The Caged MBA

I seriously can not even count the number of posts I've started recently and never finished.  My brain is running in overdrive and I'm tending to way too many pots on the stove. They're all boiling hot and all crammed together.  ok, enough of that metaphor.  Put simply, I'm busier than my normal.

It all started when Gunner turned 6 months old.  I remember a similar feeling when NJ was 6 months old. I started feeling a bit like a caged animal.  The University of Phoenix only asks me to teach about twice a year and I had to turn the last one down because Gunner was just born. Plus, I'm really struggling to take on new Real Estate cilents knowing how hard it is to give quality service while staying at home with my kids, so I've partnered with a co-worker to help me out.  However, most the work is crazy last minute stuff, so there's nothing for me to sink my teeth into there either. The MBA in me was trying to turn anything and everything into a business, but the MOM in me didn't want to look for day-cares.

So, I started researching.  I ended up deciding that the reason so many stay-at-home-mom's do Direct Sales is because Direct Sales was practically made for stay-at-home-moms! The idea that you could schedule yourself to work a few evenings a week and that 'work' would be hanging out and chatting with other adults for a few hours was VERY appealing!  So, I transitioned my research to all the direct sales companies out there.  Let me tell you, there are A LOT of them!

After several days of reading, I decided on a few criteria (see how nerdy I am?).

• The first thing I needed was a product I loved.  I guess that's obvious, but how do you sell something you're not all that excited about?  
• Next, I needed a direct sales company that had been around a while, since many of these companies seem to come and go. The last thing I wanted to do is buy in, only to have them go under and I'm stuck with worthless samples!
• Third, I didn't want to have to carry any inventory because I don't have that much cash laying around with nothing better to do than be invested in non-interest bearing products. On that same line of thinking, I wanted the samples to be things I could use, because who has room to store the stuff? 
• Forth, I needed low or no sales quotas, because I'm not sure how much time it'll take or how much time I'll have to put into it. I do have a baby and a toddler after all!
• Fifth, I needed the company to offer such generous hostess benefits that I don't have to talk people into hosting a party.  I really hate that feeling of needing to convince someone to do something they really don't want to do!
• Sixth, I really wanted a high profit margin. No use working the business if I'm doing it for free, right? (ok, so in all honesty, I'd probably do it for free. After all, I was feeling like a caged animal!)
• Seventh, I'd like to find a business that had such a limited number of distributors in my area that I had very little competition.

So, are you curious what company could meet all those???? Well, I actually ended up with two: Discovery Toys met all but #6 and Premier Design Jewelry met all but #7. So, what in the world is a girl to do... pretty jewelry for mommy or educational toys for the boys????  start both, of course! Yes, crazy Julie signed up and bought into both PDJewelry and DToys in September.  

So, it's been more than a little crazy.

I had my PDJ grand opening on the Sept 24th and did a casual DT Open house the last week of Sept.  I've also talked to at least 25 Dr. offices and preschools in person and on the phone to see if they're interested in the toys.  I've found the cold calling to take a little more motivation than I expected. I actually have to give myself a little pep-talk before each and every call.

I've got 6 PDJ shows booked, but my goal is 9 before Nov. 8th to earn the special free sample bonus.  On the DT side, I have sales $ goals to earn bonuses.  I'm trying to promote DT online as much as I can, but PDJ is so committed to the home party business model that we're not allowed to promote it online, so I guess I better not say much more about it here. 

I'm hoping that the two businesses will mesh well together. I love the toys and the jewelry, so surely other people will too. However, that means that on top of all the regular start up stuff, which is all laid out for me by Discovery Toys Corp and Premier Design Jewelry Corp., I'm also trying to invent the combination of the two.  I have a tag line that I love: "Toys + Jewelry = Everybody's Happy" but I'm still struggling to come up with an actual company name...  more about that later.

In the mean time, perhaps you'd like to check out my DT facebook page, www.facebook.com/DiscoveryToysJulie and 'like' it for me. I've got some cute pics of the boys playing with the toys up there. I think both NJ and Gunner are thrilled their mommy sells toys!
Then you can shop online at www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/julieabels.  Christmas is coming up you know... I'd even love to help you pick out the perfect toy for the kids in your life!

Well, I'll try to post a little more often. I have so much to say, just a little distracted right now! :)