Pea of Sweetness

Small Business Spotlight!

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It’s “Spotlight Saturday,” and today’s spotlight is Small Business Spotlight! I run a wonderful small business shopping group that is made of awesome small business owners that offer natural products and/or products that are helpful around the home! Today’s spotlight will feature our current Consultant of the Month – Robin! Robin is also featured in our Small Business Directory!
Robin is a Managing Consultant for Clever Container. Clever Container is all about organizing, functionality, ideas, and fun! They have fabulous products to help you organize your life. They’ll provide clever & helpful tips whether you are just getting started on your organizational journey or are already an organizing “junkie.” I was so surprised by the number of organizing products they have! It’s fantastic! They offer excellent incentives and free products whether you host a party or join our team. So fulfill your curiosity and contact Robin for more information! Clever Container has been featured in Woman’s Day Magazine, Good Morning America, and Mom Invented.

Robin Lehmann – Independent Consultant
Robin is a local fellow military spouse, and I had the chance to be her “neighbor” at the last big expo, and I’m so glad to have been getting to know her! 🙂

To learn more about Clever Container, their products, hosting a party, or their business opportunity please contact Robin Lehmann:

E-mail: clevermerobin@aol.com

Visit her website at http://www.clevercontainer.com/robin

 

 

Some changes

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I’m sure you’ve seen my posts on my Facebook Page concerning decisions I’ve been trying to make as far as business concerns, etc. I have a lot on my plate. That is obvious! haha I’ve been able to balance it very well thanks to my need to be an organizer. The “problem” is I want to do something more. I want to go back to the reason I started Pea of Sweetness to begin with – homemade products! I took on Direct Sales/Network Marketing businesses because sitting at my sewing machine was not realistic while my husband was going through his chemotherapy, and I was taking care of a newborn and 2 preschoolers (with Special Needs at that!). Well, I took on A LOT of different businesses because they each had a special place in my heart or a special interest, etc. I know I wrote about that at another time, but perhaps and update will be necessary soon! Basically, though, I want to focus on my PASSION! My PASSION is offering a better alternative to chemical filled products, eco-friendly products, “natural” living, etc. Something that I’ve discovered is not my passion is the Initials, Inc. home parties. Weird, right? I’m not “bad” at them, and I actually was doing fairly well, but I again had to consider my priorities, how much I could “handle,” how I could realistically balance my time once I started adding in the sewing, projects on my Silhouette, and homemade natural products like soap, body wash, cleaners, etc. (the latter will be further down the road, but it’s a decision I’ve definitely made to pursue!) After much agony (seriously trying to make a decision was making me feel sick), talking to my husband, friends, praying, etc. I have decided I will be cancelling my Independent Contract with Initials, Inc. on the last day of the month. *Updated – my final day will be May 26th* I wanted to give everyone a fair announcement to a) order anything you would like to before I am officially done (for which I greatly appreciate your support!) and/or b) let me introduce you to one of my wonderful friends that is an Independent Creative Partner with Initials, Inc. It is such a wonderful company, and I still can’t speak highly enough for their quality, wonderful leadership, and the free personalization! I just will not have the time to dedicate to it anymore, and definitely not to the home parties needed for the sales quota as I focus more on my new endeavors as well as continue to focus on Nerium as my main direct sales/network marketing business. I do hope to, in the future, introduce embroidery to Pea of Sweetness at which point it would become a conflict of interest with Initials, Inc., and I do not want to ever be doing something in conflict of interest like that or in contradiction to any business’s Policy and Procedures. So this will be my official decision, and I will be sending in my cancellation on the last day of this month. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to serve you in the meantime or if you would like me to connect you with one of my friends who represent Initials, Inc.

So what CAN you expect from me as far as Pea of Sweetness is concerned as well as other businesses, etc.? As of now, nothing else will change. I will just not be representing Initials, Inc. anymore as of the last day of the month. I’m starting to work on preparing my “office” for sewing, and I’m learning my Silhouette Cameo more – starting with making decals. So you should plan on hearing from my updates as they come and start to see more homemade product offerings hopefully within a few months! Pea of Sweetness will still be bringing you reviews and giveaways (Check out my PR Friendly page for more information), larger giveaways, blog hops/link-ups, info on homeschooling (and homeschooling special needs children), health and fitness, military life, raising Special Needs children, Faith, natural/eco-friendly tips and living, and general small business advice and networking as well as links to the direct sales/network marketing businesses I do still (and will still represent – to differing degrees) like Nerium, Forever Green, and Pet Junkie. (I do offer another, but due to policy and procedure I won’t feature it on this website in conjunction with any other businesses, though I may offer a giveaway for it soon!) 😉 I know I desperately need to update my About page as well! I’ll add that to my to-do list this week as well! 🙂
Thank-you to all my wonderful friends and my awesome husband for listening to me as I went through my decisions/concerns with you, and for EVERYONE that has shown me love and supported me along the way as I had my ups and downs with Pea of Sweetness through my husband’s illness, my own medical concerns, etc. I love you and have been so appreciative of all of the prayers and support! I hope I can continue to show my gratefulness by offering you our Customer Loyalty program, our new social rewards program, and coupons and specials offered through our e-mail/newsletter signup, and awesome giveaways! 🙂 Have a blessed weekend, and to all the moms out there HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

Mudpies and Tiaras

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Recently I contacted my friend, Kristen, who I met through Christian Military Wives (a wonderful group I’ve been meaning to re-connect with!) about doing a link-up as we are both getting started with reviews and giveaways! It looks like we have the same taste! 🙂 She currently has a BeautiControl Review and Giveaway (US only) on her site Mudpies and Tiaras and many more! I noticed she’ll be participating in a Cloth Diaper Hop as well, and you know how much I love cloth diapers!! I’ve followed her blogs in the past, and she is an exceptional blogger, and I’m excited that she’s started this new endeavor! I can’t wait to follow her new site! So stop on over and enter some more giveaways there and let her know I sent you! 🙂

Stay tuned for more giveaways through our site because they’re coming! 🙂 Next up will be a giveaway from one of my own companies for which I’m an Independent Representative. I’ll also be rolling out our Customer Loyalty Program and MORE! Bare with me because “March Madness” definitely explains this month for us! Between speech and developmental-typle evaluations for all 3 kids (B, our 5 year old on the Autism spectrum is considered to be “caught up” in speech! YAY! Our little mooselion is delayed almost a full year in speech – he’ll be 2 next month.), the Fort Hood Army Wives Expo (I’ll be a vendor for Nerium – and they expect more than 1000 attendees! Busy, busy, busy preparing!), my husband’s Dr appts, and just overall STILL unpacking and getting settled it is March MADNESS indeed! haha

AND DON’T FORGET to enter the Jordan Essentials Giveaway, which will be open for a few more days! They have some amazing products, and you definitely don’t want to miss out! It’s easy to enter! Information on how to enter the giveaway is at the bottom of the post! 🙂

 
 
 

Samples and Giveaways

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If you’re a small business owner whether it be items you make, wholesale, distributor, direct sales, network marketing, etc. I’m SURE you’ve run into this dilemma. Is it worth it to give out samples or even give away products? Overall, I think the answer is “yes,” but sometimes it feels like the answer is “no.” As you know I’m about to do some reviews and giveaways here on my site and my Facebook Page. Those that are donating to this are very generous and I’ll be requiring some “leg work” in order to win! You see, as business owners we participate in these sort of things in order to get exposure. We believe in our products – it’s why we do what we do!! We want to share what we offer to everyone! We believe in them and what we do so much that we’re trusting if we get samples or full products or gift certificates such as in a giveaway we’ll get a happy “customer” and referrals from them as well as repeat business! I say “our,” but I suppose I can only speak for myself, so I will say “my.” My hope is if someone tries my product(s) for free they will love it enough to purchase it or refer it to a friend/family member. Perhaps they won’t love it. That’s always a possibility, but hopefully they’ll still think of someone who will as a “thank-you” for letting them try it! Samples aren’t free. Products aren’t free. Gift cards/gift certificates certainly aren’t free. I think with Direct Sales in particular people who aren’t actually IN Direct Sales get the impression that when we offer samples they are extremely inexpensive for us or they’re free for us. Inexpensive MAY be the case, but certainly not free. I offer discounts for certain holidays, events, or sometimes just because. Those are MY choices and yes, I will continue to do it because I love my clients/customers/friends/family, etc., and it’s my way of rewarding them for supporting me – and in turn, my family! Sometimes with direct sales your company may have awesome specials so that isn’t often (if ever) necessary! I definitely have that with some of mine, which I just LOVE! It has saved me so much!
So the question is – do you feel like you’re paying more than you’re making? Well, you might be. With any business you must invest to get a return. We’d like to see that return happen as quickly as possible, but sometimes it takes a while. Just have confidence that if you keep working your business every day there WILL be a turnaround point. Business isn’t just about samples! Obviously we have to get the word out in more than just samples and though they may be recommended I haven’t seen any  business yet where they are REQUIRED. So the question is – do you do it or not? That’s a decision you personally have to make based on your personal situation, finances, etc. If you’re working in Direct Sales I suggest following the system your business has in place and your sponsor/mentors! They’ve gone before you! They’ve been where you’ve been and are a reflection of where you’re going! That is first and foremost always my recommendation!

So, I will, personally, continue to offer discounts, participate in giveaways, share samples, etc. – with discretion. Unfortunately, it’s a tough economy. We all know that. It’s why many of us do what we do! My experience with samples? Well, not so good at this point. I’ve done Expos where I’ve offered giveaways and given away some nice prizes! The results of the giveaway – none. Absolutely none. No sales, no referrals, nothing. It can be discouraging. I try not to look at it in the negative light because we cannot do that – we must push forward. The truth is you never know when that ONE sample or giveaway will be the best team member you ever had or the most loyal customer that shares what you offer with everyone! You truly never know. I recently sent out samples that valued almost $100 with the samples plus shipping. I can hope that they try it and love it like I do! I can hope they will refer it to friends and family and still get the word out! I’ll also be giving away a door prize for the upcoming Expo as well as giving away a bottle of NeriumAD at my booth! Why do a giveaway at your booth? You can gauge interest in your product and have the ability to follow up on that interest! So it IS worth it!! Since I’m a new Brand Partner with Nerium I haven’t done a giveaway for a bottle yet – or an expo – but WOW am I excited!! 🙂 I have a GREAT feeling about it all!
And I’m excited about the upcoming reviews and giveaways? Why? Because I get to share others’ businesses and get the word out about THEM, and I love that!! I can’t wait to get them started! I’ll be e-mailing and working the final details of everything this week! I’m still looking for a few more participants so if you know somebody that would be interested please let me know!
If you’re on the “other end” of giveaways and samples – please know samples, giveaways, and discounts are generally not free for most business owners and are sometimes very costly. Please recognize that WE VALUE YOU, which is why we do what we do! We have your best interest in mind and what to share our love with you! Maybe a certain product is something you’re not interested in or it isn’t “for you.” I bet you know someone who would love it and benefit from it! Please share the wealth and spread the word! Then we can continue offering you these wonderful discounts, free products, etc.! 🙂 Blessings!