Home Biz Interview with Shannon Nelson of Country Bunny Bath and Body
April 16, 2006
In my series of Home Biz Interview, Shannon Nelson of Country Bunny Bath and Body shares her advice and wisdom. Shannon’s websites and blog can be found at: http://www.BigLakeSpa.com (Country Bunny website) and http://gottaspa.blogspot.com (A Girl’s Gotta Spa)
How long have you been in business? 1.5 years
What were your start up costs? $89 for the cost of my kit, plus UPS shipping.
How do you find customers? Online: I use message boards; I am a contest sponsor for various websites; I submit my business information to a variety of home business listings; I pay for ads and sometimes I barter for ads on various forums; I have ablog about skin care and pampering; I have a newsletter sign up page on my blog so that interested parties can get monthly information solely on Country Bunny Bath & Body products. I advertise on blogs and sometimes the blog owner will place an order and then tell her readers about me, I hold online parties by inviting my current long distance customers, their friends and message board users. I submit my products for reviews onblogs/websites/ezines, I have my business info. in my email signature, I post comments on like-minded blogs so that it will then link back to my spa blog, I network with other WAHM’s, and most recently I boughtcommercial space on a podcast. Offline: I organize direct sales expo’s (http://4acure.blogspot.com is themost recent), I get involved in my community as a business owner, I fundraise for charities, I put up flyers about monthly specials, I hold in-home spa parties, if I don’t have any booked. I hold one in my home and make it a Mystery Hostess party, I book spots at various craft and vendor fairs, I leave business cards wherever I can. I joined my local Chamber of Commerce, I network with local businesses whose target market are women to display my catalogs, I look through the phone book and randomly send out product highlight mailer pamphlets. I donate products to schoolfundraisers such as silent auctions, tricky trays and raffles. I always give my products as gifts for birthdays/holidays, etc. I coordinated with my local hospital to send home new mommy packs in the diapers bags of the maternity ward. Most importantly, when anyone asks me what I do–I tell them. 
This thirteen year old is making a fortune online - click here to discover how you can do it too.
Why did you want to go in business for yourself? To be home with my children and provide a safety net of finances for when my husband is laid off from work (he is in construction).How many hours per week do you work on your business? It varies, but mainly 25 hours.
Do you have a business plan? Absolutely. No one should go into businesswithout one!
What have you found toughest about running your own business? Many people do not take you seriously once they find out you are in direct sales. However, I have found that if I take myself seriously and treat my business as if it were brick and mortar, then others respect me.
How long before you were able to pay yourself - or, are you able to pay yourself yet? I began to pay myself by month 3.
What business mistake have you made that you won’t make again? Paying for advertising without doing my research first. Now I pay attention to things like traffic, google ranking, alexa ranking, etc.
Could you ever go back to having a job? Never.
What advice would you give to others who are just starting out? Do your research! Don’t base a company solely around their commission. While that is what you most desire–the $ in your pocket, you also have to make sure that it is a good fit for you, the products are desired, it is something you can easily fit into your life, what the company’s policy is on advertising and how they allow you to market the products, if there are sales quotas, if you need to keep an inventory, how much it costs to have your own website and most of all–do you have the passion for what it is you will be selling. If you have no passion, you will not have the drive, ambition or determination to keep it going during its ups and downs.– Shannon NelsonCountry Bunny Bath and Bodyhttp://www.BigLakeSpa.comhttp://gottaspa.blogspot.com
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