Send out a "Pampered New Mommy needs your help" ~ explain in the email that you need to keep you biz going ~ need their help...Season's Best free gift from the baby and you for all orders responding to the email.

 

Call all of your pasts hosts to see if they'll do a catalog party for you ~ ask first before you offer free stuff.

 

Have a Open House when the baby's ready for visitors ~ "Come mee the newest Pampered Baby"

 

Call all past customers who purchased something (IE Deep Dish Baker ) that a new Spring product would compliment.

 

"Help me, Help Whip Cancer" campaign in May

 

"Let me show you how to cook and keep your house cool" (summer bookings, grilling, and microwave desserts)

 

HTH

Ginny

thank you so much for the ideas!

 

anyone else have any?

I've done this myself.  I worked until Mid April, Emma was born May 6th.  I went back to work mid june.  How to keep you going.  Get the catalog shows!  Hostess coach just like a kitchen show.  I like the idea of offering them the med bar pan for sales over 350.  What you need to figure out is when are you going to stop doing shows (just incase something happens like 2 weeks before your due date, something like that) and then when are you going back to work?  Are you going to wait the typical 6 weeks?  Then you need to get those shows on the books BEFORE baby is born.  Hostess coach like there is no tomorrow!  :D  I've known many consultants who just figured that they would get the bookings after the baby was born to find out that they had nothing!  Look at it like a vacation, you wouldn't schedual a vacation with out having shows lined up for when you get back. 

When I did this, I was able to pull in 800 in may :D  And was back up and running 6 weeks after Emma was born.

Congrats and good luck

Sara

 

It was VERY HARD for me to come back after the birth of #2 last year because I didn't book shows before the baby was born.  Book some shows NOW for when you want to start doing kitchen shows again.  Whoever first posted that piece of advice was very, very wise!

 

Take a bunch of catalogs to the hospital with you and pass them around the nurses' station, with lots of outside orders stapled inside and your room # marked on the order forms.  Make sure to stop by each shift and point out the catalogs to all the nurses & the unit secretaries, etc!  Remember just $200 in orders is enough to keep you active for 2 months.  Put a sticker on the catalogs that you will draw one name from all the orders and that person will win all the hostess benefits. 

 

Leave some old catalogs in the waiting room, too, to try to get bookings after baby comes.  (I put a sticker on my old catalogs that says "Please take me home!  I'M FREE...and so is anything in this catalog when you host a show!")

 

HTH

 

ChefLeisa

Can't help with the come back angle because I'm not back yet from my son being born January 21st, but I've got catalog shows going and I offered an open house option for the last half of January because I didn't want to book actual kitchen shows too close to my Feb. 1 due date (luckily I did not).  I figured if we set it up as an open house, if I was there to demo tools (planned on potato demo) great, if not then they could just play with them.

 

I did have one taker on the open house, took all the stuff over to her early in the week, then gave birth the day before her open house, and it snowed anyway so it got snowed out.  She collected orders and we turned it in, so I did still get sales.

 

Another thing I offered was an extra 10% on catalog fundraisers (out of my commission obviously).  Had one taker on that one that should close soon.  Hopefully early March at over $200 so I don't have to worry about my active status again until May!

I'm new to PC, and due to have my first on June 8th.  I read in my Recipe for Sucess that I could apply for a leave of absence, or something to that effect.  I absolutley plan on having show lined up for after my little one comes.  Have any of you done the leave of absence thing?  It sounds much better than stressing out over a couple hundred dollars.

 

:)

Jessica

Kendra,

I was exactly were you are one year ago.  My daughter was due 4/19 but showed up six hours later.

 

In April, I did one Show on the 3rd.  It was a $1250 Show!  But even if it wasn't, you only have to turn in $200 in a two month period to stay active.  Take the time to enjoy yourself and relax before all the mayhem begins.  Two children are a lot different then one or three.

 

I did my best sales after my daughter's birth, mainly because I was rested before she came home and able to spend more energy on my business.  I had Shows booked before the birth and only gave myself two weeks off.  The first two Shows were Guest hands-on so I didn't have to be on my feet if I wasn't supposed to be.(because you never know).  The rest were normal Kitchen Shows.

 

Speaking of you never know, my second child(also a PC baby), spent three weeks in the hospital after birth and then two weeks attached to an oxygen tank. We didn't move far from the hospital and bedroom those days.   I choose to take a leave of absence from PC(up to three months).  I kept in touch with hosts and clients to reschedule and plan new Shows.  They were understanding and were glad to work it out.  The paychecks weren't there but my business still was, don't you just love this company?

 

Catalog shows never work for me.  Consider a "Meet The Baby" Open House.  Invite your past hosts, guests and neighbors.  Have baby pictures and maybe a video of the little angel.  You wouldn't have to have the baby there necessarily if you are worried about exposure to anything but then again maybe for a few minutes for those lucky people that were there at the moment.

 

Kimberly

The 'Meet the Baby' open house is a great idea!  Especially since your most recent customers/hosts are probably very curious!

 

Wow i think i really took for granted the power of this website, i didnt check back right away & had to go hunting to see if there were any responses!  Boy i'm glad i checked! 

 

Thank you all for your ideas & insight.  I have 3 may shows booked so far & my mother who is like the mayor is going to host her first show for me in june.  I was "saving her" for my first show back & know i'll get a few bookings from it but as it turns out i am good to go on the shows after the baby just need to make sure i'm ready for it. 

 

My sales this month were phenominal - 4 shows $4,057 in sales & so many people that want to book shows for june, july time - i cant believe how easy it is.  I have only done that one catalog show & it was a flop - i really need to use my march shows to book the april catalog shows.  I actually had an open house here saturday & someone wanted to do a catalog show but wanted a month to collect orders, i told her it was fine by me & we'd just make it an april show - so we'll see how that goes. 

 

I guess i'll have to work on making up postcards that i can mail out to my catalog hosts to light a fire under their butts while i'm layed up & have my hands full. 

 

again, thank you all so much!

 

Kendra

Just keep in mind that you never know what can happen. I had my 4th bay Sept 2 nd (he was due Sept. 18th)  I had several shows lined up in Aug but I fell Aug 3 and injured my back. I couldn't walk till after the baby was born. I had to be induced 2 weeks early becasue it was getting so bad.  Well, 2 and a half weeks early my baby weighed 9 pounds 4 oz  (I only gained 12)  that big baby was right on my sciatic nerve which is why I couldn't walk. Anyway, becasue of my fall and inability to walk I had to cancel shows and then when I tried to get them rescheduled people weren't ready, not  a good time, after the Holidays, I heard just about every excuse. Anyway,  Brady will be 6 mon tomorrow and I'm still struggling getting shows. Do your best to keep things going but keep in mind things happen..... be prepared for anything!   Best of wishes to you!   BTW, June 8th is me and hubby's 3 rd anniversary!!!

oops.... Jessica is the one due on June 8th Good Luck to both of you!

Hey does anybody want to save this thread over on the HOT TOPICS LINKS?? I would, but I've gotta schooch on outta here...

 

Buh bye,