mypartyplanblog.com

Next week, 180 cities across the world will unite in raising funds for the non-profit charity : water at a series of Twestival events, attended by the Twittering community.

I am delighted to be taking part in The Edinburgh Twestival, which will be held on Thursday 12 February 2009 at 7pm at Hawke and Hunter, 12 Picardy Place, Edinburgh EH1 3JT.

There will be live music, WiFi action, live video streaming across the world and lots of networking.  I am looking forward to meeting the ‘McTwitterati*’.  It will be great to meet people that I consider friends, although we’ll be meeting for the first time at this event.

There will be a raffle and an auction, with lots of fantastic prizes, donated by sponsors and participants alike.  All proceeds will go to charity : water.  I have donated three small prizes to the raffle:

1.      £10 Virgin Vie At Home Voucher   - skincare, cosmetics, jewellery and homeware.

2.      £10 Barefoot Books Voucher – beautiful children’s books.

3.      $25 (£15 approx) Send Out Cards Gift Account – personalised greetings cards for business or pleasure.

Auction prizes include:

·         Twitter profile ‘makeover‘ from Digital Biographer

·         A whole year of Ad space on Third Sector Forums

·         Space on a Second Life island from Virtual-E

·        Personality profiling from People Maps

Please leave a comment here if you are attending one of the Twestivals next week, and leave your Twitter username so that we can tweet about it later!..

Thanks for visiting!

*McTwitterati (coined by @jimwolffman?) - collective term for top Scottish Twitterers

Hi everyone!

Happy New Year!  I hope, like me, you had a great holiday season.

What are your goals for 2009?

One of my main business goals this year is to blog more frequently.  Last year I started quite a few blogs with the best of intentions, but I’m afraid to say that I did not manage to keep them as up-to-date as I would have liked.  What with corporate job stresses, illness and family commitments, I was unable to find my ‘blogging groove’.  This year will be different.  I know that I need to plan and to focus, but I fully intend to get into my ‘blogging groove’ and update my blog portfolio on a very regular basis.

The advantages of achieving my blog goals include:

• I will create more content on my sites to help SEO.
• It will improve my communication with readers (old & new).
• It will create more opportunities for comments and feedback from readers.
• It will help to build relationships with readers & customers.
• It will develop my writing skills.
• I will create potential content for articles and eBooks.

Please, please feel free to contact me if you feel that I am not updating this blog as often as you think I should!!

I now have a new blog called WAHMbiz, especially for work at home mums.  WAHMbiz will cover lots of different home-based businesses, such as:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Article Marketing
• Blogging
• Direct Sales
• eBay
• Etsy
• Party Plan
• PLR

In 2009, this Party Plan Blog, will concentrate only on Party Plan & Direct Sales, but in more detail than the WAHMbiz blog.  I hope you will enjoy following both blogs.

I also have several other blogs on the go:

• My Beauty Spot - My health & beauty blog.
• Barefoot Blogger - My blog re childrens’ books.
• Greeting Card Guru - My greeting card blog re holidays, occasions & celebrations.
• Fine Feathered Nest - My home living blog re homeware, kitchenware, household tips, recipes, etc.
• Ambassadolly - My Trolley Dolly Ambassadolly blog re the fabulous eco-friendly shopping bags by ZPM London.
• Detox Diet Diary - My blog re Carol Vorderman’s 28-day Detox Diet & the Detox Maintenance Diet. 

Thanks for reading and come back real soon!!…

Hi everyone!

WOW!!! What women doesn’t want a new handbag for FREE?!? Check out the new site http://www.handbagplanet.com/. Here you will see a huge array of gorgeous ‘arm candy’ up for grabs today.  Choose your favourite bag, and register your selection for a chance to win.  You can increase your chances of winning, by spreading the word to all your friends. 

Well, what are you waiting for?  Click here to see all the lovely handbags now!

Did I mention it’s FREE?

Good luck!

Hi everyone!

My friend Megan Calhoun from Twitter Moms has asked me to lead a brand new group called Party Plan Moms.  The group is especially for mums who are party plan consultants or direct selling distributors.  It’s a great opportunity to connect with like-minded women, exchange ideas and share resources.

Twitter Moms is a new social networking site for moms who like to Twitter.  It’s a great way to find lots of interesting fun friends.  The site has only been up and running for a few weeks and already has over 600 members. 

Please visit the Twitter Moms site at www.twittermoms.com and sign up absolutely free.  You can then add me as a friend and join the Party Plan Moms group.

I look forward to seeing you at Twitter Moms.

Thanks for visiting!

Follow me on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/annttkerr

Hi everyone!

I’ve changed my WordPress theme in a re-branding exercise.  Do you like it? 

My beautiful new header was designed by my friend Heather Batts, The Domestic Diva.  She also designed a new favicon and some sidebar buttons, which I’m still figuring out how to install!  LOL.

Heather has also designed some banners and buttons for me to advertise this blog. 

I plan to re-brand my other blogs (with Heather’s help) in due course.  Meanwhile, I’d appreciate your feedback re the look and feel of this re-branded blog, as well as any hints and tips on installing favicons and sidebar titles in WordPress.Org.

If you would like to revamp your own blog, then I recommend you visit Heather’s site at: http://www.thedomesticdiva.org.

Thanks for visiting (and for your feedback!)

Hi everyone!

Bookings are the most important aspect of your business, providing income, future bookings and potential recruits.  If you cannot secure bookings in your diary your business is sure to fail.

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula that I can give you to ensure you get bookings.  Your success is down to YOU and your POSITIVE ATTITUDE.  Get into the habit of always looking for the positive in every situation. 

Here are some hints and tips to help you increase your bookings.

• Speak to EVERYONE about your job.  Listen out for potential Hostesses EVERYWHERE (e.g. on public transport, at the supermarket, at the hairdressers, on the school run or at the bank).
• Don’t go ANYWHERE without a pen and paper and your business cards.
• Wear a BADGE advertising your business - www.thebooster.com have a large selection of eye-catching badges which are guaranteed to attract potential Hostesses and customers (e.g. “In need for pampering?  Ask me!”)
• Carry a CATALOGUE and/or FLYERS with you to show EVERYONE you can.
• Leave CATALOGUES and FLYERS everywhere (e.g. dentist, doctors, hairdressers, on public transport, and anywhere you do business.)
• Offer your services for FREE at a LOCAL EVENT (e.g. offer spa treatments at nursery open days, donate prizes at charity events, offer to donate a percentage of your sales in exchange for distriburing flyers and brochures).
• Walk the streets in your local TOWN CENTRE, asking shoppers to stop for a chat.  Hand out flyers and collect contact information in exchange for entry to a PRIZE DRAW.  (Follow up leads within 48 hours of contact, so that potential customers will remember you.)
• Reserve a stall at TRADE SHOWS and FAIRS.  Check on local activities and reserve well in advance.
• Advertise in your local newspaper and shops.
• BUSINESS REFERRALS - Estate agents, hairdressers, photographers, florists, etc - any business exchange advertising and verbal referrals.
• The TELEPHONE is your best friend, so use it DAILY!  Make at least 5 calls per day to ensure your diary is filled.  Call past Hostesses and customers, as well as new leads.

Thanks for visiting!

Today I’d like to share an excellent blog post by Resourceful Mommy, Amy Lupold Bair.  In her article, “Tricks of the Trade: How to Afford to be a Stay at Home Mom”, Amy offers some priceless advice to young women on the importance of saving and planning before embarking on motherhood.  The article touches on the sacrifices families have to make, whether it is sacrificing material wealth or sacrificing spending precious time with your children.  This is a real dilemma for most mothers, myself included.  Read Amy’s article here.

I sure wish I’d read this article in my twenties, when my husband and I ‘squandered’ our money on clothes, holidays and nights out!

We waited seven years after our wedding before we had children, but I’m ashamed to say we had not saved for this life-changing event.  The fact that we ended up having twins makes this oversight all the more poignant!

If you are looking for the best of both worlds - a part-time job, with full-time salary potential, visit these three great sites for inspiration:

1.    www.mumandworking.co.uk - This is the site which lead me to my party plan . direct sales career.  Here you will find a plethora of job ideas to choose from,such as direct sales, franchises and part-time jobs.

2.    www.webmomz.com - This site was founded by my friend and mentor, Kristie T.  Here, you will find a direct sales directory and lots of useful articles.  You can also sign up for parenting tips.

3.    www.partyplanconsultant.co.uk - This is a resource site for party plan consultants, direct-selling distributors, work at home mums and entrepreneurs, founded by Yours Truly!

Do any of my readers have WAHM tips?  Does anyone feel they have made the wrong decision in either giving up a corporate career, or by going out to work and missing their kids?  Or perhaps you have found the perfect, healthy balance?  Whatever, please share your stories by leaving a comment.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

Hi everyone,

One of my online friends, Carrie Lauth, has caused a bit of a stir on Twitter in the last week. She has challenged all her online friends to commit to writing 30 articles in 30 days. You can read more about her challenge, and join the ever-growing list of participants here.

I thought it was a great idea, and so you’ll notice my name at No.16 on the list. This is exactly the kind of challenge I need to help me focus and get things done. I have been toying with the idea of article marketing for some time, but hadn’t quite got round to it yet!

I have my main resource site - www.partyplanconsultant.co.uk and five blogs, so the 30 article that I’ll be writing this month will certainly help with my site content.

However, I intend to go further than that! I intend to submit my articles to Article Submission sites, in the hope that they will go forth into the Blogosphere and multiply! By adding a bio to the end of every article, complete with my URL, I hope to drive more traffic to my sites.

I have already planned all my topics for my articles. I’ve divided my 30 between my five blogs so, in theory, I should receive additional traffic to all my sites.

If article submission is something that you are interested in, then why not check out these sites:

1. www.virtualfreedom4you.com
2. www.ladypens.com
3. www.internetmarketingsweetie.com/blog

If you decide to take Carrie up on her challenge, please be sure to let me know by leaving a comment here.

Now I’m off to write some more articles!…

Thanks for visiting!

Hi everyone!

Today, I’d like to tell you about my fundraising for a really worthy cause - The National Society for Epilepsy. I recently held a Fundraising Virgin Vie At Home Party for my good friend Anna. She was looking to raise funds for the NSE, as her little great-nephew was born in May this year with a rare form of the disease for which there is no cure.

We raised £225.00 via party sales and prize draws. I am also raising further funds for this cause through another of my home businesses - Barefoot Books. I am donating 10% of all sales placed through my website, using the Event Code: EV01. This campaign will be open for the foreseeable future, so please take note of it, for when you come to do your Christmas Shopping! My URL is http://www.mybarefootbooks.com/annettekerr (and don’t forget to use the Event Code EV01).

Here’s little Ross Donnan’s story as told by his Dad, Karl:

“My friend Rich and I were planning on climbing Mont Blanc this summer in order to raise funds for CLIC Sargent in memory of his son Archie who died of a brain tumour 10 years ago this year aged 14 months. We have already raised over £5000 via our website www.archiesmountain.com

However my second son Ross was born on 11th May 2008. Unfortunately he has a rare and as yet undiagnosed form of epilepsy and is currently in the neurological ward of Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris. He is getting the best care, but unfortunately the doctors cannot yet give us any indication of what the short or longterm future holds for Ross.

As a result I cannot commit the hours required to complete the training to attempt Mont Blanc this summer, plus we do not know yet if it will be ok for Ross to travel to the Alps or to be so far away from specialist medical care. Rich and I have decided to modify our fund raising effort; we will still climb Mont Blanc, but it will be in Summer 2009 rather than this year and as a result of the current situation we have decided that future sponsorship should go to The National Society for Epilepsy. There are many different types of epilepsy for which no treatment has yet been found and the NSE funds research and helps epilepsy sufferers and their families.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The National Society for Epilepsy gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
Many thanks for your support!

Karl Donnan”

Please scroll down the right-hand side of my screen to find a link to Karl’s Just Giving Page to donate to this worthwhile cause.

About the charity : National Society for Epilepsy

The National Society for Epilepsy works to find better ways to diagnose, treat and care for people with epilepsy. The charity’s classification as a World Health Organisation (WHO) centre of excellence demonstrates its long term commitment to helping those affected by the condition.
Charity Registration No 206186

Please help this fantastic cause by donating either through Karl’s site or through my Barefoot Books campaign.

If you would like me to assist you with fundraising for your own good cause, then please get in touch.

Thanks for visiting! (and for your donation - however small!!)

Annette
x

Hi everyone!

An old friend got in touch during the week. Bobby has just set up a brand new online business – www.iusejoe.com – a site which enables businesses to tap into the power of customer feedback helping you attract new customers.

“Essentially Joe is a tool that a business can use to connect with existing customers and attract new customers. The concept is that your existing customers are your greatest asset - they are the people who know you and who continue to return to do business with you. Why? Because you provide great service and meet their needs. If a friend or colleague is planning to use a service that they haven’t used before, for example a wedding photographer, or a caterer or a graphic designer and asks your customer for advice, your customer will probably recommend your business. All of this is great - but what if we could amplify your customer’s voice? What if all of your customer’s friends could see that your customer rates and uses you? This is where http://www.iusejoe.com/ comes in.

Joe enables businesses to attract new business through the ratings and recommendations of existing customers.”

I always prefer to use a company or tradesperson who has been personally recommended to me. I feel far more comfortable employing the services of someone who has a good reputation, rather than taking the “fingers-crossed” approach of the Yellow Pages or a random ad. Word-of-mouth is certainly the best form of marketing in today’s over-commercialised world.

I think I Use Joe is a fantastic concept and I was eager to sign up. Click here to see my listing and rate me.

Bobby has very kindly mentioned me and my business ventures in the I Use Joe blog. Read the blog post here, and leave a comment.

Visit http://www.iusejoe.com/ to signup now (3 month, no obligation free trial).

Thanks for reading!