Fazzles Creative Living Newsletter Archive
 

Creative Living - Home, Business and Family...

Welcome to the 13th Edition of "Creative Living."

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

In this issue we have:

 1.) Article:  ShopTalk - Grow Your Business
 2.) Hot Craft Tip:
 3.) Recipe:
 4.) On Parenting: -
 5.) Home Tool Tips:
 6.) Car Tool Tips
 7.) Tasteful Joke
 8.) Reader's Questions:
 9.) Editor's Word Pick
10.) Last Minute Reminders
11.) Inspirational Quote

~~~~~~
Article:

Shop Talk - How to Grow Your Business
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday I went to get my haircut. It was a normal
day, some clouds in the sky and a few people passing
by.  I did not see anything extraordinary. 

The woman who cuts my hair (I don't know her name) was
standing in her beauty shop doorway talking on the phone.

I walked in as she replaced the receiver and I asked her
if she had any time for my haircut. There was no one in the
shop, however it was pushing 4:30 p.m and I did not know
her shop hours or if she waiting for a pre-scheduled
appointment. 

Soon I was sitting in the big comfortable chair with her pinning
my hair up letting some medium long light auburn locks tickle
my face with the smell of fresh air coming through the door
which mingled with the various scents of a beauty shop. 
She smelled of  a light flowery fragrance. I got a whiff of
coffee and I began to relax.

She was spraying my hair  with some water and combing
through the thickness of my hair.  "It's a shame you want to
cut this hair," she says.

"My hair is too heavy, " I respond.

"Yes, I see that."  Soon the snipping began.

DID I SAY I was going to bore you with my haircut?

I'm sorry.... this is very important.

We chatted. I asked her how her business was doing.
This was answered with a slight frown, "not too well."
I was looking around, and these were the thoughts that
were pouring through my head. 

I'd been to this woman's shop at least 12 times over the years.
I do not know her name. She has the best prices in town, and
she accepts walk ins. Walk in hair cuts are the only way I fly.
(Getting my hair cut is always a spur of the moment thing for me)

These are the things this woman has never done in those visits.
She has never showed me a GREAT SHAMPOO, or the hottest
conditioner, or showed me earrings that would complement my
face.  

This beautician has not once suggested I get a perm, or my
hair highlighted or showed me a colorful barrette to put in my
hair. She is quietly friendly, but has never told me her name.

She does have a few things for sell, on a back wall, which
is not easily accessible, in fact, I will bet they are dusty.
Nothing colorful enough to attract my interest anyway.
Plastic bottles of what I will guess are shampoo and conditioner.

In other words, I have never been sold anything but a haircut.
I have never filled out a card with my name, phone number or
email address. She has no way to reach me should she suddenly
decide to look at my card and see that it had been a couple
of months since my last cut, to give me a gentle reminder that
my hair needs at least a trim.

This woman is approaching retirement. She has very little
saved up for her future.  (Yes, I found this out because as I
was told to hold my chin still for the next snip, I just kept
asking her questions)

I don't need to tell you the questions, but here were her
answers:

No, I don't.
No, I have never done that.
No, I'm on a side street.
No, I don't like to push people.
No, I don't have much money to advertise.

My last question.  "Do you have business card?"

"YES."
Finally, a yes answer.

Your assignment is to think outside the box and come up
with some ideas to make this woman's business jump off
the wall.

Here is what she has:

It's a small town.  There are four beauty shops in the town
and one a few miles up the road. (more shops than what
should be)  Plus, there are a few beauticians that are in home
moms, that cut hair on the side. 

Her shop is next to the tiny local theater which gets little
traffic, except when a play  is being cast.  And one block
down from the only liquor store.  There is plenty of parking.
And, she is of easy walking distance from one of the two local
pharmacies, and the Sandwich shop "Subway."

Her shop has adequate space, a waiting area, magazines,
haircut books, a computer, a coffee pot and the usual barber
chair, mirrors and stuff like that.  She has a television and
a printer. (There is room for another barber chair.)

Her haircuts are $12.00.  Her competitor's haircuts are
$16.00 to $20.00.  She does not accept credit cards,
but does take checks from those that she knows.
She does not have a website.

She is open from 9 a.m until 6 Tuesday through Saturday.

GET BUSY, and make this woman's business ROCK.

Spend some time and really ponder on this question,
go on, pretend it is your shop.

After you get some ideas... compare them with what I
came up with:

Go here once you put your thinking cap on.

http://www.fazzles.com/beauty2.html

We will then take this and see how any of it can compare
with an online business and how you can use both
on and offline advertising to grow your business.

********************************************

Teresa King is the author of several books on the net,
and manages eBookWholeSaler's help section answering
all kinds of questions from how to get started marketing,
where are the best opportunities, and writing tips.  Join
the club today:  http://www.hostswan.com/ebookseller


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What Did Mama Forget to Teach You?"
http://www.tipsfortop.com/whatdid.html
********************
Craft Tip:

Did you know that when patterns are all creased that
you can put a cloth over them and iron them smooth
again?
~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe:
~~~~~~~~
I make these every year, at least once.  They are
absolutely sinfully delicious!


Nanaimo Bars

Base
2 squares (oz.) semi-sweet chocolate
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg  (If you do not eat eggs, you may omit it)
Filling
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding
2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
Glaze
4 squares (oz.) semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
Procedure:
Base
Combine ingredients. Press into 9 inch square
cake pan. Chill.

Filling
Combine butter, milk, and custard powder. Blend in
confectioner's sugar. Spread over base. Chill at least
15 minutes.

Glaze

Partially melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat
and stir until melted. Spread over custard layer. Chill.
Store in refrigerator, covered, up to 1 month. Makes
24 bars.

Serve chilled.  They are very "rich" a little goes a long way.
I freeze mine, then set them out about an hour or so before
I want to serve them.
Also, when I decide to make double or triple batches to
give as gifts. I put all the dry ingredients for the main bottom
layer in a brand new garbage bag, and crush everything
with a rolling pin.  It makes way less mess. 
~~~~~~~~~~~
Weight Loss Tip:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get up 14 minutes earlier, do some stretches and
get that 10 minute walk in. Get an extra glass of water.
You'll be amazed how good that starts making you feel.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety Tip:

Wear rubber gloves when working with bleach or
ammonia. Never mix bleach and ammonia together.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Parent Tip:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
School is just around the corner. This is the time to
talk to your kids and remind them about how to be
nice to new kids in their school.  They will be happy to
see old friends, but it is their responsibility to make sure
the new kid(s) are not left out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Household Tip:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't throw away old big socks. Use them for dusting
things like venetian blinds and behind the television.

Use cotton tips like q-tips to get into small cracks.

Remember, try to find a second use for everything
that is disposable that you use, to use it at least twice.
i.e. Laundry softner towels make great dust cloths, too.
They can also be tucked into a corner of a drawer to make
things stay smelling nice.

************************
Car Tip -
If it has not been raining for awhile, oil builds up on the
road. This makes it as slippery as ice. Be careful.
Also, when it is pouring down rain, be sure to pump your
brakes a bit before getting ready to slow down.  Water can
also hinder your braking ability.

~~~~~~~~~
Virus Alert - The viruses are just going crazy on the net
lately. Do not open attachments ever, unless a friend has
sent them and has pre-warned you that it is coming.
Also, if you are getting mail returns with an attachment, do
not open those either!

Most viruses start sending mail to your friends from your
computer's address book.  This is how they spread.
But, there are now more ways to get you.  If you do not
have a virus protection on your computer, consider it.
I went 3 years without one, as I could not stand it slowing
my computer down, however, as more and more viruses
are made each day, I finally installed Norton, am glad I did!

~~~~~~~~~~~
Tasteful Joke
~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Behind Every Good Man is a Woman Rolling her Eyes"

Author Unknown

********************
Editor's Word Tip on Commonly Misspelled Words
~~~~~~~~~~~~
broccoli - is a word I have to look up a lot.  2 c's one el
vegetable - the word that so many kids miss in spelling bees
*************

If you have a question that pertains to this
newsletter, please hit reply and send it in.
If you have some advice in any category to offer,
please hit reply and send it in. If you have any hot
craft tips or an article, we are interested
in those too!  And recipes, and anything else you
would like to share.

Inspirational Quote:

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn
nothing."

John Powell
   
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for being my reader!

Teresa King

Creative Home Living
is sponsored by
http://www.tipsfortop.com
eBooks and Marketing
and by
http://www.candykit.com
Personalize Candy Bar Wrappers
for Fun or profit with Ryan Sawyer

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