~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                    In a Nutshell
   Information and Tips for your Image Consulting Business

 12/03/02                                           Issue #8
 Linda Gerloff, Editor, mailto:linda@blueflute.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of
                   "In a NutShell".
 You are receiving this newsletter because you have
 subscribed to either the monthly Automated Inventory
 Updates or this newsletter.
 Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   IN THIS ISSUE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    =>  Inventory Updates for December
    =>  Blue Flute News
    =>  'In a NutShell' archives
    =>  Feature Article -
         Create instant profit - without doing anything!
    =>  Fun Trivia
    =>  In my business, how do I ...
         Prepare for the end of the year?
    =>  Guest Column
         Holiday Gift Baskets By Helen Williams-Baker
    =>  NutShell Tip
         Which clients are really your Best clients?
    =>  Recognition Corner
    =>  Party Game
         Fun Ways to Generate Sales
    =>  Subscribe/Unsubscribe information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Inventory Updates for December
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Your inventory updates for December are ready. If you have
 subscribed to this service, you can get your updates here:
  http://www.blueflute.com/btyupdt1.htm

 If you lose this link, you can always download your updates
 from the main Blue Flute web page. Just click on the
 'Pre-Paid Updates' button.

 If your subscription to the updates has expired, you can
 purchase another year online here:
  http://www.blueflute.com/orderpage.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Blue Flute News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Happy Holidays! Thank you for being a part of my life! I
 cherish every one of you! I hope your holiday season is
 full of joy, love and fun. Here's a big HUG to you!

 December Special - Free Spa Tools! This month,
 consultants who purchase NutShell can get either a head
 massager or a free Herbie the Herb Pac along with wooden
 body massagers. This is great for new consultants as well
 as experienced consultants who are building their spa
 businesses.

 Consultants who download and purchase NutShell and
 Inventory Updates in December will receive the spa tools
 free! This is a $30 value!

 Don't forget that when you refer NutShell to a friend,
 you win, too. Not only will your consultant will have more
 time for selling and recruiting, but you will receive free
 inventory updates, as well!

 Please note that in order to receive the free spa tools,
 NutShell and updates must be purchased within 10 days of
 downloading the NutShell 30 day trial. This offer may be
 redeemed during the FIRST download trial period only.
 Download the free trial
 here: www.blueflute.com/ordrform2.htm

 Gift Certificates - Blue Flute gift certificates are
 available in $10 increments. Give your special consultant
 the gift of time, energy and organization - in other
 words - NutShell and/or Inventory Updates!
www.blueflute.com/GiftCertificate.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 'In a NutShell' archives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Did you miss a prior 'In a NutShell' newsletter, or would
 you like to review one of the articles? You can view it
 here: http://www.blueflute.com/Newsletters.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Feature Article -
 Create instant profit - without doing anything!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 This month's order form is paradise for a smart
 businesswoman. With the info on this form, you can make
 extra money without even trying. And if you do try, you can
 make even more!

 One of the things you will notice when perusing your order
 form is that we will be having a price increase next month.
 Price increases can seem like unpleasant events, and to
 your clients, of course, they are. Nobody likes to see
 prices go up even though we all understand that it is a
 necessity of life.

 But, did you realize that a price increase means an instant
 increase in your earning potential? Every item you have in
 stock that has a price increase will automatically show you
 a higher profit margin. This is great! Profit is what being
 in business is all about!

 For example, Extreme Repair Hand Therapy is going up from
 $12 to $13. If you bought it at 50% discount, you paid $6.
 When you sell it for $13, you will make an extra dollar -
 $7 instead of $6. Now multiply this throughout every
 product in your current inventory that is having a price
 increase and you will see that your profit is increasing
 with no effort on your part.

 And, this can be maximized if you take advantage of the
 current sale prices. Purchase the Hand Therapy crème for
 $5.50 after discount and then sell it for $13. This is not
 bad profit, eh?

 You can also use the price increase to score points with
 your clients.  Before the prices go up, call the clients
 who use these products and offer them a chance to purchase
 at the current price. If you buy the item on sale, you
 still make more than the usual profit. Either way, the
 client will love the attention and appreciate the
 opportunity to save money and you will make a sale.

 After the price goes up, you can give your clients a
 'discount'. Tell your client that the Hand crème price is
 $13, and since she is such a good client, you want her to
 have it for 10% off. She'll get it for $1.30 off ($11.70),
 but if you sell her Hand crème you bought before the price
 increase, you were only expecting to sell it for $12
 anyway. This bit of good cheer will only cost you 30 cents!

 The other thing you will notice when you view your December
 order form, is all the RED! Lots of items are on sale.
 Notice especially, the While Supplies Last section. Most of
 these products are discounted deeply. Take advantage of
 these good buys! This is a great chance to grow your profit
 margin. The deeply discounted products are especially useful
 for situations where you want to give away product, such as
 charitable donations, gift with purchase and client
 appreciation gifts. You can score big with your clients
 without spending big.

 It is the holiday season and our pocketbooks are stretched
 to the max. But, take a few moments to consider how you can
 spend a few dollars now and automatically increase your
 profits during the next few months. If a product price is
 going up and you sell a lot of it, be a smart
 businesswoman. Stock up now!

 Note: NutShell users can view Inventory History, or use the
 History reports to find out which customers prefer the
 products that will be having price increases. These are the
 customers you will want to target with your 'Get It Before
 The Price Goes Up' promotions.


 ~~~~~~
 You can get more information about using the NutShell
 software here: http://www.blueflute.com/btynut.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Fun Trivia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The mineral content, porosity, and general makeup of human
 bone is nearly identical to some species of South Pacific
 coral. The two are so alike that plastic surgeons are
 using the coral to replace lost human bone in facial
 reconstructions.

 from www.absolutetrivia.com


         *-----------Quote of the Month-------------*

          Consult not your fears but your hopes and
          your dreams.  Think not about your
          frustrations, but about your unfulfilled
          potential. Concern yourself not with what
          you tried and failed in, but with what it
          is still possible for you to do.
                                 - Pope John XXIII

         *------------------------------------------*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 In my Business, how do I... Prepare for the end of the year?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The end of the tax year is upon us. Don't worry, though.
 The end of the year doesn't have to be intimidating. There
 are two main things to think about: The value of your
 inventory and your income/expenses.

 Inventory - Once you have finished making sales for the
 year, you will need to count your inventory. While not
 particularly hard to do, this is a very important task
 for your books. Try not to put it off. You can even start
 early if you aren't having a very busy month. (Yes, yes, I
 know you are having a busy month! I mean not busy
 sales-wise!)

        1. Count - Record every item that you have in stock,
         including how many you have and how much you paid
         for each one.

         If your bookkeeping is not computerized, it may be
         too hard to track how much you paid for each item
         in your inventory. You may want to simply use
         List Cost, (the retail price less your typical
         discount), but check with your accountant before
         taking this shortcut.

         If your are using NutShell, you don't even have to
         worry about how much you paid for each product.
         NutShell has been paying attention and will take
         care of that part for you!

        2. Compare - Once you have your physical inventory
         counts, compare them to your bookkeeping system
         (the Inventory screen, QOH column in NutShell,) to
         see where there are variances.

         Adjust your records so they match your actual
         counts.

         In NutShell, create an invoice to adjust your
         counts. Details are in the User's Guide, or
         ask me: mailto:AdjustInventory@BlueFlute.com

 Note: You can get confused if you aren't careful about when
 you count your inventory. Be sure to enter and fill all your
 client orders (invoices) and enter, receive and put away
 all your product orders (PO's). Once you have done these
 things everything will be in synch and you should have
 fewer variances.

        3. Get your total value - Once you have your physical
         counts entered into your bookkeeping system (via an
         adjusting invoice), you are ready to determine the
         total value of your inventory.

         In NutShell, you will want to print the stock
         report on the Inventory screen. Tell it to value
         your inventory by 'Price Paid'.

         In a manual system, multiply your quantity on hand
         times the price paid for each item and add them all
         up. (This may be a good time to computerize your
         business!)

        4. Now you are finished with your inventory - Yea!!

 Income/Expenses - The other task you will do to prepare
 for your taxes is to get an accurate listing of your income
 and expenses. If you are already keeping a daily or weekly
 list of your expenses and income, then good for you! Go
 ahead and keep doing this. If you aren't, I don't think I
 would particularly worry about it now, during the holidays.
 But eventually, you will need to sit down with your
 receipts and get them organized and totaled.

 In NutShell, enter all your income and expenses in the
 Income and Expense Log. NutShell will enter your product
 sales and purchases for you, and you take care of the rest.
 Be sure to enter the date, description of the expense or
 income, dollar amount and expense or income class. When it
 is all entered, print an Income and Expense by Class report
 for 1/1/02 - 12/31/02. If you forget something, you can
 always go back and add it to the Log and then reprint your
 Income and Expense by Class report. This, and your
 inventory stock report is all your accountant will need to
 do your taxes. Your work will be done!

 In review, you will want to figure out your inventory value
 and total your income and expense receipts. That's it!

 In NutShell, there is no 'End-of-Year' task that you need to
 do. Just keep entering your work as you work your business.
 Determine your inventory value and list of income and
 expenses as described above and you will be ready for taxes!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Guest column - Holiday Gift Baskets
                 by Helen Williams-Baker, Sr. Director
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Here are more of Helen's ideas for Holiday Gift Baskets.
 Consider using some of the deeply discounted 'While Supplies
 Last' products in your gift baskets.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Gift ideas and packaging --- determine prices of your gift
 packages based on the price of product and your materials.
 Don't forget to add your business card and invitation for
 free skin analysis, color analysis or spa retreat. Baskets
 can be surrounded with shrink-wrap, tulle, clear or
 decorated cellophane with a bow added. Use the packing
 materials that come in your product orders in the bottom
 of baskets and containers to raise products.

 Have fun!!

 Gift suggestions ----

 Merry Kissmas - Secret Agent Licensed to Fill Lip Primer,
 Volumizing Lip Color and Lip pencil

 The Eyes Have it - Tight Eye, Eye X-Cel or Regeneration Eye
 Crème, Yellow color perfector (for undereye darkness) and
 Black Mascara

 Teeny Bear Essentials - Package a small Bear with any of
 the Girl Mania products

 Lip Savers - Place Lip Apeel & package of Lifesaver
 candies in a cute container

 Candlelight Kisses - Use any of our candles with matching
 body wash and scent. Place in pretty container with shred
 and chocolate kisses

 Body Sculpture - Combine Sculptique Scrub, Bath Soak and
 Contouring Creme, an orange or white sponge, in a bag or
 basket

 Positive Impact - Use a bag, white basket or glass
 container and add Postively You Bathing Bar, Crème,
 Eau de Parfum, White Rolled Wash Cloth tied with gold
 ribbon and gold shred

 Give Yourself a Hand - Use a glamour bag with shred and
 add a Heavenly Hands Set with instruction card - This is
 Show of Hands with Hand Crème. Or you can use Herbal
 Serenity Gelee, Body Scrub or Body Crème

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Sheryl, a Sr. Consultant in China Spring, TX, shares this
 idea. She's right - she is helping a wonderful group of
 people!

 "We are contacting the Fire Marshalls and asking permission
 to bring baskets by for the firemen to look at as they
 don't always get out and you know gifts are probably the
 last thing on their minds. One Fire Marshall said that only
 3 of them were there full time but that the volunteers
 come in as needed. He suggested leaving the products and
 they would take the orders for us.  I'll let you know how
 it goes but I do believe we will be helping out a wonderful
 group of people with ideas for holiday gifts."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 To share your ideas, contact me here: Guest@BlueFlute.com



       *---------------A Good Laugh--------------*
         All I Need To Know I Learned From Santa

         -Encourage people to believe in you.
         -Don't pout.
         -It's as much fun to give as it is to receive.
         -Some days it's ok to feel a little chubby.
         -Make your presents known.
         -Bright red can make anyone look good.
         -Wear a wide belt and no one will notice how many
          pounds you've gained.
         -If you only show up once a year, everyone will
          think you're very important.
         -Whenever you're at a loss for words,
          say: "HO, HO, HO!"
      *-----------------------------------------*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 NutShell Tip - Which clients are really your Best clients?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Clients who place big orders aren't hard to remember. They
 probably stand out in your mind as the big spenders. However,
 you may also have some 'diamonds in the rough' - clients
 who spend a little at a time, but whose purchases add up
 over the year.

 There is a NutShell report you can run that will help you
 get a better understanding of who your best clients really
 are. The report is called 'Client Sales by $'. It can be
 found on the History screen when you click the 'Print
 Report' button.

 Click the arrow on the drop-down list of available reports
 and you will see it. Select this report and enter the
 'From' and 'To' dates. Try running the report for 6 months
 or more, for example, from 6/1/02 through 11/30/02.

 The report will list every client who has bought from you
 during the time period you select. You will see the total of
 all their invoices during this time period, and the client
 who spent the most will be listed FIRST! She will be
 followed by the next biggest spender, on down to the client
 who spent the least.

 You may be interested in only the first two or three pages
 of this report, so try clicking the 'On-Screen' option
 under 'Output To'. (This is on the report selection screen.)
 The report will be displayed on the screen, where it can be
 browsed. If you would like to print all or part of the
 report, click the button at the bottom of the report screen
 that looks like a printer. If you want to print only
 pages 1-3, this is the place that you can make the page
 number selection.

 Once you know who your best clients really are, you can
 make them a special offer or give them a gift to let them
 know how much you appreciate them!


 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Recognition Corner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Congratulations to the following NutShell users who have
 worked hard and achieved success in advancing their careers!

  ~ Executive Director! ~
  Linda Alexander

  ~ Senior Director ~
  Darla Brock
  Lisa McGill

  ~ Mustang Director! ~
  Dawn Petzak

  ~ Director ~
  Cindy Koleba

  ~ Spring Fever 2002 Trip to New York! ~
  Shelly Ward
  Linda LaFavor-Coyle

   ~ New DIQ ~
  Valerie Altman
  Teresa LeDoux
  Linda Williams
  Wendy Zukowski

   ~ DIQ ~
  Carolyn Barlowe
  Thelma Blount
  Jennifer Tate Bokesch
  Edie Broussard
  Connie Brown
  Helen Cooper
  Gena Flanary
  Brenda Fogerty
  Jenna Fujimoto
  Mary Hamala
  Tawana Hornaday
  Nancy Johnson
  Donna Kirkbride
  Barbara Matich
  Debra McComb
  Sandra Mozey
  Denise Newsome
  Donna Oehlert
  Bridget Psaromatis
  Renea Reeves
  Jeannie Russo
  Wendi Lawson See
  Barbara Sloan
  Diane Vivlamore
  Carol White
  Karen Witt
  Donna Winegard
  Kelly Wofford

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Party Game - Fun Ways to Generate Sales!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The Holidays are here, everyone is busy and you may not
 schedule as many parties as at other times of the year. So,
 I have two suggestions for you for ways to generate sales
 and have fun at the same time!

 1) A New Year's Sale! My director, Holly Morgan in
 Southlake, Texas does it like this:

 Use brightly colored paper to make fliers letting your
 clients know you will be having a sale on New Year's Eve.
 Let them know the start and end times of the sale and make
 the sale last for roughly 4 or 5 hours.

 Set up a special discount structure for clients who are on
 their toes. For example, the first 10 orders placed will
 get a 25% discount. The next 10 orders will receive a 15%
 discount and all remaining orders will get a 10% discount.

 Then, turn on your answering machine and go have your
 New Year's Fun. When you return, you will enjoy listening
 to the orders that came in while you were partying!

 2) Mystery Hostess - This idea is from a friend who is in
 a different direct marketing business (not makeup). If you
 are planning an open house, this will work for you.

 Determine what hostess gifts you would give if your open
 house were actually a party. The Mystery Hostess will
 receive these gifts. For example, the reward for $250 in
 sales could be a 'Show of Hands Instant Manicure'.

 Tell your clients they can win free product and do their
 Christmas shopping at the same time! All they have to do
 is place an order with you.

 Enter all clients into a drawing when they place an order
 before or during the open house. Those who attend the open
 house could be entered twice - once for attending and again
 for placing an order! After the open house is complete,
 select a winner from the drawing. The winner will be the
 Mystery Hostess for the open house and will receive the
 Hostess Gifts.

 This is a great opportunity for your client to win free
 product for doing nothing!


            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 If you would like to share a game, please do!
  mailto:games@blueflute.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Copyright Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Please pass this e-zine along to your friends. Just click
 the Forward button on your email screen to send this
 newsletter to other consultants who would enjoy reading
 it! However, please keep it intact and forward it in its
 entirety.

 Copyright 2002 Blue Flute Software Creations, Inc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   List Maintenance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Subscriptions to this e-zine are FREE.
 Newsletter 'In a NutShell' is published monthly.

 To subscribe:
 Simply send an email to mailto:subscribe@blueflute.com
 Be sure to include your name.

 To unsubscribe:
 Send an email to mailto:unsubscribe@blueflute.com

 Please note that this newsletter serves as your
 notification that Inventory Updates are ready. If you
 unsubscribe this newsletter, you will not receive
 notification when the updates are ready.


 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Linda Gerloff
 Blue Flute Software Creations, Inc.
  mailto:Linda@BlueFlute.com
 P.O. Box 77882
 Fort Worth, TX 76177
 817-439-1081