Time to Hit the Beach!

Well at least it's Beach Towel time!  

April's Hostess Special is the Beach Towel.  Thirty-One's Beach Towels are plush, vibrant and totally cuddly.  They can be personalized and come in two prints: Circle Spirals Stripe and Chains Ahoy.  They are regularly $36 and Hostesses in April can get them for just $10.  

But I'll do better than that for MY Hostesses...I'LL BUY YOUR BEACH TOWELS FOR YOU!

• Host a $350 party: get one Beach Towel for $10 – save $26.
• Host a $550 party: get up to two Beach Towels for $10 each – save $52.
• Host a $750 party: get up to four Beach Towels for $10 each – save $104! 

So yes, with me as your Thirty-One Senior Consultant extraordinaire, I will BUY your $10 Beach Towels for you! 

So go ahead, dare me to buy you all four!  All you have to do is Host a $750+ party. 

What's the April Customer Special, you ask?

You will save a bundle on one of our favorites in April! For every $31 you spend, you can get an All-In-One Organizer for half price – a savings of $9. The more you spend, the more organized you’ll be!  

 The All-In-One Organizer has so many uses:

• The perfect baby shower gift filled with diapers, wipes and baby powder.
• Easter baskets full of treats.
• Ballet, tap or jazz dance bags for shoes, clothes and snacks.
• File folders for home or office organization.
• Beach tote for your new Beach Towels, sunscreen and water.
• Cleaning supply holder.
• Wii/XBox game supply holder.
• DVD/CD storage
• Personalize it for a child's birthday gift for all of their treasures.
• Keep library books all in one location so you're not searching for them.
• Picnic supplies.
• Shower supplies at the gym or dorm.

The All-in-One Organizer's possibilities are endless!  And for just $9 with every $31 purchase, it's a steal.  How many will you get???

Sharon Katzevman

Senior Consultant

Thirty-One Gifts

www.my-thirty-one.com

sharon@my-thirty-one.com

206-841-5055

Kids Birthday Presents - What to Get???

It's always an issue in our house - it's so-and-so's birthday and we need a gift.  I have two daughters ages 9 and 6 and they have birthday parties to go to almost every weekend.  Now I'm a single mom on a tight budget and I'm a direct seller for Thirty-One Gifts to make money, not spend it.  But if I have to buy gifts for my daughter's friends, I might as well buy them from Thirty-One and make the commission off of them, right? 

This month, the Customer Special is 50% off purses.  So this month's gift was the Mini Retro Metro for my daughter's friends.  I know they'll love having their very own personalized purse to tote around town.

I hope their friends like their gifts! 

Next month's birthday gift will be the All-in-One Organizer, which will be 50% off so only $9 with every $31 purchase.  The All-in-One Organizer is - in my opinion - the most humble of our totes yet it's so functional.  I use it as my Party-to-Go bag and fill it up with products, catalogs and order forms. 

 Other uses for the All-in-One Organizer:

• Keep diapers, wipes and creams organized on the changing table.
• Keep toys, juice boxes, crayons, DVD's organized in the car.
• Keep bills and mail sorted and organized on the kitchen counter.
• Keep DVD's, game controllers, remote controls sorted in the TV cabinet.
• Hit the beach with your snacks, towel, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
• Keep the backseat gang occupied, perfect for games and books while you travel!
• Create your own filing system for home office paperwork, bills and more.
• Clean up your cleaning supplies and keep them all together to make clean up a snap!
• Keep all of the library books in one convenient place.
• Kids toys never were easier and more fun to put away.
• Keep all of your bath products in one handy location.

See what I mean?  A ton of different uses - all from one humble adorable tote available in 9 prints.  Personalize it for only $6.

What are you getting for birthday gifts?  Need help?  I can help you find the perfect gift!

Sharon Katzevman
Senior Consultant, Thirty-One Gifts
sharon@my-thirty-one.com
www.my-thirty-one.com
206-841-5055

"Me" a Thirty-One Gifts Hostess?

You may think, "I'd like to host a Thirty-One Party, but I can't because..."

1.  I don't have the time. 
2.  I don't know enough people.
3. It must cost a lot of money to host a party.

 Well, let's examine these common misconceptions and see if they are fact or fiction?  

a) Time:

• A typical party lasts less than two hours.  I spend a few minutes introducing myself and showing you my favorite products and the current monthly special, then it's shopping and socializing time.
• Busy women don't always make time for "girl-time" – a party is the perfect opportunity to give this gift to your friends and yourself!
• There are many gift-giving occasions in the next few months: birthdays, weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, brises, Easter, Passover, Christmas, Hanukkah. You'll need to shop for these gifts anyway – why not do it in the comfort of your own home among friends and earn some of your gifts for free? You'll save time AND money! 

b) Guests:

• You actually know more people than you think!
• We like to use the "F.R.A.N.K acronym": Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Kid's connections – babysitter, teachers, parents of their friends. Besides friends and family, consider how many people you come in contact with throughout your day. Your kids' teachers, your hairdresser, that nice lady behind the counter at the dry cleaner's, and many more. They'll be flattered that you thought of them!
• I can help you quickly develop a guest list that just might surprise you!
• Encourage each of your guests to bring a friend – you'll have higher party sales and earn more free products while making new friends at the same time.

c) Money:

• You can keep your refreshments simple. Your guests are interested in seeing you and the products, not the food. Chips or veggies and dip can be just fine!
• Schedule your party between normal meal times (after dinner on weeknights or after lunch on weekends) so guests won't be so hungry or expecting large amounts of food.
• Have a friend who rivals Martha Stewart? Ask her to share her favorite treat with your guests and celebrate her contribution at your party!
• My hostesses are usually thrilled with the amount of Hostess Rewards Thirty-One offers.  It’s almost too good to be true!  But it IS true! 

Specials

• Just host a $200+ party and you'll earn FREE and Half-Priced items! Host a party of $500 or more and you earn Free Shipping on your items and the opportunity to buy an Exclusive Hostess product!!
• Every month there are fantastic Hostess Specials and Customer Specials!

Upcoming Hostess Specials:

March 2011: Market Thermal Tote OR the XXL Everyday Tote
Host a $450-$749 party and get the Market Thermal Tote for only $10 – a $28 savings.
Host a $750+ party and get the Market Thermal Tote OR the XXL Everyday Tote for only $10 – a $50 savings.

April 2011: Beach Towel
Host a $350+ party and get the Beach Towel for only $10.
Host a $350-$549 party and get the Beach Towel for only $10.
Host a $550-$749 party and get up to 2 Beach Towels for only $10 each.
Host a $750+ party and get up to 4 Beach Towels for only $10 each.
A savings of $26 on each!  Choose from Chains Ahoy or Circle Spirals Stripe. 

Upcoming Customer Specials:

March 2011: For every $31 you spend…you’ll get ½ off any purse!
Choose from: Albany Bag, Medium Purse, Skirt Purse, Retro Metro Bag, Organizing Shoulder Bag, Pop Crossbody, Elite Skirt Purse, Cinch-Top Bucket Bag, Mini Retro Metro Bag or Demi Purse.  Skirts for the purses are also half price!

April 2011: For every $31 you spend get our $18 All-In-One Organizer for ½ off!
Item no. 3258. Choose from Apple Blossom, Circle Celebration, St. Andrews Hole-N-1, Garden Bloom, Playful Robots, Mod Dot, Cheeky Elephants, Black or Circle Spirals. 

How Do I Get Started?
I am available to do home parties in the Seattle, WA and surrounding areas within 1.5 hour driving distance! ~ YES, I’m happy to travel!.  

Go For It!
So go ahead and host a party...you've got nothing to lose, and you're sure to have a lot of fun!

Make it even easier ~ Host a Catalog Party, an Online Party, an At Work Party or a Party-To-Go! Ask me how!!!

Contact me to book your Party today!

Sharon Katzevman
Senior Consultant
sharon@my-thirty-one.com
(206) 841-5055
http://www.facebook.com/sharons31

6 Things Every Small Business Can Learn From Lady Gaga - Marketing & Sales

6 Things Every Small Business Can Learn From Lady Gaga - Marketing & Sales

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