Tea Consultant and Mompreneur

Book Review: Blogging to the Bank

2010-07-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

By now I think most people in the world know about blogs.

What most don’t know is there is a great income to be made as well for free.

Rob Benwell is only 24 years old and has already made several million dollars. Early in 2006 he shared his secrets with the world in his highly successful Blogging To The Bank ebook and has made making money online a whole lot easier for everyone.

Just over two years after the success of his first book and over 20,000 copies sold of it and the 2007 2.0 update he is now releasing his third version of Blogging to the Bank helping to wet our appetites and keep the fat bucks rolling in.

I got this book as soon as I could and it covers quite a lot of new information and techniques to adapt your blog to the new demands of the major search engines. Many of the techniques in the old book are now dated and don’t work so well. This is why Blogging To The Bank 2010 is a godsend.

Also this guy doesn’t consider himself to be a "guru", he’s just a normal guy who wants to help the little guys out. I find this a nice change as he doesn’t talk "down" to you like most of the other guys do. He explains everything in a nice simple manor so everyone can understand.

Saying that when he "goes off on one" it may take a few reads until you get it but when you do it’s just shear genius. Some of the topics in my opinion could have been covered a little more, then others went into great detail. You also get his 5 Blogging Commandments for 2010 that you must follow to give you blogs the greatest success in 2009 and keep them future proofed.

His book starts off with market research (so that you are making the most of your time) to building your blogging empire. Everything is covered in this new outing that helps bloggers with today's online issues regarding making the search engines happy.

Final Verdict: if you are just getting started as a blogger, and want to make money the easy way then I highly recommend Blogging To The Bank 2010.

Why work harder than you need to when the new techniques are there ready for you to simply implement?

More Tea Room Tips

2010-07-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Have a "special occasions" room: If possible, have a small room set aside for groups of people who want to reserve it for bridal teas, baby showers or children's tea parties. These groups may be big enough to need a reservation but too small to reserve the main tea space.

If only 15 people are coming, and they want privacy, but you can normally seat 50, you can't afford to shut down the main tea room for them. Having a room available so you don't lose them either insures you won't miss out on potential income.

Have a gift shop in your tea house: If at first, you cannot afford a whole room for a gift shop, designate a small space for selling tea and tea accessories so that people can purchase it there if they would like.

Separate entrances: If you know you will be likely to serve two entirely different clientele, such as hungry, traveling truckers and bored senior citizens, you might consider having one entrance for your café and another for your tea room.

Offer a variety of tea: Avoid limiting your menu to only a few teas or types of teas. Be sure to have as wide a variety as you can afford.

"For thousands of years, wise people have poured hot water over tea leaves and found pleasure in both the experience and the drink that is created." -Theresa Cheung, Tea Bliss: Infuse Your Life with Health, Wisdom, and Contentment
For more information about creating the menu for your tea house, go to creating your tea room menu.

You also can visit my tea blog at http://whatsinyourteacup.blogspot.com.

How to Open a Tea Room

2010-07-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

"This is a good time to open a tea room, as tea is dramatically increasing in popularity. It is often the well-publicized health benefits of tea that get them curious, but once they try it, they are finding they truly enjoy it." -Cynthia Gold, Tea Sommelier, The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers

Here are several secrets to making your tea house more successful...

Offer a strong lunch: This may be the biggest predictor of your success, and is more important than other factors you will consider. Having a full or robust lunch menu will bring in customers who are not there for the tea and they will come back for the food, if it's good.

Have a cafe section: You may even want to designate a separate section for those who are just there for soup, sandwiches and salads. The decor won't need to be as fancy and the seating will be different.

Women who come in just for the tea experience are likely to want linens and table skirts and delicate tea cups. But you can create a section that is much more casual for your lunch guests.

Afternoon tea by reservation: Because the finger sandwiches and fancy desserts may need to be prepared in advance, you will much less likely to have food go to waste if you make afternoon tea available every day but only by reservation.

Then you need to decide what that will mean to you and that depends on your budget. Will you serve afternoon tea with only one reservation or insist on a certain number of guests? In the beginning, you may need to limit it more, but eventually, may be popular enough that you can serve it every day, knowing there will be guests there to enjoy it.

More tips coming your way in the next post...

Steps to Build a Direct Sales Tea Business Right Away

2010-06-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

Steps to Build Your Direct Sales Business Right Away

You just started a brand new career in direct sales. You’re pumped, excited, and ready to hit the streets with your awesome product you know everyone will want to buy. Good. Keep that excitement. Although you may be able to get every friend and family member you have to hold a show and make lots of money in the beginning, remember this initial momentum may not last.

Let me give you two important steps that you should begin taking now for a great future in direct sales. You’ll need them if you want your business to stand the test of time.

Hold as many shows or parties as quickly as possible.

This is where you are going to find the strong people I will be mentioning in the next step. Don’t wait until your kit arrives to make the first of your phone calls. Get on the phone right away and book your first couple of shows.

If your kit doesn’t arrive before the first show, your recruiter should be willing to lend hers or at least a few items from her own kit. She should also be willing to go to your first one or two shows with you. This will help you to feel more at ease and will make it easier to answer any questions that may arise which you can’t answer yet.

Get your first 6 shows booked, but don’t stop there. If you’re on a roll, keep calling. You may get a lot of “no’s” at first, but you the “yes’s” will soon come so don’t give up.

Build a good foundation.

A good foundation for a successful direct sales business is one that is solidly built with great people on your team. Start looking for quality people who know and love the product as much as you do. You’ll also want them to be goal oriented, organized and driven.

Once you get 3 to 5 strong people under you, you will have the start of a strong team. These people will help lead your business to success. Don’t recruit just anyone simply for the sake of having recruits. If those people you sign up under you do not possess the characteristics described above, they will most likely quit or flounder in their own business.

You’ll find this to be more of a burden than a help to your business. Once you get a start with a strong team, then you can start recruiting others who may just be looking for a hobby, a discount on the product or who just need something to pass the time with. The key is to get a handful of strong, goal oriented folks under you quick. If you don’t someone else will.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day (I love a good cliché) and neither will your direct sales business be. It takes drive, determination and motivation to build a successful direct sales business and keep it going.

Are You Ready to Start Your Own Business?

2008-06-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

The Qualities You Need to Start Your Own Small Business

Statistics tell us that over 45% of small businesses fail within the first two years of starting up - on the other hand, millions of self-made business owners have gone on to become millionaires. So what do you need to become one of the successful ones?

Don’t worry if you don’t have everything it takes. Training can develop many of the so-called essentials. All you really need to know are which ones are your strengths and which are your weaknesses. Here are some traits you’ll need. It’s up to you to decide if you’ve got them, or if you’ll work on getting them.

-Common sense - If you’re not sure whether you’ve got it, ask your family. It’s the ability to make sound judgments about all manner of life issues. It can be a combination of past experience and knowledge and will help you get to the core of a problem by simplifying it.

-Specialized knowledge of your field - It’s no use jumping into something about which you know nothing. Most successful business people have gained much valuable experience in their trade well before they went into business for themselves. You don’t have to be a top expert, but having some background and a willingness to learn will help you along the way.

-Self-confidence - When you start out in small business, the buck will usually stop with you. You are the one who has to make difficult decisions and wear the consequences. This is not always something you either have or don’t have. You may have it in one area or situation and lack it in another. Training will help you to get it.

-The ability to get things done - This is actually self-discipline. It’s no use deciding to take the day off because it’s sunny and the surf’s up. There are things requiring your attention and if you leave them they won’t get done. On the other hand, it’s no use being on the job if you fritter the time away on menial talks that should be delegated.

-Creativity - Sure it’s been done that way since Adam, but there could be a better way to do it - one that will save you time and money. Creativity also helps you stand apart from your competition.

-Ability to lead - Do you get along with others or is there a long line of dissatisfied staff, customers, clients, friends and relatives behind you? Your ability to lead and get people to do great work is paramount to your success in business.

-Self-reliance - If you can’t rely on yourself, whom can you rely on? You need to be able to set goals and do whatever it takes to reach them. Sure you’ll have others under you - eventually, but many small business owners need first to rely on themselves.

If you want to start a small business, go for it. If you need a little help online the way, considering starting with a direct sales opportunity. There are many companies that will allow you to sell their products and provide training along the way.

You can get some help deciding which opportunity might be for you right here.

And here's a quiz from iVillage that may help you evaluate your readiness to get started.

I took it and here's how I scored...

Most Likely to Succeed...

You have a solid plan. Just remember, success doesn't come without work. You need to think specifically about your plan of attack and how you're going to pull together the idea, the customers and the financials. Learn the step-by-step process for starting a successful home business with these tips for coming up with a home business that works, getting ready financially and marketing your services or products.

Spiritpreneur & Mompreneur

2008-05-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am a married mom and a healer, working from home in several capacities, hoping to start a community of women who want to start a home-based business using spiritual principles, like the Law of Attraction, for instance, to create and build it. My goal is to offer support, community, healing and practical information.

Here's one piece of advice I found helpful, just to get us started...

"Top Start-up Strategy: Allow yourself enough time to get everything ready before you open for business. Whether your company is online or in a store, potential customers will turn away from unfinished or sloppy preparations. Coming up with a business idea is exciting -- it generates a lot of energy. Channel that energy into planning and preparation."

from Diane Lille