mypartyplanblog.com

Hi everyone!

WOW!!! What women doesn’t want a new handbag for FREE?!? Check out the new site http://www.handbagplanet.com/. Here you will see a huge array of gorgeous ‘arm candy’ up for grabs today.  Choose your favourite bag, and register your selection for a chance to win.  You can increase your chances of winning, by spreading the word to all your friends. 

Well, what are you waiting for?  Click here to see all the lovely handbags now!

Did I mention it’s FREE?

Good luck!

Hi everyone!

My friend Megan Calhoun from Twitter Moms has asked me to lead a brand new group called Party Plan Moms.  The group is especially for mums who are party plan consultants or direct selling distributors.  It’s a great opportunity to connect with like-minded women, exchange ideas and share resources.

Twitter Moms is a new social networking site for moms who like to Twitter.  It’s a great way to find lots of interesting fun friends.  The site has only been up and running for a few weeks and already has over 600 members. 

Please visit the Twitter Moms site at www.twittermoms.com and sign up absolutely free.  You can then add me as a friend and join the Party Plan Moms group.

I look forward to seeing you at Twitter Moms.

Thanks for visiting!

Follow me on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/annttkerr

Hi everyone!

I’ve changed my WordPress theme in a re-branding exercise.  Do you like it? 

My beautiful new header was designed by my friend Heather Batts, The Domestic Diva.  She also designed a new favicon and some sidebar buttons, which I’m still figuring out how to install!  LOL.

Heather has also designed some banners and buttons for me to advertise this blog. 

I plan to re-brand my other blogs (with Heather’s help) in due course.  Meanwhile, I’d appreciate your feedback re the look and feel of this re-branded blog, as well as any hints and tips on installing favicons and sidebar titles in WordPress.Org.

If you would like to revamp your own blog, then I recommend you visit Heather’s site at: http://www.thedomesticdiva.org.

Thanks for visiting (and for your feedback!)

Hi everyone!

Bookings are the most important aspect of your business, providing income, future bookings and potential recruits.  If you cannot secure bookings in your diary your business is sure to fail.

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula that I can give you to ensure you get bookings.  Your success is down to YOU and your POSITIVE ATTITUDE.  Get into the habit of always looking for the positive in every situation. 

Here are some hints and tips to help you increase your bookings.

• Speak to EVERYONE about your job.  Listen out for potential Hostesses EVERYWHERE (e.g. on public transport, at the supermarket, at the hairdressers, on the school run or at the bank).
• Don’t go ANYWHERE without a pen and paper and your business cards.
• Wear a BADGE advertising your business - www.thebooster.com have a large selection of eye-catching badges which are guaranteed to attract potential Hostesses and customers (e.g. “In need for pampering?  Ask me!”)
• Carry a CATALOGUE and/or FLYERS with you to show EVERYONE you can.
• Leave CATALOGUES and FLYERS everywhere (e.g. dentist, doctors, hairdressers, on public transport, and anywhere you do business.)
• Offer your services for FREE at a LOCAL EVENT (e.g. offer spa treatments at nursery open days, donate prizes at charity events, offer to donate a percentage of your sales in exchange for distriburing flyers and brochures).
• Walk the streets in your local TOWN CENTRE, asking shoppers to stop for a chat.  Hand out flyers and collect contact information in exchange for entry to a PRIZE DRAW.  (Follow up leads within 48 hours of contact, so that potential customers will remember you.)
• Reserve a stall at TRADE SHOWS and FAIRS.  Check on local activities and reserve well in advance.
• Advertise in your local newspaper and shops.
• BUSINESS REFERRALS - Estate agents, hairdressers, photographers, florists, etc - any business exchange advertising and verbal referrals.
• The TELEPHONE is your best friend, so use it DAILY!  Make at least 5 calls per day to ensure your diary is filled.  Call past Hostesses and customers, as well as new leads.

Thanks for visiting!

Today I’d like to share an excellent blog post by Resourceful Mommy, Amy Lupold Bair.  In her article, “Tricks of the Trade: How to Afford to be a Stay at Home Mom”, Amy offers some priceless advice to young women on the importance of saving and planning before embarking on motherhood.  The article touches on the sacrifices families have to make, whether it is sacrificing material wealth or sacrificing spending precious time with your children.  This is a real dilemma for most mothers, myself included.  Read Amy’s article here.

I sure wish I’d read this article in my twenties, when my husband and I ‘squandered’ our money on clothes, holidays and nights out!

We waited seven years after our wedding before we had children, but I’m ashamed to say we had not saved for this life-changing event.  The fact that we ended up having twins makes this oversight all the more poignant!

If you are looking for the best of both worlds - a part-time job, with full-time salary potential, visit these three great sites for inspiration:

1.    www.mumandworking.co.uk - This is the site which lead me to my party plan . direct sales career.  Here you will find a plethora of job ideas to choose from,such as direct sales, franchises and part-time jobs.

2.    www.webmomz.com - This site was founded by my friend and mentor, Kristie T.  Here, you will find a direct sales directory and lots of useful articles.  You can also sign up for parenting tips.

3.    www.partyplanconsultant.co.uk - This is a resource site for party plan consultants, direct-selling distributors, work at home mums and entrepreneurs, founded by Yours Truly!

Do any of my readers have WAHM tips?  Does anyone feel they have made the wrong decision in either giving up a corporate career, or by going out to work and missing their kids?  Or perhaps you have found the perfect, healthy balance?  Whatever, please share your stories by leaving a comment.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

Hi everyone,

One of my online friends, Carrie Lauth, has caused a bit of a stir on Twitter in the last week. She has challenged all her online friends to commit to writing 30 articles in 30 days. You can read more about her challenge, and join the ever-growing list of participants here.

I thought it was a great idea, and so you’ll notice my name at No.16 on the list. This is exactly the kind of challenge I need to help me focus and get things done. I have been toying with the idea of article marketing for some time, but hadn’t quite got round to it yet!

I have my main resource site - www.partyplanconsultant.co.uk and five blogs, so the 30 article that I’ll be writing this month will certainly help with my site content.

However, I intend to go further than that! I intend to submit my articles to Article Submission sites, in the hope that they will go forth into the Blogosphere and multiply! By adding a bio to the end of every article, complete with my URL, I hope to drive more traffic to my sites.

I have already planned all my topics for my articles. I’ve divided my 30 between my five blogs so, in theory, I should receive additional traffic to all my sites.

If article submission is something that you are interested in, then why not check out these sites:

1. www.virtualfreedom4you.com
2. www.ladypens.com
3. www.internetmarketingsweetie.com/blog

If you decide to take Carrie up on her challenge, please be sure to let me know by leaving a comment here.

Now I’m off to write some more articles!…

Thanks for visiting!

Hi everyone!

Today, I’d like to tell you about my fundraising for a really worthy cause - The National Society for Epilepsy. I recently held a Fundraising Virgin Vie At Home Party for my good friend Anna. She was looking to raise funds for the NSE, as her little great-nephew was born in May this year with a rare form of the disease for which there is no cure.

We raised £225.00 via party sales and prize draws. I am also raising further funds for this cause through another of my home businesses - Barefoot Books. I am donating 10% of all sales placed through my website, using the Event Code: EV01. This campaign will be open for the foreseeable future, so please take note of it, for when you come to do your Christmas Shopping! My URL is http://www.mybarefootbooks.com/annettekerr (and don’t forget to use the Event Code EV01).

Here’s little Ross Donnan’s story as told by his Dad, Karl:

“My friend Rich and I were planning on climbing Mont Blanc this summer in order to raise funds for CLIC Sargent in memory of his son Archie who died of a brain tumour 10 years ago this year aged 14 months. We have already raised over £5000 via our website www.archiesmountain.com

However my second son Ross was born on 11th May 2008. Unfortunately he has a rare and as yet undiagnosed form of epilepsy and is currently in the neurological ward of Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris. He is getting the best care, but unfortunately the doctors cannot yet give us any indication of what the short or longterm future holds for Ross.

As a result I cannot commit the hours required to complete the training to attempt Mont Blanc this summer, plus we do not know yet if it will be ok for Ross to travel to the Alps or to be so far away from specialist medical care. Rich and I have decided to modify our fund raising effort; we will still climb Mont Blanc, but it will be in Summer 2009 rather than this year and as a result of the current situation we have decided that future sponsorship should go to The National Society for Epilepsy. There are many different types of epilepsy for which no treatment has yet been found and the NSE funds research and helps epilepsy sufferers and their families.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The National Society for Epilepsy gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
Many thanks for your support!

Karl Donnan”

Please scroll down the right-hand side of my screen to find a link to Karl’s Just Giving Page to donate to this worthwhile cause.

About the charity : National Society for Epilepsy

The National Society for Epilepsy works to find better ways to diagnose, treat and care for people with epilepsy. The charity’s classification as a World Health Organisation (WHO) centre of excellence demonstrates its long term commitment to helping those affected by the condition.
Charity Registration No 206186

Please help this fantastic cause by donating either through Karl’s site or through my Barefoot Books campaign.

If you would like me to assist you with fundraising for your own good cause, then please get in touch.

Thanks for visiting! (and for your donation - however small!!)

Annette
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Hi everyone!

An old friend got in touch during the week. Bobby has just set up a brand new online business – www.iusejoe.com – a site which enables businesses to tap into the power of customer feedback helping you attract new customers.

“Essentially Joe is a tool that a business can use to connect with existing customers and attract new customers. The concept is that your existing customers are your greatest asset - they are the people who know you and who continue to return to do business with you. Why? Because you provide great service and meet their needs. If a friend or colleague is planning to use a service that they haven’t used before, for example a wedding photographer, or a caterer or a graphic designer and asks your customer for advice, your customer will probably recommend your business. All of this is great - but what if we could amplify your customer’s voice? What if all of your customer’s friends could see that your customer rates and uses you? This is where http://www.iusejoe.com/ comes in.

Joe enables businesses to attract new business through the ratings and recommendations of existing customers.”

I always prefer to use a company or tradesperson who has been personally recommended to me. I feel far more comfortable employing the services of someone who has a good reputation, rather than taking the “fingers-crossed” approach of the Yellow Pages or a random ad. Word-of-mouth is certainly the best form of marketing in today’s over-commercialised world.

I think I Use Joe is a fantastic concept and I was eager to sign up. Click here to see my listing and rate me.

Bobby has very kindly mentioned me and my business ventures in the I Use Joe blog. Read the blog post here, and leave a comment.

Visit http://www.iusejoe.com/ to signup now (3 month, no obligation free trial).

Thanks for reading!

When you join a party plan or direct sales company, one of the first things you are asked to do is draw up a list of contacts. This initial list is intended for you to think of everyone you know, so that you can approach them about your new business venture. Most companies suggest using the FRANK method:

• Friends - friends old & new, friends of friends, friends of the family
• Relatives - close family, extended family, in-laws
• Acquaintances – hairdresser, beautician, dentist, vet, etc… (anyone you meet on a regular basis)
• Neighbours – neighbours old and new.
• Kids – anyone you come into contact through your children (e.g. their friends’ parents, other mothers at the Playgroup, Nursery Teachers, Dance Teacher, etc)

Ideally, you should speak to these people face-to-face in the first instance. Explain to them exactly what your business venture entails and tell them what you hope to achieve. (i.e. Do you want to earn some extra money for Christmas or to go on holiday, or do you intend to make this new venture into a full-time career?) Invite them to your Starter Party, ask them to host one in their own house, ask them to pass catalogues around at their workplace to collect in some orders for you, or ask them to recommend someone who may like to book, buy or even join.

Ensure that you have at least eight bookings from your FRANK List in your diary for the next three months. At each of these parties or events, you should not only seek at least two further bookings, but you should also look to collect the following contact details from all the guests:

• Full Name
• Full Address
• Daytime Telephone
• Evening Telephone
• Mobile Telephone
• Email

You should ask them to indicate their preferred method of contact. Encourage them to provide this valuable information by explaining that you can contact them with special offers and useful information. Make it clear that you do intend to contact them, but that they are free to unsubscribe at any time.

By seeking permission to contact them, there should be no surprise when you do. This should make your initial contact easier. You can start off your telephone call like this:

“Hi Sarah! It’s Annette Kerr from Virgin Vie At Home. I met you at Lucy’s party last month. Are you free to talk just now?…. Great! Remember I said I would contact you if there were any special offers on? Well, I’ve got great news…”

It’s good practice to ask whether it’s a convenient time for a chat. If it isn’t then ask when would be a good time, note it in your diary and call back at that time.

If you are emailing a Contact for the first time, you should explain who you are, remind them where you met and why they gave you their email address. You could start your email like this:

“Hi Joan! It’s Annette Kerr from Barefoot Books, we met at the St John’s Church Fayre last month. I am writing to advise you that we have an end-of-season sale on at the moment, with savings up to 80%.”

In order to grow your home-based business, you need to build up a large list of contacts, and you need to keep in touch with these contacts regularly. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is by email. Email allows you to send the same information to hundreds of people at the same time. The beauty of email is that it is quick, cheap and can be sent at any time of the day at the click of a button.

It is good practice, when sending out bulk emails as part of a campaign, not to show the email addresses of the other recipients. This is an important Data Protection issue. If you use a regular email account, you can achieve this by using the B.C.C. field on your email. However, if you have a lot of contacts, you should consider using an auto-responder to send your email campaigns.

I use Sign-Up To for my email campaigns. This is a great UK-based company, which you can try out for free for up to 50 contacts. There are lots of templates and useful tools for you to use, as well as a good, friendly Support Team. You can create personalised contact forms to collect leads from your website.

You can use your auto responder to send regular email newsletters (e-zines) to your customers. You can personalise them by uploading photos. You can then track the progress of your campaign to see how many emails bounced, how many were opened, how many links were clicked, who opened, who clicked and who unsubscribed. Each email has your contact details, an option to forward to a friend and an option to unsubscribe. Visit http://www.sign-up.to for more information.

The Sign-Up To team have put together some do’s, dont’s and think-about’s for captured data in their blog. You can read the blog entry here.

I also use a fantastic stay-in-touch system, which sends beautiful personalised greetings cards to my customers and prospects. I create the cards online and then they are printed and posted straight to my recipients’ doors. I can choose from a huge catalogue of ready-designed cards or I can personalise my cards with my own photographs. I can also use my own handwriting font and up to four signatures. I can do all this for less money than I would spend in the card shops. You can try out this exciting system by clicking here.

Whatever method you use to stay in touch with your customers, you should be courteous and respect their wishes. If they no longer wish to hear from you, you must remove them from your Contact Manager straight away. Otherwise, you might get reported for spamming.

Thanks for reading!

Annette

Quick And Easy Newsletters - We Take The Hard Work Out Of Following Up

Hi everyone!

I am a proud member of the DSWA and wanted to share with you my excitement in being a part of a dynamic organization that is helping me grow my direct selling business! The Direct Selling Women’s Alliance is a professional association that provides education, networking and support to women like you and me who are building a home-based business. I’ve really enjoyed being a member of this association and am so impressed with their Member Only area, which offers over 300 pages of exceptional tips, training and simple business-building ideas.

Each month they offer a New Member Bonus and this month it is extra special. You’ll find the details under What’s New of the home page by clicking here.

The DSWA has also published a fantastic book for direct selling professionals like us. It is entitled Build It Big – 101 Insider Secrets From Top Direct Selling Experts. You can read all about it here. I know how you love learning and growing!

I encourage you to look into this exceptional resource. The bi-weekly tele-classes make the DSWA one of the best success resources on the Internet.

Membership is so affordable - in fact for a limited time only you can actually join the DSWA for just $1.00! No, it’s not a typo! You can actually join this fantastic professional organisation for just ONE US DOLLAR (approx £0.50). How great is that?! You’d be hard-pushed to find a better offer than that!! Click here to find out more about this promotional offer.

Take just a moment to learn about the benefits of membership. Click here.

I’m so happy to share that fantastic offer with you and I look forward to welcoming you to this Worldwide organisation soon!…

Thanks for reading!

Annette
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