Fabulous Usborne Business Kit - One Day Left!

The deal for the fabulous Usborne September kit is now ended.

Read more about the Usborne Books at Home opportunity and see the current consultant kit here.

I remain dedicated to answering your questions. If you decide to try the Usborne opportunity I will be waiting to assist you with your goals and with reaching them.

Where will my customers come from? What to do with your list of friends and family.

OK, you have your list of friends, family and everyone you can think of written. What are you going to do with it? Ideally you will have a mentor, someone who has gone before you and can help you with this. If you do, great, if not you're going to have to make it on your own. Either way, the next step will help you. If you're really confident and are sure that you know what to say go ahead and start calling. However, if the first couple of calls don't go the way you'd expected, stop there and don't continue until you've figured out what to change.

I want you to make another list. This will be a list of things people could do to help you. It might look something like this:

1. Join me in the business.
2. Host a party or event for me.
3. Attend an event I'm holding.
   
4. Partake of my service or product.
   
5. Refer their friends to me.
6. Help me with advertising - put up a flier or send out an e-mail to a group.
   
7. Suggest venues for me to display my business or places where I can network.
   
8. Provide feedback on what I'm doing, encouragement, or suggestions.

The next step is to match the people on your list with the ways people could help you. Try to figure out what would be the best outcome and what might be a not so good outcome but probably more realistic.

Here's an example. Linda is a friend who has children and might enjoy some additional part-time income. You'd love for her to sign up for her own direct selling business and join you because she'd be good at it and you'd enjoy working with her. Wait a minute though, she's a busy person with 4 kids and is already struggling with what she has 'on her plate'. While you don't want to judge for her, a more realistic thing to expect of her than 1. might be 6.

Now, before you rush off to call, relationships work better face to face so don't ask for a big commitment over the phone. The first phone call is about planting a possibility and asking a person to begin thinking about what you have to say. Hopefully you can set up an appointment. More on that later...

Where Will My Customers Come From? Write a List.

OK, you like the idea of having your own business, but where are your customers going to come from? Every business needs customers, clients, shoppers etc. You can't just rush out into the street and grab people and make them work with you. What should you do?

The first thing to know is the majority of businesses do not achieve overnight success. I'm sorry, I wish it were otherwise, but some planning, patience and work will be required. If your business is going to be small (not required to bring in the main money to support your family and save for retirement) then your job may be somewhat easier. If your business is one that people already know and understand that should also help. We've probably all heard of McDonalds; we know what to expect from a new McDonalds which opens near us. Other businesses may, or may not, be something we've heard of. Have you heard of Usborne Books? If our business is something new or unique that could be a good thing or a challenge, depending on what we are supplying and how we promote it.

Assuming that you are starting a small business which is of interest to families, we can guess you have an advantage because you already know several families. That's not to say that every family you know is going to be interested. The key to direct selling, and other small businesses that cater to families, is starting with your existing personal network. There is no substitute for sitting down and writing a list of all the people you know. Don't just include family and your best friends on this list - sometimes family and best friends are a great support and other times they 'run a mile'. Include on your list everyone who's business you frequent, people you know through social groups, parents of your children's friends, people you've worked with in the past. I say to include everyone you like. It's up to you if you want to include people you don't like too of course.

At this stage don't even think about whether the people you know will or won't be interested in helping you in some way or other. If you're not willing to ask, you won't know! Put their names down and don't score them off until you've really thought about how to talk with them. Most people are willing to do something for you, though the level of commitment and support will surely vary from person to person.

What are you waiting for? Go and start your list.

Welcome Melissa!

Melissa of Sweet Serendipity is the latest mom to join my Usborne team. Welcome Melissa! I am here to help you set and meet your goals. May we have a long and fruitful business relationship. Here's hoping that you and I win the trip to Rome! Are you ready to pack your bags?

Should I worry about Barnes and Noble competition?

Today Melissa of Sweet Serendipity posed a question here. It's actually one of the most common questions I am asked related to the Usborne business; I thought it best to answer with a new post. Here is the question:

"Hi Alison,
In considering joining Usborne, I have a concern that their books are now turning up at Barnes and Noble. Have you noticed a drop in sales or disadvantage since they have gone to retail? Seems the books used to by hard to come by, except from a rep. Now they are all over the libraries and book stores, at least here locally. Wondering what effect this has had on business???
Thanks,
Melissa"

Dear Melissa,

Usborne has a retail division in the USA called EDC or Educational Development Corporation which sells to bookstores. As far as I know promotion through that venue has not changed much recently. I have a sneaking suspicion here that if you are seeing more Usborne books it's because you enjoy them and are now noticing them wherever you go :-) In answer to your question though, I don't see retail bookstores as competition for Usborne consultants. Consultants currently have over 1,600 different items to choose from in helping parents with their childrens' educational needs. Retail bookstores typically have a small selection of these items. Moreover, as an Usborne consultant, you provide a service which is quite different from the service a parent receives at a bookstore as follows:

1. We have the opportunity to help parents receive books for very low cost - much lower than they would through a bookstore, even with a homeschool discount. The hostess program is one of the most generous in the industry. During September for instance a hostess can expect to receive $120 of merchandise allowance (otherwise known as free books) and $100 of books at 50% discount with an average home party ($400 in retail sales).
   
2. Usborne consultants can focus on learning about how each book is used to enhance reading and educational skills in a child. It does take some time to pick up this product knowledge, but it's a part of what we do and a frequent focus of Usborne training. Most consultants have children and use Usborne books at home every day, giving us the advantage of first-hand knowledge.
3. We are not restricted to doing home parties. Usborne consultants work with preschools, schools, non-profits and libraries. We also go out to local events to meet parents and grandparents - known as doing vendor booths. We run Holiday Savings Clubs, we visit with people in their homes to recommend books for their children, and we do reading incentive events and book drives. Home parties are the heart of our business but we have other options that make our business very flexible.

Mainly YOU are what makes your business different from the shopping experience at Barnes and Noble. There is competition out there, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Many parents start working with an Usborne consultant because they first discovered our books at the bookstore or library. Scholastic even are licensed to publish a limited selection of Usborne books in their own less expensive binding. Again, I don't think that hurts us because it gets people interested and once they realize how great Usborne books are they want more!

At the end of the day, some people like shopping at the bookstore, some like to shop online, some like to go to the library, some buy their books at garage sales, some do all of the above. You are not going to be providing something that everyone wants. What is most important is that you are providing something that many people appreciate. Some people will like to shop with you!

Maybe what you are really asking is, "Will anyone want to shop with me? Will I be successful with this?" That is really a whole other conversation. Usborne books are a wonderful product and there is a market for them. You will receive training that will help you figure out how to get out of your business what you want. It's a great time to give the business a try. Is something else holding you back?

Regards, Alison

P.S. If you want to e-mail me for more personal attention and to receive my telephone number you can do so through the contacts form at GreatFunBooks.com

The Everything Selling Book

The Everything Selling Book
"How to be a successful salesperson even if you've never sold before", that sounds like something I could use! I picked this book up at the bargain table in a bookstore. I like it a lot and keep it to hand to refer to. It's both comprehensive and readable.

Here are a few tidbits from this book:

• "Plant triggers and leave footprints." Triggers are reasons someone might want to work with you in the future. For my business I might say something like, "Parents often like to provide quality reference books for their children at the start of the school year." Footprints are ways to find you: business card magnets, a catalog, or a newsletter.
• "Respect how your customer prefers to communicate." Many people have a clear preference for the channel and manner of receiving information. With some a visit is a must, others like the phone, and some really respond to e-mail. Try to find out the best times and methods for keeping in touch.
• "A minority of customers provide the majority of business... 80% of your business will come from 20% of your clients." Be sure you are identifying your best customers and giving them the service they require. These special clients are the ones who can help you to significantly grow your business.

I wish you success with your business.

Business Training with Usborne

When considering a new career, one important question is, "What training will I receive?" I believe Usborne provide some of the very best training in the industry. Let me clarify here that you are not required to do the training. You can pick and choose and take it or leave it. Nonetheless, you may want to understand your options.

Usborne is organized in teams under directors. Some of the training is run by directors and supervisors and is specific to the team you join. Other training is provided by the corporate office - in the USA we're Uborne Books at Home and EDC Publishing, or Educational Development Corporation.

Training is typically available for the cost of a phone call, the cost of gas to get to a location, or online for free. Here are some of the training options which you will be invited to take advantage of:

• Weekly conference calls with nationally recognized trainer Belinda Ellsworth. Belinda has her own website where you can read about what she does, though the calls are provided through Usborne for the cost of dialing in. If you prefer you can download and listen on your computer or while out and about.
• Personalized start-up training run by your Usborne supervisor. This can be in-person or by phone depending on whether your supervisor is local.
• A comprehensive printed Consultant Manual provides all the information you need and comes with your kit. You also receive a DVD containing two home party demos.
• Usborne supervisors and directors provide a range of local and long-distance training in the form of monthly local meetings, weekly goal-setting/training calls (usually 3 per month), e-mail campaigns, online chat opportunities, and team training websites. These are great to plug into once you've completed your initial training.
• Usborne Books at Home provide you with: an online training site of written procedures; access to audios from Belinda Ellsworth's calls; audios from previous national training conventions; a forum where you can ask questions; and an archive of documents which have already been developed for you to use.
• Throughout the fall and spring there are regional training events with company leaders providing sessions to help you master home parties and explore additional markets.
• In July we have national convention in Tulsa, OK. The convention fee is negligible given that you receive catered meals and a bag of books to take home. The speakers are wonderful and the camaraderie is equally so. We receive discounts on room rates and most enjoy room buddies, which makes it really affordable.

OK, now that your head is spinning, maybe I've made the point that there is no shortage of training when you start your business with Usborne. The biggest problem is choosing which training to use!

Business Idea Give-Away #1

I'm giving away a free business idea. My husband says it's a good idea and I should use it myself, but the truth is I'm happy with what I've got and I'd rather see someone else using it.

There's a lot of interest right now in energy saving ideas. My idea is not new, but it's an idea for something I've not been able to find in the USA. Tumble driers use a fair amount of electricity. I think there should be good interest in alternatives. Personally I use a ceiling-mounted clothes airer, sometimes called a pulley, which my husband built for me from scratch because we could not find a USA supplier. Below are some links to help you see what this is.

This idea is free and open to anyone reading. You are responsible for your own market research and business planning. I can't guarantee you success if you take up my idea. I can't help you to source components or business funding. All I can say is that it seems like a good idea to me.

You can turn up plenty of information by searching Google UK for 'clothes airer'. Here are some links to let you see what I'm talking about:

• IronmongeryOnline.com
• Amazon.co.uk
• CastInStyle.co.uk

I'm sure there are several options to explore on what to market here. You could provide full kits locally, or by mail order, you could provide partial kits with instructions and let people complete the kit locally (timber might be expensive to ship because of the length), you could focus on supplying and installing locally.

Have fun exploring this idea! Do let me know if you start marketing so that I can tell people who might want to be customers!

It's About People

People want to do business with people. In the days of corner stores we all knew who we were doing business with. We knew who owned the business and most likely how they spent their money. Today, people still want to do business with people. We may even be prepared to spend a little more to get the kind of service we appreciate. If someone chooses to do business with you rather than a nameless corporation it may be because they know something about who you are. Maybe they've met you. People like to help each other. Would you rather help a corporation or an individual who shares something in common with you?

Whatever product or service you are providing, make sure you remember that business is all about people, service, relationships, and helping others with their needs.

Hint #1

Love the phone. If you don't love it now, but you need to make calls for your business, you have to find a way to get used to it! Here are some ideas:

• Start calling people you know regularly just because... not just when you want something!
  
• Call stores to ask questions.
• Call your neighbor and ask them to come and visit - unless you have a neighbor you hate it's good to know your neighbors!
• Call the school, the local library, the city office etc. I'm sure you can think of a question to ask and you can talk without worrying about having to sell something.
• Call customer service centers and note down what you like or dislike about how they handle your calls.
• Ask your supervisor, or a friend, to practice phone calls with you.
• Call companies and ask them about their services. Learn from how they treat you.

Take it one step at a time and learn to love the phone!

Get Rich Fast... or not!

Eternal optimists just can't help thinking that there's a better way! Just find that golden nugget and before you know it you'll be rich. Keep dreaming!

I've told you about the September start-up deal with Usborne - just $35 to get going. Is it a great deal? Yes, I can say that I really believe so! Will it get you rich quick? I'm sorry, but getting rich requires three things in my experience:

1. smarts
2. opportunity - smarts help you to find and recognize this
3. hard work

Of the three, hard work is the biggest one. Yes, that's right, you actually have to work to make money! So forget Usborne as the latest get rich quick deal, but if you're prepared to work some for the things that are important to you, feel free to give it a try. Since you need to work, choose something that you'll enjoy - it really helps!

Still want to get rich quick? I'm not stopping you. There's no harm in dreams unless they stop you taking care of necessities. Think up your big idea, then put in the work to achieve it. Just remember that mostly getting rich quick means that someone, or something (eg the environment) suffers for your gain.

Too Good to be True?

Isn't it usually the case that if it sounds too good to be true, it IS too good to be true. When you are looking at choosing a home-based career make sure you stop and think rather than just sign on the line!

Here are some questions to ask for sales related careers:

• How much product do I need to sell? Are there monthly minimums?
• How often do I need to buy catalogs and how much do they cost?
• Am I required to buy samples? How much and how often? Are samples consumed during demonstration and who pays for them if they are?
  
• What type of training do I have access to and am I required to do a certain amount?
• What ordering process will I use? Is there a cost attached to that?
• Who will be my main customers and how will I find them?
• How much can I earn and how many hours do I need to work to achieve that?
• Who is being successful at this and what is contributing to their success?

You can probably think of your own additional questions. You may not only need to consider your own needs, but also those of your family members. No matter how good a deal something sounds, is it the right deal for you? Can you try it and leave without a loss if it's not for you?

Take your time choosing if you need to. If someone is trying to push you into a deal, ask for a few days to think about it. If they are truly interested in working with you they won't mind waiting to call you back.

Colorful Personalities - George Boelcke

How come some people are just easy to get along with and others make no sense at all to us? It's nice when we can just choose to associate with the people we enjoy, but what if we have business and personal relationships that we need to make work? What if we want to get the best from our colleagues even when we don't understand them?

George Boelcke's personality colors is a comprehensive and simple solution to making sense of people who are not like us. It can even help you to appreciate your own strenghts and weaknesses. It can help you make sense of your partner, allow you to focus on your children's good points, and show real benefits in your business relationships. If we can just make sense of those around us, we have the tools to grow in ways that would not otherwise be possible. Of the various personality analysis I've seen, this is by far the most simple to understand and the easiest for realizing a real benefit.

The best way to learn about the power of Colorful Personalities is through attending a seminar or training session. Failing that, I recommend taking a look at an interview with George Boelcke. If this tweaks your interest, his books are very affordable. You can read more about them and see a sample excerpt here.

Happy Reading :-)

Grow Your Business with Booths

One of the big challenges of a home-based career is expanding your contacts network until it is large enough to sustain your business. Every business has peaks and troughs - it's easy to lose the belief in what you're doing when you hit your first trough. Time after time though I've heard that those who succeed are the ones that just keep going. One convenient way for direct sellers and crafters to expand their contacts network is through booths. Here is some information on choosing booths. I will write separately about finding booths.

• Decide how much you're prepared to spend on a booth - in your first year in business I'd suggest $15-30 ($50 maximum). Booths are primarily for finding new customers and you have to be willing and able to lose the money you put out for these events; don't pay more than you can afford to lose!
• Look for church, school and neighborhood craft fairs and festivals. These are usually low cost and they attract people who want to shop. They're a good way to get contacts in your own area or in a new area.
• Avoid events that are run by other direct sellers and have booths consisting mostly of direct sellers. I've done some of these and they've had wonderful vendor displays and lots of advertising, but they have had low turnout. I also avoid new indoor children and family festivals where there is an entry fee. Word of mouth has told me that they may not be worth the booth fee, which is typically higher.
• Ask whether this is the first year of the event. First year events are more risky.
• If this is an event that has been run before, ask what the attendance was last time and what percentage of vendors have re-booked. Be concerned if the event has been run before but at a different venue or at a different time of year. Some events "pay" the organizers the first time around, but are not good for the vendors until the 2nd or 3rd year. Potential customers will assume that an event being run again was successful last time. Attendance should increase from year to year, but if the venue or time of year are changed it will disrupt this process.
• Long-established events sometimes experience a drop-off in attendance, particularly if their is an entry fee for coming in the door. Some people will come year after year, but others need to see that something new is happening or they will take their money elsewhere. Ask what is new this year if there's an entry fee.
  
• Food and free children's activities are a good draw. Look for events where they are selling soup, chilli, pies and home-baked items. If you're trying to find customers with children, things like free face painting, crafts and bouncy castles will bring in the kind of people you want to meet.
  
• If you can, start visiting festivals and fairs to check out which ones would be good. This takes some patience, but you'll learn a lot; it will help your business the following year.

Once you get started on the booth circuit you'll likely find that vendors/crafters are part of a great network of people that supports each other. People are usually happy to share about other events coming up and will tell you which ones are the best to do. That makes your life a lot easier!

Now you just need to know how to find booths! I'll be writing on that soon.

Your Dream Job?

According to these organizers, a home-based career with Usborne Books at Home is a dream job. The Youtube video shown here is of UK folks who love this job. Don't let that put you off. Working with Usborne Books at Home in the USA and other parts of the world is just as great, and there's just as much need to bring quality books and literacy to YOUR community.

Shall I tell you a little secret? Sign up to try the business and you will even get genuine British accents as part of the deal! It's true, I'm a Scot and the person who will do your training is from England. Love Britain? You'll love Usborne Books.

Choosing a Home-Based Career

Some questions to consider:

• Goals: what are you working for? How much do you need/want to earn? Do you have money to invest if necessary and how soon do you need to earn? Are there ethical considerations? Do you want to do something that helps others? What kind of customer and colleague contact do you want?
  
• Hours: what hours are you able/prepared to work? What kind of flexibility do you need/want in terms of hours and last-minute schedule changes?
  
• Place: do you want to work at home or from home? What about flexibility on where you work?
  
• Skills and training: what training and communication works best for you - by phone, at meetings, e-mail, online chat? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What new skills are you interested in learning?

Answering the above questions will be great preparation as you research your home-based career options.

Crazy Rome Give-Away

The Usborne Crazy Rome Give-Away ended September 30th, 2008 - 1,625 people took advantage of this wonderful deal. If you love to travel, Usborne Books at Home consultants always have the chance to earn trips to near and far. Some of the trips earned in the past include: an Alaskan Cruise, Paris, Punta Cana, and London.

Read more about the Usborne Books at Home opportunity and see the current consultant kit here.

I remain dedicated to answering your questions. If you decide to try the Usborne opportunity I will be waiting to assist you with your goals and with reaching them.

The More You Have the More You Can Give!

How do you feel about earning? Sometimes women business owners don't really believe it's OK to earn. If you were raised to feel that giving is better than receiving this is not good for your business -- unless you stop and think about this.

When you're involved in direct marketing it's particularly easy to give away all your profits. You may end up with satisfied customers who have stacks of your product to enjoy, or you might instead be treated with disrespect, be considered unprofessional, and be left feeling as if you've been taken advantage of.

The first thing to realize is that "It's OK to earn money!" It's something I learned from Traci Bild at Usborne convention in 2007. It's really true because the more you have the more you can give. Think about this, what do you want to do with what you earn? Maybe you want to make life a little easier for your family. If you already have a comfortable lifestyle you can still go ahead and earn. You might want to plant trees, help those in need, support the arts in your local area, be generous to your friends and family, invest in green technologies. The list really is virtually endless.

As long as you are ethically comfortable with the company you work for and the products you sell, go ahead and do the best job you are capable of. How many men have you heard say, "I'm earning enough now so I'm just going to give stuff away!" - not likely?

Be reasonable with your business generosity, don't overdo it, because then you can choose how to spend the money you will be earning. Also, spend a moment thinking about the businesses you want to support in your community and beyond. Where do you want your money to go?