Items tagged “Home Based Operations”

I spent this past weekend with my family and while I intended to write a blog about networking, it never happened. Instead, as the weekend progressed, I thought a lot about the funny things my family says that have turned into our own personal catch phrases. I thought I’d share some of our family favorites with you today.

Mom: “I’m a little chilly.” (usually said when everyone else is sweating bullets)

Dad: “What?” (whenever anyone tells a joke related to being hard of hearing, which he is)

Before I start this blog, I want to note that I will be moving my weekly blog to this location on the Giggle Guide. Being involved with social media since 2003, I can honestly say that it is about time that a platform like The Giggle Guide has finally come to be. I urge everyone involved in the various related trades and industries to jump in with both feet and get involved!

Lately I get calls almost daily asking me to rep a line. Most often, my answer is “No Thanks,” followed by a genuine “Good Luck!” This response leaves a lot of frustrated designer/manufacturers out there who often hang up the phone maybe feeling a little bitter at yet another refusal.

Henderson woman remakes baby carrier of her childhood with help of original inventor

With three children younger than 2 years old, Sarah Spoor was on a quest to find a baby carrier that worked with her lifestyle.

A lot of carriers are good for going hiking once a year, but that’s not your normal life as a mom,” Spoor said.

Contact: kokopax / (702) 795-4140

Almost every Web site I visit has an About Us page. It’s a personal touch on a website and one that I visit on almost every site I browse. What most small business owners or marketing directors forget when they create this page is that this page is for a specific, targeted audience. The About Us page is a concise summary for your brand, explaining why you felt compelled to start a business, why your products should get a piece of a consumer’s disposable income and why you should be trusted to deliver on your promise.

Finding a sales rep—the right rep—isn’t easy. Here are a few suggestions to help make your search a success.

Online resources in your industry are a great way to find reps. In the kid’s industry, the following websites are terrific resources that give vital information about regional sales reps including contact information, the territory that they cover, trade shows that they attend and other lines that they represent:

www.jamesgirone.com
www.earnshaws.com
www.thegiggleguide.com

“A penny saved is a penny earned?” With today’s inflation and recession and depression or whatever else that ends in an “ion” that we’re in together, we all have to pinch greenbacks, not coins! Who is finding ways to save? If your customers are not spending more, better start saving more. Here’s some penny-wise tips from The Giggle Guide™. Help your fellow retailer, and share the wealth of ideas you have tried that make you a “wiser miser”!

Thanks for reading, and for all your answers. Since all answers were essentailly “correct” the winner of the Baby Prize Pack from LJBryn&Co. including: Doctor T’s Super Goop SPF 30 organic sunscreen, Scout Baby Organics bodysuit and an Itzy Ritzy wet bag is… JCB, who responded on May 25th. Congrats JCB and please email me your contact info!

These “intended answers” were:

  1. SBO small business owner
  2. COB close of business
  3. ROI return on investment
  4. NLT no later than
  5. TTYL talk to you later
  6. ABC All Baby & Child

You’ve decided you want a sales rep and you’ve decided you’re ready for one too. The next step is defining what sort of sales rep you should hire. I’m using the word “hire” pretty loosely here… If you want to work with an independent sales rep, both of you create a contractual relationship rather than an employer/employee relationship. You don’t typically pay an independent sales rep benefits or withhold taxes from her commission check. If the relationship ends, the sales rep won’t receive unemployment benefits. These are some of the legal reasons why sales reps are independent.

Just for fun, here’s a list of commonly used acronyms. Many are specific to the kid’s industry. Some are general business terms. A few are just for fun.

Your task? Define all these acronyms correctly, including the bonus questions. Post your answer in The Giggle Guide “Comments” section. The first respondent with a perfect score will receive a Baby Prize Pack from LJBryn&Co. including: Doctor T’s Super Goop SPF 30 organic sunscreen, Scout Baby Organics bodysuit and an Itzy Ritzy wet bag.

The winner, and all correct answers, will be announced next week.

  1. SBO
  2. COB
  3. ROI

I’m going to tell you flat out that if you’ve designed a tee shirt line and have a collection of 6 or 8 tees that have done pretty well when you’ve sold them at your local Mom2Mom or craft show, you’re not ready for a rep—yet. How can you get your line ready for a rep, and the increased sales that go hand in hand?

Visual merchandising. More than an arrangement of signs and products. To increase sales, engage more senses. Create an experience. Satisfy needs, but generate wants. The Giggle Guide™ provides display tips for retailers and manufacturers. In stores, or at trade events, what you see and hear matters. Create attention grabbers Generate buzz. Turn window shopping into increased sales! What customers see, hear and touch influences what they get!

Login:

Username:
Password: