The business is not new to me. I have started it since 1997 so doing it again is easy. However, running a home business from typing up hard copies of newsletter and mailed them to emailing newsletters to my customers to now "blogging" about the newsletter is a new thing to me! So I am exciting to give this a try - blogging about what I do with the Creative Memories products so my customers (and my out of state families) could see the demo because they can't be here to see it in my parties or workshops.
My returning was due to the loss of our main income. Even though Robert has gained employment, it is only a six month assignment and there are no benefits nor insurance coverage. Trying to be his helpmeet, I thought about getting a night shift job but the reality is that I have young children and as you probably know by now that running a home is a full time job in itself. Creative memories is a business I know and love doing. Now with the digital album and other digital services CM is offering, I feel that it is the right decision to return to it instead of getting a night shift job.
I prayed and have asked friends to pray for me in the entire month of May. I needed to be sure this is what God allows me to do as well. The signs did come. I had 65% of my former customers responded to my initial survey letter, some of them said that they have stopped since I stopped when Peter was one year old (that sounded like an encouragement to me that I could help motivate them to make their albums). The next sign was that I needed money to restart the business and I did not want to touch the family budget (the business must stand on its own, financially). I was talking to a friend and said I do have some Longaberger basket sets for sale and she bought a set right off me and paid me more than enough for the sign-up fee (she said every time when she looks at the basket set, she will think of me and will pray for my endeavour - isn't that lovely? I told her it is for a good "cause". :)). Then I was at a blue light special selling some stickers, this lady came up and asked if I was a scrapbooker and I said I was praying about returning to the business. She said: "I am not sure if you remember an email I sent you earlier this year, I was looking for a consultant and was wondering if you are still doing it.". I had to pick up my jaw when I heard that! Then there is my family, my kids were so excited to have me doing it again, especially Christine, she misses our scrapbooking date (we used to do it every Friday when she was younger and while I was running the business. I have trained her to scrapbook since she was five).
These are the reasons why I am back to CM and trying something new at the mean time - blogging about it.
The only challenge I would have is to decide whether I should blog about it here or should I create a separated private blog to better serve my friends and customers. I will continue to pray on this one as I have always wanted this blog to be just a place to document our family life.
I am not sure why these two photos turned side way when I uploaded them... This above picture shows the pretty photo organizers. They named the line Daisy... dear me.
This is the protective case the digital album comes in. It is so pretty.
This is my personal favorite part - the personalized album cover!
The best part, you can get this Storybook Creator Plus 3.0 for FREE! Just down load it and start playing! You don't have to order the album until you are ready (if budget is not a concern, you can have the book printed and delivered to your door when you finish creating).
Note (07-12-2011): I have decided to keep this blog just the way it has always been - things that happened and mattered to us, whether it was good or bad, business or not business. I could only do so much at this interesting season of my life. I eventually may have a separate blog just about CM, but for now. It will just be mentioned here and there in this blog. You are always welcome to place an order on my website and know that it is greatly appreciated. You could also let me know if you want more info about the products and I'd be happy to answer your questions.
~ This post is linked to Alicia's TNAT link party
Those sound like sure signs to me. I hope that it will work out for you. It is a little different now with the digital stuff, but it still preserves memories. =)
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