The Quality Difference

Many people think a candle is a candle, and I’ve had some customers buy candle holders and tell me they’ll just pick up a bag of tealights at the dollar store.  Well, you get what you pay for.   High quality candles like ours burn better and cleaner than the ones that you buy at the dollar store. 

Our candles are 100% food-grade parrafin wax.  There are very few impurities in the wax, which means that you do not get any black soot on the inside of your jar candles or build-up on your walls.   Additionally, the wicks are 100% cotton and contain no lead (unlike some of the candles that are made in China).   The wax burns completely, so you get the full value of the candle, and don’t end up with a bunch of wax that you have to try to dig out of your candle holder.

As for asthetic differences, the scent is throughout the entire candle, so it will not lose its scent over time, and the color of the tealight candles shows through the clear tealight holder (no hideous aluminum). 

Edited on 4/5 – Apparently several freebie sites have gotten word of my free sample offer.  As a result, the demand was far more than I could handle, so I have removed the offer.  I am now offering a weekly $50 candle gift certificate drawing.  Click here to enter.

 

Simple Home Decor Tips

With spring upon us, I am putting away my winter home decorations and getting out the spring ones.  Since many of you may be doing the same, I thought some quick home decor tips might be in order:

1. Change 10% of the items in a room to give it an updated seasonal look.  This can be something as simple as changing the color of your candles, replacing throw pillows or placemats, or swapping out a few of your accessories with more seasonal ones.
2. Lift up your items to give them added height.  Put pillar candles on a simple tray or plate to group them and lift them up off of a surface.  Try using attractive books or shelves as a ground for smaller items.
3. Keep items grouped in odd numbers.  Items grouped in odd numbers appear naturally more balanced, and more attractive to the human eye.  You may notice that many accessories are sold in groups of three or five.  Items that are sold as a pair are typically meant to be place on either side of a singular item, such as a pair of votive holders with a large hurricane.

What are your favorite home decor tips for freshening up a room?

 

Awesome Hostess Follow-up

A follow-up to my Awesome Hostess post a few weeks ago –

A quick recap – I had a hostess call me three weeks before her scheduled party date to tell me that she had personally invited 40 people to her party, and she had only six confirmed attendees, so she was considering changing the date of the party.  We threw some dates around, and she decided to stick with the original date since none of the others were working either.

She held the party as planned, and had six guests in attendance.  Not bad.  I’ve had shows with two guests and shows with twenty guests.  Honestly, the shows with 6-10 guests tend to turn out better for me.  It’s just easier to keep everyone’s attention.  When I left the party, the hostess had earned $100 in her choice of free products plus an extra $100 which was a hostess special for the month of March.  We set a date to close the party three days later to give her some time to collect a few more orders.

Three days later, I meet up with her and she has 5 more orders!  That equates to another $75 in free credit.  So even though she “only” had six people come to her party, she still received a $275 shopping spree, just for having a party and telling everyone she knew about it.   She was also able to purchase two items at half price, and several other hostess specials at deeply reduced prices.

I’m so glad that she stuck with the party and didn’t get discouraged by the “no”s.  One of the most frequent reasons I hear for not having a party is “no one would come” or “I don’t know enough people.”  Hostesses like this are what keep me in this business.  I wouldn’t be having much fun if I didn’t get to give away so much free product.

 

Improve Your Soft Skills with Network Marketing

Most people don’t think of taking on another job to improve their skills.  They take a class or get another degree.  I can tell you, though, that there is no grade in the world that will tell you how successful you have been like your success or failure in a job or business where it all depends on YOU.

Network Marketing is not my full-time job.  I never intended that.  Most days, I enjoy my full-time job in IT and I don’t plan on leaving it anytime soon.  I started my Network Marketing career to earn a little extra cash and to get a great discount on the candles that I simply can’t live without.

The extra cash and discounts came pretty quickly and easily with Network Marketing, but I quickly realized that I was learning and improving skills that would serve me very well in my full-time job as well.  Some of these are skills that I simply overlooked because they weren’t “required” while other skills are ones that I just didn’t get enough opportunity to really work on.

1.  Customer Service – In the corporate world, customer service matters, but can be ignored by your boss if you excel in other areas.  In Network Marketing if you have bad customer service, chances are you won’t have any customers to worry about.

2.  Networking – I’m terrible at small talk and especially at engaging others in conversations about themselves.  In my full-time job it’s ok, but without those networking skills, I’m not sure how high I can really climb without building more relationships with more people.  In Network Marketing – no network = no business.

3.  Presentation Skills – This is a big one for me.  At every home show I do, I am up in front of people giving one big presentation.  It’s informative, entertaining, and a little different each time.  I change it on the fly depending on the audience, the products and the time of year.  I enjoy doing the presentation.  That is in stark contrast to how I used to feel on the rare occassion when I would have to give a presentation in the corporate world.  I would have knots in my stomach leading up to it.  Now I’m used to having 10 to 20 pairs of eyes looking at me.  I’ve learned to rehearse, plan and adapt my presentations through my Network Marketing business.

4.  Planning - “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail.”  Ever heard that one?  It makes complete sense.  I have checklists for nearly every aspect of my business now.  Preparing for a show, delivering the presentation, following up with guests, entering orders, coaching hostesses.  Not to mention the day to day things – to do lists, dinner options, blog topics and a detailed calendar.  Planning keeps me on task and ensures that I get the things done that must be done.

5.  Organization - Working full-time, running a business from home, being a wife, and raising two boys is no piece of cake.  I’m lucky to squeeze in one or two hours in the evening to get some Network Marketing business tasks accomplished.  This requires that everything be organized and ready to go.  Otherwise, I spend an hour tracking down all the items that I need to create door prizes, and have no time left to actually make them.  Organization is a skill that will serve you well no matter what business you are in, even if your business is raising your kids.

6.  Time Management – This falls in with organization and planning.  I have to schedule time to work my business and know exactly what tasks I plan to complete well in advance.  Otherwise it won’t happen, and before you know it, I have no parties on my calendar, and thus no money.  I have learned to focus on the important tasks first – like taking care of my family – and then the next most important – the ones that generate revenue.  Time Managment in the corporate world might be more like doing what your boss asked for first, followed by the tasks that are due the soonest.

I hope that this will give you a slightly different take on Network Marketing and how it might fit into your life.  The skills that I am honing with my business are certainly making a big impact on my career.

What skills did I miss?  What has been your experience?

 

Cheap or Free Wedding Reception Centerpieces, Decorations & Favors

Nothing makes a room feel more beautiful, romantic and welcoming than candles. They light up a room (literally) and create interest. Now you can get your wedding reception candles, centerpieces, decorations and even favors at very low cost, or even free. And it’s not just for weddings; these ideas could be used for any type of special occasion.

Simple, elegant and completely personalizable, our products will work with any color scheme or theme. Create the perfect ambiance on your special day worthy of a lifetime of memories. From beautiful centerpieces that positively glow to gifts that say “Thank You”.

Now, how can you get these for free or at a drastically reduced price? Host a candle party with me or have someone in your bridal party host one for you. Guests will leave the party having purchased something for themselves and you will receive 25% of the sales to spend on your decorations and favors.

With an average $400 show, you will receive $150 in free products and two items at half-price. That’s 2 free $60 centerpieces with candles and three more for $30 each. Five centerpieces with candles for $90.

Host a party with $800 in sales and receive 4 free $60 centerpieces with candles and four more for $30 each. Now you’re up to 8 gorgeous centerpieces for $120.  That’s what I call a deal!

See the full wedding line here:

http://www.partylite.biz/sites/terripoole

 

Network Marketing in a Bad Economy

I’ve had quite a few people ask me lately how my home party business is doing in the current economy.  I can’t complain.   Sales are steady, hostess interest is up and sponsoring interest is really up.

I’ll start with my favorite:  sponsoring.  Many people are seeing the direct sales/network marketing industry as a great opportunity.  Some people want to stay home with their kids to elminate daycare expenses, but still earn money by doing home parties at night and on weekends.  Some look at the opportunity as a quick fix to an immediate income problem, while others are considering it as a long term solution.  My candle party business is ideal for those looking to make money and not spend it, as the entire business start-up kit is completely free once you host a candle party with $350 in sales.

Hostesses are interested because they attend shows where they see lots of things they want, but can’t afford.  The generous hostess program offers tons of free, reduced price and half price products to our hostesses just for having a candle party at their home.

Guest attendance at my shows has been good, with sales at a steady rate.  Customers are looking for entertainment and bargains.  I make the show fun, give them the opportunity to win door prizes, and my direct sales company has been offering fantastic monthly guest specials.  Specials have ranged from deals on specific current and retired pieces to 50% off any one item in the catalog, with a minimum purchase, of course.

So, how’s business?  I’m certainly not complaining.  I’ve got something to offer everyone, and I’m partying while I’m doing it!

 

Creative Capers™

One of the most frequent comments I get at parties is “I love how you have it setup, but I could never do that!”  My response is always, “Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it.”  So I thought I would show some examples of ideas for the Creative Capers™ product.  Each Creative Caper™ comes with both a taper and tealight holder, a base, one 3 inch post and one 4 inch post.   The posts can be used individually or combined to make a 7 inch post.

The “themes” are Fall, Holiday and Winter/Spring.  For the official information on Creative Capers™, go here.  I’d love to hear your ideas and comments!

 

Three Creative Capers™ with silk mums and berries.

Three Creative Capers™ with green garland and Scents of Illumination.

Three Creative Capers™ with gold/silver/blue/green berry garland.

 

Interesting Candle Facts

For today, I thought I would share some interesting candle facts that I have learned over the years as a candle party consultant:

• You should always blacken the wick of a taper candle, even if you don’t plan on burning it.  To blacken it, light the candle for a second and then blow it out.  This gives a more sophisticated, lived-in look to the candle, rather than “I just took it out of the box and stuck it here.”
• Taper candles are rarely scented.  This is because tapers are considered a dinner candle, and the scent of the candle should not interfere with the scent of the food.
• Pillar candles should always be burned for 1 hour per inch in diameter.  Most pillar candles are 3 inches in diameter, meaning that you should burn them for at least 3 hours at a time.  This is the amount of time that it takes for the wax to liquefy all the way to the edge of the candle.  More on pillar candle burning in a future post.
• Candle wicks should be kept at 1/4″ long (except 3-wicks and tealights).  Any longer, and you will get those unsightly soot balls on the end, which eventually fall into the liquefied wax and make your candle look like it has polka dots (or dead bugs, whichever).

So there ya go, 4 interesting candle facts to brighten your day.  Have more to share?  Let me know with a comment!  I love learning new things.

 

The Science of Bagging Groceries

This is off-topic for this blog, but I’m so irritated, I just need to vent.

Why is bagging groceries correctly so difficult? And if it is so difficult, why don’t grocery stores train their baggers?

When I unload my cart onto the conveyor belt, I do so very carefully.  I put all of the refrigerated items together, all of the non-food items together.  I put the bread, chips and eggs at the very end, and all of the heavy items at the beginning.  I disperse the cans throughout the belt.

And even with all of this effort…I still end up with one bag full of canned vegetables (weighing about 8 lbs), another with baby food, fresh beef and toilet cleaner, and yet another with a 4 lb container of sugar ON TOP of my fresh produce.

Come on guys, use your head just a little!  How hard is it really, to bag groceries?!?

 

What Your Scent Preferences Say About You

As you know, everyone has their own scent preferences.  What you may not realize is how that preference may be related to your personality.  Research has been going on in the perfume industry for decades to try to match you to your perfect perfume.  My job is to match you to your perfect candle.  So, with some help from Nectar.com, I’ve taken a shot at it. 

Fruit & Citrus – Sporty, energetic, spontaneous and confident women who thrive on fun and adventure. Scents:  Acai Berry Mist™, Agave Nectar™, Champagne Pear™, Cherry Orchard™, Coconut Cove™, Country Apple™, Grapefruit Fresh™, Honeydew, Island Nectar™, Mango Tangerine, Mulberry, Raspberry & Thyme, Revitalize™, Strawberry Fields™, Strawberry Rhubarb, Tangelo Mojito™, Tuscan Vineyards™

Edible & Spicy – Glamorous, sensual divas with a preference for luxury.  Scents:  Cinnamon Sticks, Coconut Milk Chocolate™, French Vanilla, Tonka Bean™

Floral – Flirty, romantic, girly girls who love dressing up.  Scents:  Bird of Paradise™, Black Orchid™, Elderflowe Springs™, Velvet Rose™, White Gardenia Truffle™

Fresh & Clean – Sporty, energetic, natural low-maintenance beach-babes who love the great outdoors.  Scents:  Calm Waters™, Seaside Mist™, Sun Kissed Cotton™

Woodsy – Stylish, refined women with a taste for the exotic, who love to stand out from the crowd.  Scents:  Fig & Olive Grove™,  Hinoki Steam™, Relax™, Tamboti Safari™, Teakwood & Cardamom™

Herbal – Active women who tend to be caring and loyal.  Scents:  Bayberry, Essence of Lavender™, Herbal Mint™, New Leaf & Aloe™, Vanilla Peach™, Unwind

So which one are you?  Tell me, in my poll —>>>>>