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OK, here we are.  The moment of the summer I’ve been waiting for.  Drum roll please… Oh just a sec.  So as not to seem like the worst, most insensitive, workaholic mother in the world, let me first say that nothing gives me greater joy, emotion or excitement than the thought of seeing my son and daughter today (yes, today!) after them being gone at camp for 7 weeks.  But it’s because of the time they spent on their “vacation” that I’m even able to make my announcement.  So back to it.  Drum roll one more time… We’ve just released our COOL FOR SCHOOL, HIP FOR HOLIDAY / AUGUST 2010-JANUARY 2011 CATALOG!!!  Items won’t be up on www.likewear.com until the end of this week, but for now, you can download the new catalog here http://www.likewear.com/LikeWear-Collection-8-hirez.pdf.  And the crowd goes wild.  Well, at least it does in the LikeWear office.

Each time we design a new Collection, it definitely gets easier.  But it continues to amaze me how many hours go into catalog layout (let alone all the creative development, art time, photography and Photoshop work that goes in before even getting to print time).  We’ve established somewhat of a “look” to our catalog pages and our graphics and clothing styles but we always try to keep it fresh and interesting.  Last week, our summer intern looked up from the catalog pages she was proofreading and asked Ken and I if we were ever afraid we’d run out of ideas.  We both answered simultaneously, “Never.”

We’re not concerned about coming up with new ideas – only with the limit on our time to make them all a reality!  Maybe it’s because we’re both somewhat “creatively obsessive” – meaning our brains never seem to shut down (and that’s an entirely different topic fit for its own post) so we’re always throwing out ideas – always.  But the key to always having new ideas is to feel confident in dreaming them up AND throwing them out there.

Was I forever this way?  Well, I think I’ve always had a creative side or streak in me that was never fully exercised until starting LikeWear.  But I was not always as self-assured (or comfortable is probably more accurate) in launching out new ideas that could potentially be denied, dismissed or laughed at.  Let’s face it, no one likes to feel rejection – even if it’s only for an idea.  Interestingly though, I’ve learned that those of us not born with the creative confidence trait can actually learn to develop it.  As you create (with whatever it is in your life that you’re doing – new recipes, interesting outfits, a unique fundraising idea) and those “creations” are positively received, that positive reinforcement seeps into your soul to make you even more confident to continue to keep trying new ideas.  And so the inspirational cycle goes…

I’ve experienced this kind of development in my own creativity and I’ve watched it firsthand with my kids over the past few years that we’ve had LikeWear.  They’ve witnessed a constant barrage of new ideas being tossed around and even more importantly, they’ve seen the open-minded way that Ken and I usually receive each other’s brainstorms (actually, Ken will say I’m not always so open as I usually already have my own distinct vision for things.  But that too is a topic for another time!).  As a result of living in this kind of environment, I’ve noticed my kids unabashedly offering up ideas, suggestions and creative solutions in ways they never have before.  I get a warm feeling inside every time I hear one of them start to say, “How about we try something like…”

So what comes first?  The ideas or the “creative comfortability”?  Fortunately I think it can and often does work both ways.  If you believe in what you do and what you create, others will see the value in it too and you’ll feel confident to continue thinking outside your box.  And if you are a good, constructive, open-minded listener you will not only help others to have the confidence to keep on keepin’ on in the creative department, but you will likely also spark additional ideas for yourself.  Kind of like creative karma.  We all have more good ideas than we think.  Throw ‘em out there!  Oh yeah, and when you’re done, don’t forget to check out LikeWear’s new catalog!

I’ve been doing a lot of interviews lately.  Most of the questions I’m asked, although very good ones, have been pretty much the same.  But this week during a Q&A with a blogger, I was asked something that no one had ever inquired about before:  “What was the best business decision you’ve made so far since starting LikeWear?”  My answer was spontaneous as we were on the phone and I was not prepped ahead of time with what I would be asked.  Without so much as a split second thought, my response was: “keeping my business run from my house.”

When my husband Ken reads this answer he will surely be shocked as I’m constantly complaining about how each day LikeWear seems to take over another square foot of our living space.  Not to mention the concerns I have over our lack of privacy with the parade of employees we have in and out of our front door each day.  And then there’s the havoc caused to my type A psyche with all the clutter, noise and general disarray as a natural result of so many operational functions operating out of my home sweet home.

But, the idea of moving the business out of our house into its own home, just doesn’t sit well with me right now.  We’ve been able to stay very lean and cost conscious because we don’t have additional overhead, maintenance and extra staffing to worry about, which an outside office would demand.  And yes, our in-house warehousing space is limited but it’s forced us to maintain modest inventory levels so we don’t end up with overruns and large quantities of unused merchandise at the end of each season.  And certainly, we have lots of people in and out of our house on a regular basis, but that has required us to only hire people we really trust and can rely on.  And last but definitely not least, as a mother, having my business run from my house has meant being able to physically be around for my kids.  LikeWear’s birth originated from my small time hobby and rather quickly became a part-time job which then blossomed into a full-time job and which has now evolved into what often feels like an all-the-time job.  But, I’m at home while I’m doing it.  Working “all the time” outside of the house is not something I’m mentally prepared to do at this stage.

So for now as I grumble about the chaos, clutter and claustrophobic working conditions, I’ll continue to remind myself that when it comes to running a business, for me, there’s no place like home.

Summer is finally here!  It’s a time to hopefully relax a bit, and even if you have a job aside from LikeWear, take a break from all the sports practices, carpooling and kid chaos so that you can recharge the “mom battery” before school starts up again.  As a mom, I feel like my “year” begins when school does.  As such, I find the summer is a perfect time to not only reflect back (usually on how fast the year went by!) but also to plan ahead for what I’d like to change or do differently – and most importantly, what I’d like to accomplish – during the upcoming school year.  And the best way to accomplish something is by setting goals.  I liken goal setting to driving to a particular destination… if you don’t know where you’re going, you probably won’t get there.  But if you do know where you want to go, it’s pretty easy to map out some directions J.

With this in mind, I encourage all of you to join me over the next few weeks to set some goals for your LikeWear business.  Whether it’s to save enough money to pay for camp tuition for next summer, earn enough to cover a car payment each month, add 3 members to your team, use social media to drive sales to your web site, etc., I’d like to map out a plan with you to make it happen.  Communication, in any business, is so important.  We are in touch with many of you but  I’d like to be in touch with MOST of you regularly.  No pressure, of course, but over the next few weeks, Ken and I would like to try to help you turn your goals into an achievable action plan.  In other words, you tell us “what” you want to accomplish and we’ll help you to figure out “how”.  We’ve got a lot of learning as to what works best and we have some VERY exciting stuff coming for Back-To-School.

And, don’t ever feel that what you’d like to accomplish is not doable – with the right planning, it is.  I recently watched the remake of Alice in Wonderland with my kids (ya know the bizarre one with Johnny Depp) and I immediately identified with a particular line the Red Queen says to Alice: “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”.  I’ve seen the original animated version no less than 200 times as it was one of Samantha’s favorite movies when she was a toddler, but never even “heard” the line before.  I guess that’s because when she was a toddler it was hard for me to think about anything clearly before breakfast, let alone something seemingly out of reach!  But now, after starting LikeWear (a seemingly impossible business idea) and seeing exactly how many women have been positively affected and motivated by it (a still shocking number to me that grows each month), I have been forever changed to continue to not only dream up the impossible but continue to make those dreams a reality – and try to help other women to do the same.

I invite you all to join me in doing some thinking, financial planning and/or soul-searching so that when we talk we can best strategize to help you make your dreams a reality.  I look forward to talking with each of you soon (and in the meantime, don’t hesitate to call me first!).

I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day.  I know it’s Tuesday but it sure feels like a Monday! 

This week I wanted to provide a quick checklist for having a Trunk Show.  Some of you are just getting started as a LikeWear representative and others have been doing this for some time now.  And, everyone has a bit of a different way of doing things – depending on how many people attend and how your “agenda” flows.  However, I think it’s helpful for everyone to review what a Trunk Show could and should look – and sound – like.  In addition to the list below, don’t forget to talk to the people attending about not only our product but also your background and (hopefully!) how much you enjoy being a LikeWear rep.  Perhaps even more importantly, don’t forget to LISTEN.  The more information you gather on your customers, their kids ages, sizes, interests, budget, etc., the better you will be able to help them shop for “what they like”.  Here goes:

1.    What Do I Bring/Need?

·         Collection Kit Samples

·         Order Book

·         Pen and Calculator

·         Image Catalog to be used for custom items and/or seeing all available options (hi rez version good for printing: http://www.likewear.com/Reps/LikeWear-Image-Catalog.pdf)

o   This can be printed and put in a 3 ring binder or just printed and clipped together

o   Might be a good idea to bring more than one so people don’t have to wait to look through it

·         Catalogs

·         Copies of new price list (you should fold one into each catalog) and can even print one to put in a large frame on a table

·         Copies of Hostess Flyers to hand out and encourage additional Show bookings (attached)

·         Couple of hangers (clip and regular hangers – child size may work best)

2.    Set-Up Tips

·         Determine appropriate display area (ideal spot is typically a large table with access from multiple sides)

·         Stuff bags/totes with packing paper or newspaper (which give them a “fuller”, more substantial look than when they’re empty) and stand them upright on or around table

·         Hang up a few items if possible   

o   Use hanger stands (i.e., http://www.abctarget.com/product1~P~P303.htm)

o   Hang from stacked milk crate or baskets

o   Get creative – hang from cabinet or armoire knobs (even a window molding!)

o   Neatly display all other items on a table, sofa or flat surface and make sure the images are visible

·         Take a lounge set out of packaging but leave plastic bag nearby so you can explain how great it looks packed up and how it makes a nice presentation for a gift

·         The same can be done with the underwear

·         Place catalogs and hostess flyers on table or in visible area where it’s easy for people to pick up and browse through

·         If possible, try to arrange an outfit  - even if it’s a zip hoody with a pair of shorts – to “suggest” a purchase of more than just one item

3.    What To Say?

·         About Yourself

o   Talk a bit about how you came to be with LikeWear, and why you’re doing it (earn extra income, keep busy, meet new people, have a flexible job, etc.).  This will help to plant the seed and get others interested in thinking about joining you as part of your team (i.e., “If anyone is interested, I’d love to tell you how you can do this too”).

·         About The Product

o   LikeWear is the first and only company to sell licensed merchandise this way – we create images that kids recognize, know and really like!!

o   Custom items cannot be designed in stores – ONLY with a LikeWear rep!!

o   High quality garments, allow for a bit of shrinkage on most items

o   No special washing instructions, all items safe for dryer

o   Images will remain vibrant after multiple wearings and washings and won’t crack, peel or fade

o   New lower prices!

o   No returns on custom items

o   New TrendyWear line with Silly Bands, Glee and Facebook inspired images (and much more to come!)

·         About Payment

o   Personal checks are payable to you the rep

o   You accept all credit cards (including AmEx).  Make sure to get card #, billing address, 3-4 digit security code from back of card

o   You can also accept Hostess Credit for payment (obviously this is only from the hostess!).  This is another opportunity where you are subtly telling everyone that by hosting they can get free stuff!

·         About Hosting Trunk Shows

o   Easy way to earn free and discounted LikeWear merchandise (Trunk Show flyer attached)

o   Way to bring a fun and unique shopping experience to friends and family (and earn free stuff in return!)

o   Give examples while you’re talking and “seed” them in:

§  Hold up a white T-shirt and say “if you’re a hostess, you get one of these free with any image for every $250 in sales”

§  “Last night I did a show and my hostess got X in hostess credit”

·         About The Business Opportunity

o   Remember you are not trying to recruit people but rather you are “sponsoring”.  You are offering “value” to others by providing them with an opportunity to have their own business, make money while setting their own hours and enabling them in turn to share this all with others they know who could benefit.  That is the essence of sponsoring.

o   Seed your conversations so that you don’t feel as though you are pressuring or giving a hard sell.  Instead you want people to feel as though being a LikeWear rep is something that they can do – as a result, they’ll likely be interested in learning more.

o   Don’t come out and say “Would you like to be a rep?”  Try to put the women you talk to more at ease so they don’t feel pressure to make an instant on-the-spot decision. 

o   No unique skills or background is necessary to be a successful LikeWear rep.  But, some women have an easier time than others.  If someone you know has a special talent or ability that would help them in this business, tell them! 

o   Say something like “Laura, you’re so outgoing and have so many connections with your kids activities – you’d be great at this.  Why don’t you think about it?”

o   Or, “Julie, you’re creative and you love to shop for your own kids, I can really see you enjoying being a LikeWear rep.  I’d love to tell you more about what I do.”

o   Mention the timing as we’ve just begun our national expansion, are still looking for “Founders” who want to get in on the ground floor of a growing new company, and there are so many untapped markets

o   Just launched TrendyWear line which helps to capitalize on hot popular trends and give LikeWear representatives new selling options for their customers and contacts

4.    Trunk Show Is Over.  Now What?

·         Tally up sales slips to determine Hostess Credits (we can always help you figure this out after the party too)

·         Place party orders on .net site (Ken can sit with you to walk you through online ordering which is the preferred method)

·         Follow up calls

o   Hostess – thank you for hosting Trunk Show

o   Person who bought the most – she’s a perfect person to host a future Trunk Show

o   Anyone who already expressed an interest in booking a Show or those who showed the most interest in what you do

o   Those who couldn’t make it to the Show – they can either place an order with you over the phone or on your site or are ideal candidates for future hosts

Most importantly, HAVE FUN with it!  Your excitement and enthusiasm will be contagious!!

I wanted to follow up on our rationale for the new lower pricing we sent out last night…  While we can’t promise to implement all suggestions and act on all comments, we do try to look for trends and consistency and make changes accordingly.  Over the past several months we have received a tremendous amount of feedback in regards to pricing.  We’ve listened to you and as such have negotiated with suppliers and in turn lowered prices on almost all items!

In an effort to have the biggest impact in terms of lowest prices, we’ve adopted an “odd pricing strategy” as detailed in our email last night (updated price list attached).  The pricing is “odd” because numerically the prices are odd numbers.  I realize it’s also “odd” as it may make for some difficult math calculations at Trunk Shows and sales events!  And it’s “odd” because we are doing it mid-season.  However, we ask you to keep an open mind (and a calculator handy!).  Our hope is that the lower prices will lead to increased sales and interest.  Making the change mid-season will provide us with a good “test” period which we ask you to actively participate in.  Feedback from all our reps in all areas of the country in which we sell will help us to make a better decision on how to proceed as we look ahead to finalizing the upcoming back-to-school/holiday line (i.e., What is customer reaction to lower prices?  Has it increased your sales?  Are the “odd” numbers too confusing?).

All new lower prices have been updated on both .com and .net.  Remember, 25% off Camp Sale is still in effect.  Last week to get your orders in!

As awareness for LikeWear grows, so do the requests for interviews and reviews of our company and its merchandise.  So far the reviews have been great, like the first link below from the blog Coordinated Chaos where she says she had to sneak the LikeWear shirt out of her son’s room to wash it – otherwise he would wear it every day!

The second link is an interview I did with Hilary Morris who has a very well followed blog, Mrs. Mo’s New Jersey.  She’s also an editor with NJMyWay.com.  The interview will give you some insight into how Ken and I came up with the name LikeWear, our inspiration for starting the company as well as what sets us apart from other direct sales companies.

http://www.coordinatedchaos.com/2010/05/like-wear-clothes.html

http://www.mrsmonj.com/2010/05/be-ceo-from-home-like-nj-mom-lisa-gold.html

I am scheduled to do a live radio show tomorrow and will post the link as soon as I have it.  Truth be told, I’m a little nervous about it.  But, I’m taking my own advice to heart: to grow your business you need to get out of your comfort zone!  Things will stay the same unless you make a change!!

Since we are a business that is comprised of moms, we consider yesterday’s holiday pretty important.  We hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day!!

We have officially started our national expansion.  As such, I wanted to share with you the press release on LikeWear that was put out last week.  See link below:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/home-based-business/likewear-licensed-apparel/prweb3947974.htm

We’ve added a few new reps in the past week or so and I’m thrilled to welcome them to LikeWear!  Our company is starting to attract more interest – both from licensors and brands as well as moms interested in having their own business selling our stuff.  It’s an exciting time in LikeWear’s growth and I encourage you all to invite others you know who are interested or who would be good at this.  There’s not much involved in being a sponsor aside from sharing your knowledge and ideas and offering encouragement.  As moms, we’re used to doing that already!!  Remember that sponsoring is a way to increase your income amongst a customer base that you likely would not have had access to - without doing the selling yourself.  Let us know if you’re interested in learning more.  And, please forward on the release – it’s a great way to describe our business.

I’ve been reading a great book called Switch: How To Change Things When Change Is Hard.   No, not the lightest of bedtime reading, but it has enlightened me – and I wanted to share with you some of what I’ve learned and how I’ve related it to our business…

In order to succeed in business and reach your full potential, you must have (or embrace) a “growth mindset”*.  People with a growth mindset believe their abilities are like muscles – they can be built up with practice.  This is opposed to those with a “fixed mindset” who believe that abilities are static – that your talents and skills reflect the way you’re wired.  Those with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, because if they fail, they are afraid others will see the failure as an indication of their true, natural ability.  In contrast, those with a growth mindset, believe that with concerted effort, you can make yourself better.  As such, these types of people stretch themselves, take some risks, accept feedback and take a long-term view… all of which helps them to progress not only in their careers, but also in their lives.  The good news is that a growth mindset can be taught.

Success in any business – including party plan ones – requires commitment, determination and a willingness to learn.  Like any business, you must put the effort into it in order to see financial results.  Most people are not great at something the first time they try it.  If they were, we’d all be fantastic at everything!  Most feel hope and excitement at the start of something (like a new business).  Once the work starts to happen and challenges arise, it’s easy to feel frustrated.  Many new reps never attain their dreams – because by definition - they’re NEW – and there is much to learn.  They stop because they become afraid to fail.  However, it is at this part of the cycle that new ideas spring forth and insight and improvements happen.  I’d like to suggest instead to view this feeling of “failure” as LEARNING. 

For example, our original thoughts to offer both a Cash & Carry as well as a non-inventory selling option for our reps, has changed.  We were feeling frustrated because some of our reps were experiencing tremendous success while others were struggling.  So, we analyzed the selling patterns of our most successful reps in an effort to determine what they were doing that was different than the others.  The answer was always the same – home shows!  We want to guide our reps to where they will have the most success as naturally your success = our success.  As such, we used this “insight” (with a tremendous amount of learning and effort!) to completely revamp our compensation plan to help reward our reps for the actions that would deliver the best results. 

The secret formula seems to be having frequent but shorter personalized shopping “shows” with some goods to sell on the spot (bought at the rep discount price) in combination with taking “special orders” so there is little or no inventory risk.

We will continue to help, guide and better “train” our reps so that success – however it is measured by you – is realized.  The only way to fail in this business is to quit.  If you’re not getting the results you want from your business, embrace the LEARNING necessary to MAKE A CHANGE that will enable you to SUCCEED.  Don’t give up - it can be done.

As you may know, I have always disliked the word “party” as it relates to an organized, in-home selling event.  I feel as though it is a commonplace word that is overused to describe a selling situation at your typical direct sales company.  And, LikeWear is anything but your typical direct sales company!! We are still the only ones to sell merchandise featuring licensed brands and images and we are one of only a few companies to sell clothing – let alone clothes targeted to kids.  Add to that our higher than average commission rates and higher than average garment quality and we felt we needed a better term to more accurately describe our selling events and position us more appropriately within the fashion marketplace.

As such, we’ve made what I think is a critical change – not only in nomenclature, but also in approach.  Going forward, all LikeWear home-based/direct-to-customer selling events will be referred to as Trunk Shows.  By definition, a trunk show is a special event within the fashion world in which a designer puts on a special display of his or her work for review by a select group.  Sound like a familiar format?  We thought so!

Attached is a newly revised Trunk Show Hostess flyer which promotes a “private showing shopping experience” where a host and her select guests have an opportunity to not only shop our entire current Collection, but also work with a LikeWear rep to custom design unique pieces.  And by having a Trunk Show, hosts can earn free/discounted merchandise in the process!  It also reminds customers that access to our complete line, and custom designing individual pieces, is only available through a LikeWear rep and NOT available in stores.  We’ve also changed the look of the flyer and simplified the host benefits a bit so they’re easier to tally.

We think this new wording, updated flyer and simplified rewards program will much better communicate the benefits of hosting a Trunk Show and result in getting you more appointments!  We hope you agree!!!

http://www.likewear.net/rep-docs/Hostess_Program.pdf

We recently hired BSM Media (www.bsmmedia.com) – the PR/social media firm that created the “marketing to moms” concept – to spearhead LikeWear’s national expansion.  As such, we’ve just started working with our first wave of influential Mom Bloggers (26 to be exact strategically located across 16 states).  These “power moms” will be receiving LikeWear items of their choosing and in turn writing product reviews and talking about LikeWear and the unique opportunity we offer to essentially have your own at-home boutique clothing store business without the overhead or merchandise risk.

Over the next few weeks we will also be hosting Twitter parties, participating in targeted road shows and I am scheduled to have guest appearances on several mom targeted radio shows.  We will of course also be involved in traditional PR strategies like press releases and media pitches for publication coverage and a special online promotion with General Mills.  Success in this business is all about breaking out of your usual circles and we’re certainly trying to do our part to make that happen!

As a result, we expect to have an increase in requests from not only new reps who wish to sign on with us, but also from women who are interested in hosting parties and/or making purchases as customers.  Our intention is to forward these leads onto the appropriate (usually geographically) “active” rep in an effort to help you expand your customer/network base and grow your businesses.

Many of you are really striving to do more this season - earn more, “party” more, grow your business and help others to do the same -  and we’re going to do everything we can to help you achieve these goals!