is to help you be successful, I can honestly say I've never been more enthusiastic about your future!
What do YOU think? Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments below (and feel free to share this article with downline and potential downline, too!).
Well, yesterday's video on 'Should I Charge For Workshops?' struck a nerve with many of you. I received a lot of e-mails from stamping business owners who agreed with the points in the video... and some from those who disagreed.
I do think there was some confusion, though, as to the type of event I was specifically talking about in the video. For that reason, I've re-recorded the video to make it more clear. You can view the revised video in the post below.
Among the e-mails I received yesterday was this one. It really breaks my heart when I get e-mails like this, because I think these situations are so unnecessary. I'm sharing it with you as a cautionary tale, and I'll speak about it more at the end:
Dear John,
Even though I ceased to be a (stamping business owner) a few months ago, I stayed on your email list because I like the content you provide. I hope you don't mind.
When I saw your video on whether or not you should charge for workshops, I felt compelled to write and share my story. I don't mind if you share it with others, but please remove my name.
I signed up to be a (stamping business owner) several months ago because I needed to make money. I was laid off a few months earlier, and didn't have much left in my bank account.
Once I got my starter kit, I started calling my friends to see if they would do a workshop. I was surprised by the fact that all of them said no.
When I spoke to my upline about this, she told me I shouldn't call it a workshop. Instead, I should call it a 'private class.' When I asked her what the difference was, she said there was none. Except that I should charge everyone $7 and offer to give the money back if they place an order.
When I asked if there should be a minimum amount on the order so I'm not making less than $7 (which I thought was pretty low to begin with) in commissions, she said that wasn't the point.
I asked her if the hostess should tell the people she invites they can get the fee waived, and she said no. She said that if they know they're going to be sold to, they won't come.
I felt very uneasy about this because I thought I wasn't being honest with my future customers. I also wasn't happy to hear my upline say that people wouldn't buy product if they knew that was what they were coming for. When I shared these feelings with her, she said 'all of the top Demonstrators are doing it and if I wanted to be successful, this was what I had to do.'
John, I'm sorry to say I didn't listen to my gut and went ahead and did it. It was a disaster. When I started passing out catalogs and talking about buying product at the end of the 'class' you could feel the mood in the room change. It felt awful. I felt awful. The people who were there were not happy. A few people did actually buy products, but I've never seen unhappier customers in my life.
I was so upset, I never did anything with my business again. I thought I'd confront my upline when she called, but she never did. Even after I went into pending.
Please let your readers know if they're going to do an event like this to be up front about the fact you're going to pass out catalogs and sell product at the end.
John, I know you're probably taking a lot of c**p from people today for your video, but I think you're spot on with your message and it needs to be said. If I saw this video earlier, I may still be a (stamping business owner).
Sincerely,
(name removed)
I wanted you all to read this because I think it's important to understand what can happen when ideas are left unchecked and unregulated. Even ideas that may start out as good ones with the best of intentions are often tweaked and adjusted until they're a shadow of their former selves.
And as upline, it's important to think about the ideas you share with your downline, and the messages those ideas send them.
Finally, to (name removed), my message is this: you should sign up again!
I know you had a bad experience, but I think it was an isolated one. Maybe you need to find an upline who shares the same ideas you do, but I can tell you as someone who's been working with stamping business owners for over 12 years, there's never been a better time to start your own stamping business!
There's more potential now, and you have more tools at your disposal, than ever before! I hope you reconsider, because I think this can still be a tremendous opportunity for you.
And if any of you want to be this person's upline, send me an e-mail. I don't know what she's doing now, or if she wants to come back, but I'm going to send her a long reply today, and I'll include the list of people who would like to work with her.
Whether you call them 'Private Classes,' 'Undercover Workshops' or anything else, should you engage in the practice of calling a workshop something that it isn't, charging your attendees a nominal fee and offer to refund that fee if they purchase catalog product? The answer might surprise you...
Now that St. Patrick's Day has passed, it's time to ask a few questions:
- Did you get lucky?
- Did you find the pot of gold?
Probably not. And if you're waiting around for luck to happen in your business, you're going to be waiting for a long time!
The truth is, every successful stamping business owner I work with... the ones other stamping business owners think 'got lucky'... make their own luck!
One of my favorite quotes is 'luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.' What it basically means is you have to make your own luck!
How do you make your own luck in your stamping business? Here are three steps:
1. Plan
After all these years, I'm still amazed by how many stamping business owners run their business without a real plan. If you don't have a business plan, with a clearly defined set of objectives, as well as long and short-term goals, then how do you know if an opportunity that presents itself is good or bad for your business? How do you know if you're doing things that are moving your business in the right direction? Truthfully, you don't. If you don't already have a Business Plan, take some time and create one. If you'd like some help with that, click here.
2. Execute
Once you have your plan in place, you now have a roadmap. However, the roadmap is only good if you follow it. Again, I'm amazed by how many stamping business owners take the time to create their Business Plan, but don't follow through and execute it. If you want to be successful, you have to work your Plan consistently! The two things every successful business owner has in common is focus (the Plan) and consistency (the execution).
3. Analyze and Revise
After you've worked your Plan consistently for several weeks, take a moment to analyze your results. Are you moving in the right direction? Are there elements of the Plan you didn't consider? Are there things you're doing you now realize you shouldn't be? Have circumstances changed? Have new opportunities presented themselves?
The most successful businesses are the ones that are constantly reading the ever-changing landscape and making the necessary adjustments. They're the ones who become the trend-setters and leaders, while everyone else is left to follow.
Don't be afraid of change. It's part of any business, and the more willing you are to embrace it, the more successful you'll ultimately be.
If you follow these three steps, you won't need leprechauns leading you to pots of gold. You'll be making your own luck... and creating your own success!
"If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying."
- Coleman Hawkins
More great, exclusive "Member's Only" training happening on the Business Stampers Coaching Group message board this week, including:
Of course, this type of business-building training happens every week on the BSCG... WITHOUT all of the other off-topic, time-consuming dialogues, and Demos selling to other Demos, that take place in other groups!
For those of you who don't know, the BSCG is the premier online Coaching Community for profit-driven, business-minded stamping business owners.
The Group is fantastic, and the content is killer. In addition to the Message Board, which is where Members communicate, ask questions of me and fellow Members and receive tons of positive, professional support from like-minded business owners (and me), Members also receive:
If you're on the fence about joining the BSCG, take the special 3rd Anniversary $1, 30-Day Trial. If you don't think the information is worth the dirt-cheap monthly fee, or you can't benefit from it, just cancel before the 30 days are up and owe nothing.
"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces."
- Unknown
Last week, I sent many of you my 'Top 5 List Bulding/E-Mail Marketing MIstakes' video. One of the mistakes I mentioned was lack of testing.
This generated a bunch of e-mail asking me what, exactly, they should be testing.
So, here are
Three E-Mail Elements You Should Be Testing:
1. Subject Line
You always want your subject line to engage your reader. Remember, 80% or more of the people who receive your e-mail will never get past your subject line... UNLESS you make it compelling enough for them to do so. Different types of subject lines are going to generate higher open rates with your customers. And the only way to find out what those subject lines are is to test, test, test! AWeber actually allows you to split test the same e-mail. It will send out a broadcast e-mail, randomly selecting one of two different subject lines for each of your recipients, and then giving you a report of which performed better!
2. Time of Day
Every list has a sweet spot. A time of day that generates more opens than any other. The only way for you to figure that out for your list is to test different times and see which one works best for you.
3. Format
Some lists prefer e-mails that are relatively design free (black letting on a white background), while others prefer lots of colors and graphics. How can you tell which your list perfers? Do a split test with one of each design, but the same content. See which one gets a higher click-through rate.
There are lots of other things you can and should be testing as you grow your list and warm it up to where you can send out an e-mail anytime, and count on them to open it and buy from you!
For the step-by-step gameplan to create YOUR list of dependable buyers, sign up now for the List Building/E-Mail Marketing Boot Camp. The Early Bird Discount expires Tuesday!
Building your e-mail list is the most important thing you can do for your business. Without a good, responsive list, it doesn't matter how much you offer... or how good those offers are... you will NOT generate the amount of business you need to thrive!
With that in mind, here are
Three Things To Remember When Building Your List:
1. Make it easy
Don't make your potential subscriber jump through hoops to get on your mailing list. Ask for the least amount of information possible (name, email address), and make sure the form is right on the front page of your blog. Don't make them click a button to get to the form. I know it sounds crazy, but the extra step will cost you subscribers!
2. Give them a good reason to sign up
Don't just say, 'Sign up for my newsletter.' Tell them what they're going to get when they sign up for your mailing list that's exclusive... that they wouldn't get any other way. Whether you're spotlighting the content they're going to receive, or the gift you're going to send them for signing up, the more enticing you make it, the more subscribers you'll get!
3. Give them more information than solicitation
It's OK to ask people on your mailing list to buy something from you. If subscribers don't understand that you are running a business, then they shouldn't be on your list. Having said that, make sure the majority of what you're sending them is information, rather than solicitation. How can you tell the difference? Every time you send out an e-mail, ask yourself, 'will my reader benefit from this regardless of whether or not they buy something from me?' If the answer is yes, it's information. If the answer is no, its solicitation.
Results of the Survey
On Monday, I sent you a survey asking how many names you'd like to add to your mailing list in the next 12 months. Over 500 of you answered the survey! And the average was... 186 new names in twelve months!
Well, I'm pretty confident you can all add a lot more names to your list than that!
And if you'd like to learn, step-by-step, how to do just that, I encourage you to sign up for the upcoming List Building/E-Mail Marketing Boot Camp! The Early Bird runs through this Tuesday.
Learn more about the List Building/E-Mail Marketing Boot Camp.
This Boot Camp will show you step-by-step how to add 500 prospective BUYERS to your mailing list in the next 12 months AND how to market to them to maximize sales and profits!
In addition to the four weekly webinars, you'll receive all of the over-the-shoulder tutorial videos you need to get up to speed on the technical aspects of building and marketing to your list!
I've recorded a video explaining why most stamping business owners are disappointed by the results they get from their lists.
For more information, use the link below. The Early Bird Discount Period begins NOW!
Click Here To Learn More About The List Building/E-Mail Marketing Boot Camp!
Hope to see you there!
Take the Survey and Get the Training Video & Blueprint!
"Destiny is no matter of chance. It's a matter of choice. It's not a thing to be waited for. It's a thing to be achieved."
- William Jennings Bryan
In honor of Geisel's birthday, today is also Read Across America Day. A very big day in the Sanpietro house, and Liz and I will both be reading at our local grammar school's Dr. Seuss event tonight (I do an excellent 'Green Eggs and Ham!').
We've also been having a lot of fun with Dr. Seuss this week in the Business Stampers Coaching Group. I challenged BSCG Members to come up with a stamping-related Dr. Seuss poem to post to their blogs today.
To get them started, I led off with this little piece:
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can build a stamping business
Any way that you choose!
BSCG Members rose to the challenge... and then some! Here are a few excepts from some of the poems you'll find on their blogs today...
This is just a piece of what's posted on Ink and Inspirations:
No need to drive
Your car any more,
Just shop right through
My Online Store!
Here's just a few lines of what you'll find on the Craftastic Passion blog today:
This one has a little star
This one has a little car
Say! What a lot of stamps there are
From the Come Stamp With Me blog, a nice take on Green Eggs and Ham:
I will learn about the trends,
I will stamp with all my friends!
I will decorate with pearls,
I will try it with my girls!
I will try it here and there,
I will try it everywhere!
I do so like to stamp with you!
Thank you! Thank you, Sonya-Lou!
Just a small piece of what you'll find on Jill Stamps today:
You can tickle my feet.
You can shake my chair.
You can pour cold water all over my hair.
But you’re wasting your time.
So go away!
I am going to stamp today!!
I wish I could put every BSCG Members' poem in this post, but if you want to find them, they're out there.
In the meantime, here's my Dr. Seuss-like poem about being your Coach:
I am your Stamping Business Coach
I know that much is true
If help is what you're looking for,
Guess what? That's what I do!
I cheer, I push, I challenge, I teach
Big hurdles I reduce
I'm all about your progress
Not so much your excuse
I want you to achieve your goals
Whatever they may be
And whenever I can help with that
It fills me with much glee
For though I know how hard it is
To achieve the goals you've set
I also know how great it feels
When each of those goals are met
So if I can help in any way
I'm at your beck and call
We'll get it done... we'll have some fun
No goal too big or small
I hope you enjoyed these, and that you take a moment today to appreciate the pure joy of reading.
Finally, if you like challenges like this one, you still have a few days left to take advantage of our BSCG 3rd Anniversary Special. Click here to take the $1/30-day Trial.
