How do I have time to run my Usborne Books business?
That is a great question, and a very common one that I get at almost every party I host. Honestly, it’s not as tedious as you may think. Let me tell you how I juggle running a business AND being a full time wife, mom and employee.
(& yes, I totally did take this photo at my office desk 😛 )
For starters, for those who don’t know, I signed up to be an Usborne consultant not long after I started my full time office job. When I ask girlfriends if they’d be interested in joining my team and coming along on this awesome business adventure, all of them say, “I don’t have time.” This sparked the idea for me to write a blog post about what I do to make my business work for me, and I hope it might give you some encouragement.
My business is successful because:
- I Believe Books Help Families
- Determination
- Scheduling / Thinking Ahead
Let me break those down –
Books Help Families
I love helping families grow closer together! I believe we outsource to the world what God has asked us to do within the home. I can write a paragraph defining this one sentence, but for this topic, I really don’t believe that a screen is successful at helping my child develop or growing their ability to interact with others. Not saying a book is full-proof, but a fun, interactive children’s book and dedicated parents can cultivate interaction between family members, laughs, conversation, and develop their brain. I believe that books help bring families together.
Determination
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” -Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) || Also translated as “if you don’t have a goal, you won’t succeed.” -Sarah Shaver
My team leader told me right when I started to write down my goal, and I cannot tell you how many times I have looked back on it and how it’s encouraged me on the days where I was a little discouraged. With Usborne not having any quotas, I can work as little or as much as I want to (which for this busy mama is a great feeling knowing I have that freedom!). But selling Usborne is considered “direct sales,” which can be a very lonely, discouraging, and an intimidating business. But Usborne has a great support system and my goal has been a huge motivator to move past what could be viewed as discouraging or intimidating. When you are determined, you push past whatever roadblocks could pop up.
Scheduling / Thinking Ahead
This is the secret sauce to my success thus far with Usborne. Basically, when I have down time, I prep. I have notes all over my calendar of things to post on my VIP page, customers to contact, and parties that I’ve scheduled. I prep my party posts so that it’s quick and easy on party day and I can sit back and enjoy interacting with the guests. I have a Word document that has a “template” of things I want to say to to encourage my hostesses on what day before the party.
For example, during the down time of the Christmas holiday (after we had passed the date of getting the books ordered in time for Christmas), I didn’t just stop “working” on my business just because I didn’t have any parties scheduled. I evaluated what I could do to make it better. Now, I have a list that I plan on implementing as the New Year kicks off. Being proactive helps a lot with being successful!
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Let’s be real, you can be the most motivated person you know, but ultimately, there are only 24 hours in the day. So let me get practical with you on how I make Usborne fit into my busy schedule.
Utilize Free Time
I do the majority of my Usborne work during my lunch break at the office. I’m not being distracted by a toddler and I’m already in “working” mode, so it’s worked out really well for me to prep posts, connect with hostesses and brainstorm. Find that time that works for you. Like I said, it’s your business so you can put as much time as you want (or can) into it when you want to! It’s 100% up to you when and how much you work.
Put It On Your Calendar
When I book an event, I put it on my calendar. I only offer dates to my hostess that I know I’ll be available (for example, I don’t offer Fridays as an option to host her party because that it our date night – and I refuse to be on my phone during a date!) When I have a party, I tell my husband I’ll be on my phone (or iPad / computer) from xx time to xx time for a party and he nods and often ends up doing his own thing during that time anyway. “Parties” can be as long or as short as you and your hostess decide – but mine tend to be around an hour with posts leading up to following the event.
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So whether you’re looking to make some extra money or you were just curious how I juggled it all, I hope this post gave you a behind the scenes view of how I make running my Usborne business work into my hectic life. If you want to learn more about working with me (which is a lot of fun by the way 😉 ) or ask me a question, feel free to reach out – I’d love to chat!