Archive for January, 2010

Today’s talk is with Julie Vander Pol of Remembered Moments.  Learn more about Julie, why she started her scrapbook business as well as some success tips she learned along the way on her scrapbook business journey.

Why did you decide to start a scrapbook business creating albums for others?

I had several people say that they wished someone could scrapbook and create memory albums for them since they either 1.  didn’t have the time 2.  didn’t like to scrapbook or  have the creativity 3.  various other reasons  thus Remembered Moments was born.  I thought I could help many of these people out-I had many years of experience and thought this was a great way to help other people while doing what I love.  I am experienced in both digital design and traditional papercrafting.

How did you first get started in your scrapbooking business?

I started out with A LOT of research and just doing word of mouth marketing.

What tools/resources would you say are essential to succeeding in this type of business?

Understanding finances and pricing structures.

What are some mistakes you may have made getting started in your own business?

Although this may be more at the end of the process, it is important.  When you finally do reach your success, use your experience to teach, guide, and mentor others so that they too might succeed.

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” ~Albert Einstein

When people attend direct sales parties, they have certain expectations. There’s probably an expectiation to have a good time. However, you can go further than that. Here are a few easy tips to make your direct sales parties more fun and ensure everyone has a great time.

1. One great way to get the party off to a fun start is to host a contest to get people talking and mingling. For example, you could showcase a layout and have the guests guess how many products were used to create it.  Or select an item, have your guests “call out” different ways to use it. Then show examples of several ways. This will get your guests thinking about the versatility of a product. Plus you might even learn a new way yourself to use in the future. Perhaps an extra prize for the guest who comes up with a new idea.

2. Smile. A good, old-fashioned genuine smile is contagious and it’ll spread like butter on a hot day. Welcome each guest like you would a long lost family member and make them feel welcome and appreciated.

When you work from home, it’s easy to fall into a rut. You get up in the morning, get your coffee, head to your office and start your day. It’s easy to lose enthusiasm for the day and thus lose a bit of energy and productivity. The good news is that sometimes all it takes is a little change in your surroundings to re-energize. Here are five tips to re-energize your home office and yourself.

1. Paint. Scientists have proven what many people have known for a long time: color has an effect on our mood, our energy and our productivity. Colors like blue and purple tend to lull us into a relaxed state while reds and yellows tend to make us feel a bit more energized and sometimes, depending on the hue, agitated. Paint your office a color that fits your needs. A change in color can be very energizing and it’s an easy way to spruce up your home office for relatively little money.

2. Add lighting. Anyone with seasonal affective disorder, SAD, can tell you that light, natural light in particular, is very important for energy levels, mood and productivity. If you don’t have a lot of natural light in your home office, add some. You can add light fixtures in key locations and you can use natural spectrum light bulbs to simulate the sun’s rays.

Creating a business plan is your very first step if you are planning to build a successful business.  Whether you will be searching for investors or not, this plan will be the blueprint to your success.  Your scrapbook business plan could consist of market trends, financial planning, competitive analysis, exit strategies, marketing and promotional options, essentially everything about your goal.

How to Use Your Business Plan

Step 1- You need to spend some time planning your business.  Your business plan is the foundation for this planning.  If it’s comprehensive, it will guide your decisions, outline your goals and help you create strategies to achieve them.  So, schedule a time to beginning planning your business right away.

Step 2- When planning make sure to refer to your vision and mission statement to make sure you’re staying on course.  If your vision is to become the single biggest online source for scrapbook wedding layouts then your strategies and decisions should reflect that.  If you’re offered an opportunity to partner with a wedding photographer website, then you’ll need to see if that partnership supports your vision.