Stay Lit
Tips for prepping your business for a successful New Year!
1) Organize Your Office Space
Having a clean and organized place to sit down and take care of business helps you have a clear focus. Whether your workspace is in an office, corner of your bedroom or is the island in your kitchen...it's always a great idea to start the new year off right with a designated space that's neat and orderly just for your little book biz!
2) SET GOALS
You don't know where you're going if you don't have a goal. Without purpose and vision what are you doing this for? Goal setting is crucial! Taking the time to set goals helps you visualize what you want to achieve in your life and your business. Goals will motivate you and the best thing goals can do is build your self-confidence because that feeling you get when you achieve a goal is priceless!
You want to make sure your goals are SMART too! S-Specific M-Measurable A-Actionable R-Realistic T-Time Bound
***Print this document and set your 2019 UBAM business goals. When you're done, put it in the front of your UBAM binder or hang it in a place that you will see every single day. Goal Sheet
3) Hostess Packets
There's no hard fast rule to what a hostess packet should or shouldn't have in it and there are some things that can be pre-packaged ahead of time in order to save time down the road. Below is a list of what you can include in your packets. There's an asterisk next to the items that you can put in your packets now because they're generic from month-month.
Inside a poly mailer you can include the following: 1. Current mini catalog* 2. How to have a $600 Party handout* or Check List 3. Something fun- Bookmark, stickers, Magic Painting page* 4. 60 Guests Print Out 5. The Hostess Rewards Chart for the month
Links to Resources mentioned above: $600 Party
4) Thank Yous
Getting real mail is so rare that sending thank you cards can really set you apart. It also keeps you top of mind! Start with your hostesses and rock star customers. I personally don't like to ask for anything when I am sending a thank you... if I'm thanking, I'm just expressing gratitude.
5) Prep Your Prizes
Another thing that you can do now to save yourself time later is to pre-prep some of your prizes. Put the mini book in the poly-mailer, write a quick little generic thank you note where you can fill in their name later, put your business card, a bookmark and two stickers inside. When it's time to start mailing out prizes, you'll breeze through the process that much faster and you'll be so glad you did some of the work ahead of time, while you had a little downtime.
6) Read a Professional Development Book
Being a lifelong learner and always sharpening your skill set is something successful people do. If you're needing to improve your time management, try reading, "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy. Maybe you want to be a network marketing professional. If so, read Go Pro by Eric Worre. Want something just inspiring try, "Girl, Wash Your Face" by Rachel Hollis. There are sooooooo many different books that you can read to help you grow and improve in your personal self and your business brain. Don't have time to sit and read? Listen to it instead! While you're folding laundry, cooking, driving, or taking a shower. Looking for something specific- ask the team, I bet we have some good recommendations for you!
7) Organize your email and computer files
If you are like me, you may have a dozen 1/2 started projects on there or can never find the photos you want easily. Taking a little time to delete the old stuff and know where the good stuff is, will help you be more productive in the new year.
8) VIP group Prep
Your VIP members all have at least one thing in common. They all value literacy! They're not only in your group for the occasional giveaway, they follow you because they trust your opinion as a literacy advocate. Host a story time or schedule some literacy tips to post. You could even go on Pinterest to find a few craft ideas that you can share for them to do that connect with promoting literacy. Plan a time to do a reading challenge or maybe an online book club.
Take some time to schedule 2-3 engagement posts a week on your VIP group today. I also like to have a social media plan. Something like one day a week for literacy tips, one for mom hacks, one for book ideas, and so on. Helps me when I have a plan.
Scheduling them ahead of time is so helpful too! Takes all the stress off having to remember to go in and post each day.
9) Schedule a Time to Check in with Your Leader
You are not in this business alone! Let your leader listen and help you develop an action plan to reach your business goals. Lean on their experience, brainstorm, celebrate the wins and re-strategize together again whenever needed. Stop what you're doing right now and contact your Team Leader and ask them if they're scheduling personal conferences. If they're not able to currently do personal conferences, ask your upper level leaders until you're able to get one scheduled.
10) Compile a List of Recruit Leads
1. Look through ALL of your 2018 survey data. 2. Scroll through all your fall parties to see which guests stood out. 3. Update your "master list" of people you know. 4. Look through your booth lead slips.
After that, start up some general friendly conversations, just to get dialogue going with them. Wish them a Merry Christmas or Happy New Year and let it fall into conversation about UBAM.
11) Make a fresh potential bookings list & then take action! 1. PAST CUSTOMERS: Follow up with past customers to see how they're enjoying their books. Follow that up with seeing if they'd like to earn more where that came from for FREE! Considering offering them an incentive for booking a qualifying party with you too. Perfect time to do this after Christmas when they probably gave their kids the books! 2. SURVEY DATA: List who said maybe to hosting a party in your survey data, but took the mini book instead? They may be much more likely to book for the Spring now that Christmas is behind them and they can wrap their head around it. ;) 3. BOOTHS: Search for spring booth opportunities in your area and inquire about securing those events as yours! 4. ESR: Plan what your next step or contact strategy you're going to attempt is going to be with your listed school & libraries. 5. YOUR NETWORK: Who out of your friends, family, neighbors hasn't purchased from you yet or hosted a party, but you know their kids/grandkids would really enjoy these books? 6. PAST HOSTESSES: Who hosted last spring? Put them on this list too! Are they ready to host again and stock up on new titles?
12) Make a Vision Board
Putting your vision onto something visible is the first step toward making it a reality.
Sit for a few minutes in silence and day dream with your eyes closed. Think about the following things: What would you like to be different about your life? What areas feel neglected or need more attention. What things, feelings, moments do you want in your life? What do you see for yourself and your family?
Think BIG! You'll regret it if you don't think big enough. ;) This is your chance to put it all on the table and say, "Hey, THIS is what I want my life to be like!" That's powerful!
Now, once your vision and all the feelings you have tied to it have been solidified for you, begin physically creating your vision board! Use images to represent all the different things you would like to be different this time next year and all the different feelings you will have as a result of acquiring this vision for yourself.
After you've created your representation, display your vision board in a place that you will see ALL the time. I've made mine online and used it as my wallpaper so I see it every time I open my computer. I've printed it out and put it on the front of my UBAM notebook. Whatever way will keep it in front of you throughout the year to remind you of what your goals are!
13) Update Your Party Script
It's time for a new party script! That doesn't mean you have to go and change all of your wording though. You just need to change the videos to feature the new Spring 2019 titles and you'll want to swap out the graphics too.
This tip says Vizzlie, but use whatever you use! It might be Cinchshare, it might be Sqweee. Whatever it is, time to make it awesome!
Personalize where you can and get your face out there. Using all generic graphics isn't going to "stop the FB scroll," so catch their attention and make it count!
14) Learn the New Titles
Take a few minutes, if you already haven't, to check out the new titles that have been released so far on your eCommerce site today. Read what it says they're about and find a few of your favorites to get excited on your VIP page about. Your enthusiasm for your top 5 favorites is going to be contagious! Your VIP group is going to get excited if they can SEE your pure excitement, so go live and tell them what you discovered right after you've discovered them! You don't have to have the books in hand. Tell them you'll post the links in the comments right after your live is over. Just exude your excitement and let them feel like they're the first to learn about it from you, because hopefully they are!
15) Contact anyone who wanted you to reach out "next year."
Do these phrases sound familiar? "Reach back out to me next year?" "I want to, but not right now." "Maybe down the road." "I want to, but my friend just had a party."
We all hear it! The most important thing though is that you FOLLOW UP!
Take a moment to reach out to those folks today and see if they'd like to get on your calendar in order to get their free books in time before Easter!
16) Reflect and Challenge
BEAT YOURSELF GOALS are an awesome way to challenge yourself to be better in 2019 than you were in 2018. Who doesn't want to do that, right?!
Go check your back office and find out your exact personal sales numbers month to month. How much did you sell in January 2018? Maybe you sold $1,109. If so, you may choose to make your January 2019 Beat Yourself personal sale goal, $2,000.
It's all up to you! So go grab a sheet of paper and write all the months out and set yourself your personal sales Beat Yourself Goals for 2019 right now and let's kick our own butts this year!
Leaders, I encourage you to write additional Beat Yourself goals with your Executive sales numbers too.
17) NEW PLANNER
I think the best part of the New Year is getting a new planner! All those empty spaces ready to be filled with awesomeness! Find the format the works for you- daily, weekly, monthly. Online or paper. Treat yourself to some new pens or pencils !
18) Other Programs
One excellent way to diversify your small business is to become an Educational Service Representative. Getting ESR certified allows you to work with schools and libraries. If you'd like more information on how to do this or what's involved, please contact your team leader! It's a really great opportunity that you should definitely consider!
Cards for a Cause is another amazing program and opportunity to support great causes. Have you tried one? Listen to some trainings, ask the team for ideas and make a list of organizations to reach out to.
19) Marketing Materials
Success with UBAM is almost entirely about the relationships you develop with people. Marketing materials will generally not lead to sales on their own. However, used alongside your relationship building, they can be a great way to keep you and your book biz in people's minds. Pick one or two materials that you need to update or have always wanted:
- Business cards
- Book Marks
- Stickers for back of books
- Car Magnet or sticker
- Personalized thank you post cards
- Magnets
Don't forget to check out Vistaprint for branded ideas!
20) Set Your Business Hours
Decide NOW when you are working your business each week. What are your office hours? When will you always sit at said time and work your small business in some way even when you don't have a party to work on? Which days? What time frames?
After you've determined your business hours, make a cute sign and post it in your office space! Allow yourself to be unavailable outside of your office hours. It takes the pressure of feeling like you need to always reply immediately, right off your shoulders.
21) Organize your expense tracker and receipts
Oh wouldn't this be wonderful to get it all done ahead of time?! Don't wait until the night before you do your taxes to get this stuff organized and squared away. Take the time to knock it out now if you need to. It will be such a relief!
22) Hone Your Recruiting Skills
If any of your goals have to do with making more money this year or a promotion, than recruiting needs to become a comfortable part of your business!
This link takes you to an invaluable list of training videos all centered around, RECRUITING! It was shared by another leader and has lots of videos from their director. But, as we are all one big UBAM family, we can gain lots of insight from their successes as well!
Sharpen your skills and improve your recruiting efforts NOW, in the beginning of the year, don't wait any longer! Listen while you're in the shower, washing dishes, driving, folding laundry etc. Fit em in and make them a priority! Your business will thank you and your future new teammates will too!
Here's to an amazing New Year!! Post on our team page what you are working or and any questions you have!
***Edited from Brandie Hubele's Keep Lit training
