Finding Events and Staying Busy

What does it take to be successful with any business?  Customers to buy and use your product(s)!  Finding those customers, and keeping them returning while constantly finding new ones to add is what makes for a successful business, especially with Barefoot Books and other direct sales businesses.
I think the number one reason some folks are not successful with Barefoot Books is they never build their momentum with the business.  They might have a Kick-Off party, or book a few events, but they don't hunt down more events to keep their calendars as full as they would like, then they give up.  I had a friend who used to sell food products via home parties tell me just last week that she had given up because she was only busy for a few months.  Later in the conversation, she told me she was starting a new direct sales food business.  I wanted to ask her what as going to be different for her this time around?
There is no science or magic to finding events.  Yes, it can be hard work.  You have to be one part super sleuth, and one part networker.  I've heard about new events talking to some of the other vendors at different events.  I've also learned what events to avoid!  You might hear of a great event going on in the community, but learn that they don't have vendors.  Ask if they are willing to have one, or give it a try that year.  Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.  
First, you have to be really honest with yourself about the kind of events you would like to do.  Consider how much inventory you have to sell, and how many people will be attending.  What is the fee or requested percentage of sales donation?  How much will you need to sell, at a minimum, at your current step level, to at least break even?  How many times has this event been done?  (First events are usually under-publicized and can be a little risky).  What is your target audience?  Will they be there?
In the beginning, craft fairs, community events and lower-priced events are what you might need to start with to get your feet wet.  Be sure to collect email addresses at these events, and let people know if you do home parties, book fairs, etc.  Sometimes an event can be successful because of the value of the contacts you made there, and not necessarily the sales that day.  
Where to look?  Craig's List is a place to start.  As is EventLister.com.  As is your local paper.  If you want to break into the School Book Fair market, it's time to start talking to local preschools and schools about what you have to offer.  Be sure to bring a sample bag of books with you to drop off with them for a week so they can use them in their circle times, etc.
Do a search online for local educational conferences in your area.  Some of them have higher booth fees, but you might be able to share the booth with another Ambassador or team member.  You might also be able to negotiate a lower booth fee just by...asking! ;)
Whatever you decide, it's probably a good time to sit down and think about how busy you would like to be with Barefoot, and how many events you would like to do each month.  Good luck to you!

Finding Team Members

This past week I met with one of my newest team members, Renee.  She asked such a great question, I felt it was worth sharing- How do you find team members???  I don't know that there is any "right" or "wrong" way to go about building your team, but I do think it helps to get your bearings yourself first.  Building a team requires a lot of leading and teaching, and if you are just getting started yourself, it can be hard to do that.  When I first joined Barefoot, the person I joined under admitted that she was just getting started, and suggested I join her leader's team, and I'm so glad I did that.  Although everyone is responsible for their own success (or lack thereof), having the right Team Leader can really impact your Barefoot experience and overall happiness with the program.  A great leader can help you avoid some poor choices with events and inventory, and might even be willing to loan you some books when you need them.  

Personally, I was not very successful in building my team my first year.  I was a little unsure, didn't mention the program to many people, and really just focused on my selling and learning the ropes.  After my first year, I noticed that a lot of people were joining my team through my profile.  Many of them were in other states, which has never been an issue thanks to email and phone calls!   I do believe very strongly in the "build it and they will come" philosophy of Field of Dreams.  When you are enjoying yourself, confident, and know what you are doing, it really does radiate.  Plus, it takes a bit to get comfortable explaining the compensation program to people, even though it is not very complicated.  

I had an interesting experience this weekend at a homeschooling conference I have been doing for three years.  Sales weren't that great, so I decided to start telling people about the opportunity, in hopes that I might be able to get some new team members and make it all worthwhile.  I mentioned it to two women who were both in great situations to start selling our books.  One teaches music classes with babies and toddlers, and the other already sells books for several other publishers.  I was very open and honest with them.  I did have information on hand to give them, and I do plan on following up with them later this week.  But it's amazing what happens when you put your mind to something.  Allison Diehl, a fellow leader in Tucson, said she always mentions the Barefoot opportunity to her customers, suggesting that if they have friends or family that would enjoy selling these books, that they have them contact her.  I love that she doesn't direct it right to the customer, but more to their friends and family, because just hearing it, they ARE included, and it just might make them think, "Hey! I want to do this myself!"

I have known some Ambassadors who put ads on Craig's List for the opportunity.  I'm not sure how that turned out, but I'm a little leary.  I have a pretty big team under me, but only about 25% of them are active.  There are many, many, many people who sign up, and never place an order.  There are even less that actually create a successful business after signing up.  So, for me, I want to be sure that someone is REALLY interested before they join my team.  I'd trade 10 people who only ever place one order, for one go-getter.  It's more fun to work with people who are making things happen.  I get inspired by their energy and it helps keep me going.  It makes me wonder why some people join and never do anything more.  I'd love to ask them why they did it but never followed through, if I could get them to return one of my calls or emails. ;)  

So the moral is, I guess, that you will know when you are ready for the responsibility of leading a team.  You'll just know.  And, your confidence will be high, and you will attract people that are excited about starting their own business because of your energy.  I know, it's not a magic answer...but it's an honest one! :)

A Barefoot-Style Kick Off Party!

So you joined Barefoot Books as an Ambassador, but you've yet to really launch your business.  It's time to host your Kick Off Party and get things going!  Now is the time to contact all your friends, family, and anyone who has ever invited you to their own home party or kid's birthday party!  No, really!  It'll be a blast!  Here's what to do...

If you don't have books to show, consider placing a bulk order so you can do a "cash and carry" event and sell what you have (you can always fill orders for what you don't have too).  If your upline (Leader) lives near you, contact them and ask to borrow their stock. (I do this for all my local team members- it helps you get started on a shoestring!).  If you have to, go to your local library and check out some Barefoot Books to show.  This would be my last resort (because the books aren't always in the best of shape), but it's better to have something to show, than nothing.

Practice setting up your display.  You can use baskets, bins, bookshelves and anything interesting to dress up your table.  Have fun with it!  The more colorful and unique it is, the more it shows off the beautiful books.  Try to keep colors to the Barefoot colors of red, orange, teal, green, yellow.  Play with having different levels in your display.  I actually use the bins I carry the books in turned over, and covered with a table cloth to display some of my books and puppets.  Take some pictures, so you can remember how you set it up for later, and what you would change.   Make sure to have order forms on hand, and catalogs, or Best of Barefoot fliers. 

Don't be shy when it comes to inviting people!  The more, the merrier, and the more successful you will be!  Don't forget to invite your kids' teachers too!  They might even be willing to post an invite or flier in their teacher's lounge at school.  Also, don't forget friends from church, your play group, and work!  Invite everyone you know.  The worst they can say is "no thank you". :)

You might want to consider offering an
incentive to people who spend a certain amount, or bring friend(s).  I usually offer 20% off that night for anyone wearing flip-flops (to make it fun), or anyone who brings a friend.  Be sure to print some of the activity sheets off to keep the kids busy during your sale.  If you have a friend who can "watch" them and keep them busy, even better.  An older child (teen) can be great for this too.  You can also put some Barefoot tunes in your CD player, and offer to read a book to them. Animal Boogie is a great choice. 

So, get ready to take that first step!  You'll be so glad you did!  Pick your date and put it on the calendar, then send out those invites!  I'm happy to help with ideas, if you need them.  Just let me know!  Good luck- here's to your success!!!

Starting a Monthly Book Club

A couple of years ago my husband's friend asked if I did some kind of book club for kids.  Immediately, I imagined a bunch of kids sitting in a circle, sharing their favorite part of a great new book.  It made me giggle.  She explained that she had been looking for someone to ship a book each month to her little nephew who lived in Virginia.  What a great idea!  Of course I could do that!  And at the end of the year, her nephew would have a nice little library of great books started!  Kids love mail!  It's the perfect birthday, Christmas or Valentine's Day gift idea!

So we decided that each month I would pick a book out and ship it.  She would pay for the book and the shipping, and any packaging that I needed to buy.  On occasion, she suggested books that she thought he would like, and twice a year I took advantage of our Winter Sale and Summer Sale and sent multiple books.  The best part about offering to do a monthly "Book Club" for a child is that it's really simple, and not very expensive.  All-in-all, it costs only about $10/month to ship a board book or paperback each month, and about $20/month to ship a hardcover story book (using Media Mail, of course).  With Valentine's Day around the corner, be sure to offer this service to your customers.  I find the ones most likely to do something like this is grandparents and aunts.  They can even do something fun like have the book shipped to them, record themselves reading it, and then ship it off to the child.  What a sweet way to stay in touch with your favorite kid(s) even if you are far away!

Who doesn't love getting a special package in the mail?

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!