Teaching My Girls the Value of Money

A while ago I had an Open House for my Thirty-One business at my home.  I do these Open Houses about once a month and I get a nice stream of my regular customers coming by to check out my new stock, new catalogs and fabric swatches.  This particular Open House was on a "snow day" so nobody came over.  I've learned to never get discouraged when I have a slow Open House, because that is my intense work time and I'm busy relationship building on the phone and on Facebook, putting my labels on all of my marketing materials and updating my Hostess and Opportunity Packets.

My girls got quite discouraged that nobody came to my Open House.  They were so sweet and  very concern that we didn't make any money that night.  This really affected them and I'm always up for teaching them a life skill when they need it, which is always.  Being a happily divorced mom, I want them to appreciate whatever we have, whatever we get and whenever we get it.  

The saying that we use around here is
"You get what you get, and you don't get upset!"  

I explained to my girls that my business is doing great and one slow Open House isn't going to destroy us.  Plus it was snowing out so I understood why nobody came over, I wouldn't have left the house that night either!  Then I explained to them that I now have a team of 8 people who are working very hard and I spend a lot of time working with them, helping them and being their personal cheerleader.  

This wasn't enough for them, they didn't quite understand.

So I decided that my girls would be my customers on that snowy, stormy night.  They wanted to buy something to help me with my business.  All they could afford were 2 key chains - after all, they are 9 and 6.5 - they aren't rolling in a lot of cash.  So I treated them like customers, even calling them Miss Katzevman and Miss Katzevman - they loved it!  They shopped for a while and then decided to purchase the key chains (since I had to break out of character to tell them that they really couldn't afford anything else).  Then they had to come up with the money.  They scoured every one of their purses and wallets for the money and managed to come up with it - which was a feat of it's own!  We are definitely a purse and wallet-loving family! 

In the end, when they managed to find the money, I surprised them by charging them tax which set them on another search to look for more coins.  They should learn about tax now so they are not discouraged later on in life. I wrote them out receipts, stapled my business card to the receipts and bagged their purchases.  They were thrilled and enchanted!  My boyfriend and I were cracking up about the entire process that took them about an hour and produced a total sale of $2.20.  

It was my most favorite Open House ever.

The next day my youngest daughter lost a tooth.  She was so happy when she got a zip-lock baggie under her pillow with a total of $2.20 from the tooth fairy, who we call "The Rock in Blue Fairy Wings and a Tutu".

On this day, my girls learned the value of money.  Well at least they started the process of learning it.  I'm thankful for my Thirty-One business which not only helps me pay my bills, meet amazing women, make tons of new friends and gives me tons of adorable products to use and display, it also shows my girls that their mom isn't a victim of divorce, she's their hero, teacher and provider who takes amazing care of them.

March Madness for Purses!

March brings us many things - spring flowers blooming, the sun shining, more outdoor activities and more PURSES!

The March Customer Special is for all of you purse lovers out there!  

With every $31 spent, you get 50% off one purse so most of you who are familiar with Thirty-One's amazing monthly specials, know that:

With every $31 spent, you get 50% off ONE Purse.

With every $62 spent, you get 50% off TWO Purses.

With every $93 spent, you get 50% off THREE Purses.

and so on...and so on...

The more you spend, the more Half-Priced Purses you get!

Here are the details:

Which Purses can you get for 50% off with my $31 purchase?  We have Purses for every Purse-onality!

• The Skirt Purse - Save $21
• The Demi Purse - Save $14.50
• The Albany Bag - Save $24
• The Medium Purse - Save $29.50
• The Metro Retro Bag - Save $26
• The Organizing Shoulder Bag - Save $19.50
• The Pop Crossbody - Save $24
• The Cinch-Top Bucket Bag - Save $28
• The Mini Retro Metro Bag - Save $12.50

Personalize your bag for only $6!  Not all purses are available in all prints.  Check out the new Spring/Summer Catalog for details on the purses and prints.  Online catalog and ordering available 24/7 at www.my-thirty-one.com.  Need a catalog?  Email me with your mailing address and I'll put one in the mail to you right away!

What about The March Hostess Special?

Host a $450+ Party and get the Market Thermal Tote for only $10.  The Market Thermal Tote has plenty of room for a long day at the beach or pool, sporting events or even keeping things cool while you grocery shop.

Host a $750+ Party and get the XXL Everyday Tote or the Market Thermal Tote for only $10.  Our supersized XXL Everyday Tote can carry almost anything and everything...then folds up for convenient storage when you're done.  The XXL Everyday Tote is valued at $60.  The Market Thermal Tote is valued at $38.

Want to Host a Party?  

Contact me for details on how to have the very best party - good for your friends and you!  Your friends will thank you for helping them find the time to be social AND shop with their friends and family.  Home Parties are becoming wide-spread and even major companies are starting to branch out into the Home Party/Direct-Selling industry.  

Want to ask me a question?

Feel free to contact me on Facebook by Liking My Page or by email at sharon@my-thirty-one.com.  Have a great March!!!

Thanks for reading!

:-) Sharon

www.my-thirty-one.com

 

Growth, New Consultants & Pauses

Over the last 6 months, Thirty-One has experienced unbelievable growth. In our 8th year, we already look like a 25 year-old successful brand. Because of your belief and commitment to us, we are the number one direct-selling company in our category. This rate of growth so early in our life cycle has presented us with some challenges. “Success” without an outstanding customer service experience is not acceptable and is really not true success.  This is why Thirty-One has decided to put a temporary stop on recruiting New Consultants effective February 8th.

I have been with Thirty-One for 6 months now. My Consultant number is in the 26,000’s. My last recruit’s number was in the 62,000’s.

What have we done to handle this rapid growth up to this point?
We have hired over 1,000 people at the home office just this last year and have continued to chase our success with enormous system improvements and additions. 

What will this temporary stop on recruiting do for Thirty-One?
We will need to implement more technology, expand into an additional facility, add almost 1,000 employees and continue to build stronger plans all within the near future.  Implementing so many powerful solutions in such a short amount of time requires a lot of resources and energy to develop. In order to be successful in supporting our tremendous growth, we have to find a way to catch our breath, sharpen our skills and build the right foundation.  Looking at the road ahead, we have spent countless hours looking into solid solutions for every area of the business and we have great direction and massive plans.

The solution that has proven to have the least amount of negative impact on the Consultant’s business, while giving these companies the needed time to build for the future, has been to temporarily pause recruiting. All other solutions involve giving you and your customers a less than acceptable experience. The only way we can truly slow things down without causing severe pain is to temporarily slow the growth of our New Consultant base.

What have other companies like ours done in similar situations?
We have considered every option and looked into the history of other companies who experienced similar situations. Incidentally, none of them were growing as fast as Thirty-One is today. 

My promise to you:
I promise this will be a temporary pause and I am looking forward to providing you with the exceptional customer service experience you have become accustomed to with Thirty-One.  If you are interested in becoming a Consultant with Thirty-One, I would love to discuss the opportunity with you as this pause is only temporary.

I would love to welcome my new team members
who made it into Thirty-One right before the recruiting pause:

Tiffany Lester, Orangevale, CA

Dawn Moore, Grapevine, TX

Stephanie Guest, Centralia, WA