What is your Cookie Lee business plan?

If you really want to move forward with your Cookie Lee Jewelry business  you'll need some sort of a business plan.  Utilizing the “10 Questions for a Strong Business Plan” from Julie Anne Jones (copyright Julie Anne Jones, Inc.) and sharing it here.


1) Do I have a goal for the number of parties I intend to hold each month?
2) What is my ideal sales month?
3) Do I have a purpose? Why am I in business?
4) Do I have a set schedule for my business?  On a scale of 1-10, how well do I stay on track in committing to my schedule?
5) Implementation: On a scale of 1-10, how well do I practice and implement what I learn? What practices have I put off implementing the I KNOW will bring me greater results?
6) Do I make excuses for not applying energy to my business? What are the excuses costing me?
7) On a scale of 1-10, how well do I follow through with my agreements?  Am I of my word?  What will I change?
8) Am I fearful of failure or rejection?  Have I searched for the limiting beliefs that block me from succeeding?
9) Do I know my goals for this week?
10) What is my action plan? What will I do to make these weekly goals a reality?

Take a few minutes an do this for yourself....It really helped me to focus and build my business...and to meet you!

Don't forget our conference call on 5/16 - details are on Facebook.  :)

Goal Check with Jim Rohn

Sometimes it's not whether you've accomplished your goals, it's how.

What goals did you set at the start of this year? Have you accomplished them? Personal development legend Jim Rohn says it's ok if you haven't yet achieved your goals. The more important question to ask is if you've started.

"The real value in setting goals is not in their achievement. The acquisition of the things you want is strictly secondary. The major reason for setting goals is to compel you to become the person it takes to achieve them,” Rohn says. Say you want to be a millionaire. The greatest value to becoming one is actually not the million dollars. (Seriously!) “The greatest value is in the skills, knowledge, discipline and leadership qualities you’ll develop in reaching that elevated status,” Rohn says. 

Answer this question: What kind of person will you have to become to get all you want? Write down the kinds of skills you’ll need to develop and the knowledge you’ll need to gain. Your answers might give you some new goals for your personal development. Work on your goals. Your ability will grow to match your dreams. “This is the magic of goal setting. The more you work on your goals, the more new opportunities will present themselves to you,” Rohn says.

You can make big changes in your life. “You can make startling changes you can’t even conceive of right now, if you just give yourself half a chance.”

From SUCCESS Magazine

Motivation...I know I need it too!

From http://www.entrepreneur.com:

 Here are five steps to get in the right mindset for a business turnaround.

Step 1: Be social, even if you don't feel like it.

Shutting yourself away from everyone is a common mistake too many business owners make when times are tough, says Debra Condren, a New York-based business psychologist and author of Ambition is Not a Dirty Word (Broadway, 2008). "Sometimes you can be your own worst underminer," Condren says. "You start feeling like a fraud."

"[Business] started to pick up because I kept fighting the recession and I kept promoting myself and getting my name out there," she says.When Oliver's business slowed down, she started going to more networking events for women and small business owners, while raising awareness of her business through social networks and daily-deals sites.

If you don't have one already, create an advisory board you can consult about business challenges, says Condren.

"Talk to people who have been there and done it and fallen through the same hole," says Mark Parkinson, a Somerset U.K.-based business psychologist and author of Using Psychology in Business (Gower, 1999).

Step 2: Avoid naysayers and watch what you feed your mind.

It's easy to start and end your day watching the news, but beware of the negative messages you're getting from headlines, says Condren. She suggests limiting your news intake to once a day. "You want to stay current and skim the headlines, but stay away from the rest of it," she says.
Exercise is one of the first things people skip when under pressure. But when we are feeling stressed our body produces noradrenaline, a stress hormone that can affect our attention and quality of thinking. Exercise spurs endorphins to counter the buildup of stress hormones in the body. "Literally, your brain does work better if you exercise. The quality of your thinking is improved," says Parkinson.

While solving day-to-day problems can be all-consuming, taking the time to learn about new aspects of business is an important way to stay focused on solutions -- not just your problems. Condren suggests starting simple, like reading an article related to an area of business that's been giving you trouble, taking a half-day workshop or attending an industry conference.

Studies have shown we remember uncompleted tasks better than we remember what we've accomplished. But even if you're faced with a never-ending to-do list, Condren says it's important to remember everything you've already accomplished. For example, if a client sends over a complimentary note or you close a major deal, print out the email or document and put it in a file you can turn to when you're feeling discouraged. Also, update your resume, even if no one else sees it, as a reminder of your achievements.

Read something inspiring instead, ideally just before bed and right when you wake up. "The last thing you put into your mind before you go to sleep is what you are going to focus on," says Condren. She recommends books like the 1937 classic Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill,The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (Warner Books, 2003) and The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman (Miramax, 2004).

Step 3: Get up and move.

Even if you can't make it to the gym, you can still find small ways to incorporate exercise into your day. Condren suggests taking a few flights of stairs instead of the elevator or simply walking around the block to get your blood pumping and help clear your mind.

Step 4: Keep learning and stay on top of industry trends.

If you don't have the time or money to spend at a conference, consider online educational videos. Not only can they get you thinking about your business in new ways, they can help you stay current in your industry. "Instead of watching the news while you're cooking your dinner that evening, listen to a home-study course," Condren says. "You have to stay current, or you will feel left behind."

Step 5: Be your own cheerleader.

It's tapping back into your passion for the business that will ultimately help turn it around, says Parkinson. "You've got to remember all that positive stuff that got you fired up in the first place," he says. "It's like falling in love. You've got to remember what it's like and then you might want to do it again."

3 Tips to Grow your Business

Keep Your Eye on the Ball.

When you start your Cookie Lee business, money is always tight. Attractive opportunities present themselves as quick ways to bring in revenue, but they are a complete departure from your core business strategy. Before you decide to go for it, stop and think about the ramifications of your decision. How much of a distraction is this going to be? One of the biggest reasons many of us fail is because they take on projects or products that are completely unrelated. Trying to be all things to all people is impossible.Stay focused on your core business - finding hostess and recruits who love jewelry as much as you do!

Set Milestones.Create a plan with a timeline and milestones. Without established benchmarks, days, weeks and months can pass by while you talk, talk, talk about what you’re going to do, but you never get around to doing it.You may not meet all your goals as quickly as you predicted.In fact, in most cases you won’t. It typically takes twice as long, as you think it will to achieve your objectives. Nonetheless, your established milestones keep you focused on progress.

Take Action Every Day.Never let a day go by in your Cookie Lee business where you haven’t done at least one activity to help you reach your business goals. Business success requires discipline–the discipline to practice those things that are instrumental for your success. Only occasionally making a sales call or attending a networking event won’t keep the pipeline filled with new business opportunities.One thing that works well for me is creating a list of top priorities, “the must dos” for the day, and getting those items completed first. Otherwise, I find it’s easy to get sidetracked with answering emails, cleaning my office area or working on a project I enjoy but isn’t a strategic business need.

I am here to help - let's chat about your goals and plans for your Cookie Lee business and how we can grow as a TEAM!

Networking 101 - or how to get business!

Great short article from SCORE on networking....

“I hate networking!” Get over it. Networking (be it actual or virtual) is the least expensive and most effective marketing tool for small business.

“But, I am too shy.” That’s actually best — shy people make great networkers since they spend most of their time listening.

Women love to talk and if you are sincere in listening to the focus of their companies and how they got into business, you are a big step closer to developing a client and a friend. We do business with people we know and love. By listening and using eye contact, you show you care about them and want to know more. After all, the point of networking meetings is to get to know people and build relationships.

What networking tips have you discovered?

-Betty Otte

EOY Reminders

Just a few End of Year Reminders:

1) This is your biggest sales time - get out there and advertise your availability for last minute shopping - you have the stock - offer gift wrap!

2) Online ordering to receive for Christmas delivery is December 13th

3) The CL corporate office is closed after December 21st!

4)  Time to order new catalogs - partner with a team member if you don't need all 125.  But remember the more catalogs you give out the more you are known as the local Cookie Lee Jewelry gal.

5) Who's coming with me to launch in Baltimore?  Remember I will help pay based on sales!

6) Now is the time to make calls and book January/February shows - use the new catalog as incentive.

I want to THANK each and everyone for being a part of Penn Jersey Jewels - we are a team and I just want all of you to be successful!  Let's build a strong 2013!

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas all!

Booking Ideas

1. The telephone is your best friend, use it. Make at least 5 calls per day for bookings and recruits. Do this faithfully and assure yourself a full date book.

2. A walk-in or open house. To acquaint neighbors and your community with you product, send invitations to friends, neighbors and acquaintances. Advertise that there will be refreshments and a chance to see your product.

3. Mystery Hostess Party. The consultant has a party in her home and awards the hostess credits to the guests. The credits can be divided up or given in different ways. For instance, name goes in for each $25 bought.

4. Trade shows, fairs, expos, events. Check on local activities and reserve well in advance. Consult your up-line on methods and set ups.

5. Advertising. Carry your tote bag, newspapers and online.

6. Brochures/Pages from a recent Catalog with a note. Leave them everywhere that makes sense.  Distribute at dentist, doctors, or anywhere you do business.

7. Business referrals. Real estate office, model homes, flower shops.

8. Bridal registry/bridal showers. For the bride where the guests may purchase gifts. (This can get expensive - watch your costs!)

9. Show on the go/Booking in a basket. Excellent for the office. Place several small items in a basket and one larger one. When an order of $30 is placed, the customer can select a small gift. When all the gifts are gone, the hostess gets to open the bigger gift. (suggest 10 gifts)

10. Delivery Day Special. Offer the hostess, at the time of delivery, a special gift from you when she picks up a booking or two as she delivers her guests items.

11. Offer the hostess an additional gift when she re-books herself with-in 3 months. You may want to offer her an extra incentive for holding 3 shows within a year.

12. Offer a free product of their choice to people who take the brochure home, share it with friends and family and get 5 additional orders resulting in a certain amount of dollars.