Happiest of Holidays!

I just wanted to let all of you know that I am so grateful that you are a part of this Barefoot journey with me.  Whether you just started, or have been a part of Barefoot longer than myself, I hope that your Christmas is warm, sweet and full of love.  I also hope that 2011 brings wonderful opportunities for you to grow your business and realize your dreams.  
All the best to you and yours! 
Tammy

Getting Started on this Journey

I have people ask me all the time about starting their own Barefoot Books business.  "Is it hard?" "What does it take to be successful?"  "How do I get started?"

I started my Barefoot Books business when my oldest son was 9 months old.  A friend of mine sent me a link to the Barefoot website and said "I think you would love this!"  At the time we were both building green businesses, and she was right, I DID love it.  Believe it or not, it was not the books that first caught my eye, but Barefoot's commitment to being a green publisher that really got me.  I signed up, and have not looked back.  Running my own business is what I really like to do.  I love the flexibility, the ability to use my creativity, and I really like calling my own shots.  

Sure, there are risks to running your own business, and you have to be driven.  As of yet, I have not found any business that does not have risks, or that does not require you to work at it.  If you find one, let me know! ;)  But for me, there is something about working for myself and my family that really inspires me.  My business is my family's business; we are all involved in it.  From my husband loading and unloading my car, to my boys "helping" to unpack boxes or "test out" the puppets, this is our adventure.  In May, I will have three years of Barefoot under my belt. 

My little Barefoot helpers

The best part of going Barefoot is that there are many ways to run your business.  Here are some of ways I run mine:

- Teachers' conferences- I do several of these each year.  There is nothing like getting in front of your target audience of book lovers and introducing them to great, quality books.  Many of them have never seen our books, and those that have want more. 

-Book Fairs- I love doing book fairs in schools.  Barefoot is such a nice alternative to Scholastic, and parents really appreciate the difference.  I tend to do book fairs at Montessori, and other preschools, as well as some grade schools.  Getting books with great stories and content in the hands of kids is really important.  They are so bombarded with different characters from TV in their books every day that they don't even recognize good books anymore. 

-Outdoor events- From Farmers' Markets to green events to art fairs, I have done them all.  When the elements are on your side, there is nothing like being outdoors!  Make sure you have a sturdy, protective tent, and you are all set!  Bring on the natural landscape and let it highlight your beautiful titles!  Now is the time to start looking for events in the summer, as many of them fill up quickly.  If you live in Florida or Arizona, you get the luxury of selling outdoors all year round!

-Home Parties- I have done a few of these, but don't do them very often.  The ones I have done were pretty successful, it's just that doing a small home party is usually as much work as doing a larger event that has more people.  Many Ambassadors do these exclusively and are very successful.  I just tend to choose something with more attendees.

-Online Marketing- When done well, this can really boost your bottom line.  Do I think it can be all you do?  Not really.  It takes years to build your business, and establish great relationships with your customers.  I have an extensive mailing list that I contact about once a month with sales, new titles and special offers.  I built that list from the events I have done, and keeping in touch with my customers is very helpful.  I use Constant Contact to manage my list.  It is a service I pay for, but I really like the quality of the emails I send, and I think they look very professional.  So far, my monthly emails have more than paid for themselves.  If you want to do something cheaper, try MailChimp, but the point is, keep in contact with your customers!  

So what's the first step?  I'd suggest getting in touch with friends and family and letting them know about your new business.  They might have some contacts and suggestions for you.  Then, I would plan a great launch party for your Barefoot business.  We'll talk more about this in my next post, but start giving it some thought. :)

Happiest of Holidays to you and your family!

Book Fair, Book Fair, Open House, Oy!

To say it has been a busy week is an understatement!  I was very lucky to land two great book fairs this week.  One is a unique school called The Compass School in Naperville, the other is a Montessori preschool that was very successful last year.  Saturday will be an Open House at a dance studio in a nearby town.  All great things!  The problem?  I have absolutely no voice!  How can I sell Barefoot Books without a voice?!  I am able to whisper, which is a good thing.  At least I can communicate!  And whispering has the advantage of making people really stop and listen to what I'm saying.   To be honest, it's even working here at home!  My 3 year old has been whispering right along with me!  ;)  I could get used to this!

Let's hope that my health holds up through the next four days of work, then I can rest. I find it very hard to turn down events in the fall/ holiday season.  It's such a great time to get the word out about Barefoot, and reap all the benefits of good sales!