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                    In a Nutshell
   Information and Tips for your Image Consulting Business

 3/02/04                                          Issue #23
 Linda Gerloff, Editor, linda@blueflute.com 
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     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.
 
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   IN THIS ISSUE
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    =>  Inventory Updates for March
    =>  Blue Flute News 
         Away from the Office
         Leadership Prepack
    =>  Feature Article
         Help for Getting Qualified Recruits
    =>  NutShell Tips
         - For your taxes - Income/Expense Report Tip
         – Funny Sales Aids
         – Product won’t ship?
         - Spam Blockers  
    =>  Game –
         TV Recruiting Game
    =>  Consultant Success Story      
    =>  Recognition Corner
    
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 Inventory Updates for March
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Your inventory updates for March are ready. If you have
 subscribed to this service, you can get your updates here:
  http://www.blueflute.com/btyupdt1.htm

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 Blue Flute News
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 Away from the office – I will be out of my office 3/3/04
 through 3/10/04. I am going to take a class to learn how
 to run a better business! My goal is twofold: to learn ways
 to serve you better and to learn information that I can
 pass on to you to help you in your business!

 I will be checking emails as I can. If you are stuck and
 can't operate your NutShell, I will reply as soon as
 possible. Otherwise, I will reply after my return 3/10/04.

 If you have an urgent situation, be sure to let me know
 via email rather than by phone.

 Leadership Prepack
  To make your Leadership pre-pack orders easy to enter,
  there is a pre-pack item in the updates for you. (If you
  downloaded the special Leadership update at the end of
  February, you have already received this information.)
 
  Here is how to use it:
   1. Start a new PO and change the date to 2/20/04
   2. Add item #121 to the PO. Change the QtyOrd to the
      number of pre-packs that you got.
   3. Change the Retail A discount % to 55.
   4. Add the sales aid pack - #11734 - if you bought it.
   5. Change the shipping to $5 or $10.
   6. Receive and close the PO.
   7. When you are asked if you want to convert the set,
      click OK. The counts for all the individual products
      will be updated in your inventory!
   It is so easy!
 

 Find out more - If you are not familiar with NutShell, you
 can find out more here:   
  http://www.blueflute.com/btynut.htmm
 Download NutShell here:
  http://www.blueflute.com/ordrform2.htm
 
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 Current ‘In a NutShell’ Newsletter and Archives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To read this month’s newsletter in it’s entirety, go to
 this page: http://www.blueflute.com/Newsletters.htm
 
 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 

 Top Articles:
 Do you have a question that has stumped you? Some common
 questions are discussed in the following issues of the
 ‘In a NutShell’ newsletter:

 Backing up/Questions about CD’s: May 2003
 Handling Gift Certificates:      October 2003
 Selling items out of a set:      June 2003
 Ending the tax year:             December 2003
 Gift Baskets:                    February 2003

 To find the above issues, go to
 www.blueflute.com/Newsletters.htm and select the issue
 you want.

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 Feature Article –
  Help for Getting Qualified Recruits
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 -by Michael Ann Dillinger, Director, Hernando, MS

 I plan to use this information at every spa, consultation,
 and encounter during the promotion. It will help to get
 qualified recruits by showing just how much the recruit
 will get for her investment, no matter which option she
 chooses.

 BeautiCase Contents                 Option 1

Gold skincare set             $66.50        Choose $1000 in products and

Extreme repair hand therapy   $13           receive a 55% discount--you

Lip Apeel                     $18           only pay $450! Get the option

Warming Trend                 $22           to purchase the Escape Bag, and

Eye Pads                      $17           Spa Tools package ($240 value)

Bath Minerals                 $20           for just $10. Here is how it 

Herbal Serenity Foot Crème    $11           breaks down:   $1000

Show of Hands                 $26                   -55%   -$550      

Platinum Regeneration Face    $60                        -------

Platinum Regeneration Eye     $30                           $450

Cell Block C am               $25           Spa Tools        $10

Sugar scrub                   $14           Shipping         $14

Microderm Abrasion Crème      $50           Tax              $71.68 

Microderm Abrasion Buffer     $10                        ----------

Hydration Mist                 $9           Total           $545.68

Bronzing Powder               $15           Plus kit        $125.19 

2 shadows @ $13.50            $27                        ----------

2 blush @$13.50               $27           Total Cost      $670.87         

2 lip color @ $9              $18           Total Retail   $1815

2 lip pencil @ $8             $16

2 eye pencil @ $8             $16
2 wet/dry @ $21               $42           Option 2 

Concealer                     $5.50         Choose $500 in products, get the                

Shadow control                $7            55% discount, pay only $225 and

Mascara                       $9            get the opportunity to purchase

-----------------------------------         the Escape Bag and spa tools

Total Retail of Kit         $574            package for $35. Like this:

                                            Order:         $500
                                              -55%       -  275
                                                           ----  
Cost of BeautiCase                     $225      

Kit         $99.00               Shipping       $14           

Shipping    $18.00                                Tax    $38.43 

------------------------------              Spa Tools       $35

Total      $117.00                                        --------                        Tax          $8.19                          Cost of Order  $312.43

---------------------                       Plus Kit       $125.19
                                                          --------    

Total Cost $125.19                          Total Cost     $437.62

                                            Total Retail  $1314    


 Please feel free to copy and paste the above information
 and print it out for your use in recruiting. 

 

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 NutShell Tip – For your taxes - Income/Expense Report Tip
              - Funny Sales Aids
              – Product won’t ship?
              - Spam Blockers
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 For your taxes - Income/Expense Report Tip – If you haven’t
 finished your taxes yet, the odds are good that you are
 working on them right now! Here is an effective way to
 print your Income and Expense Report.

 First, be sure that you print the ‘Income and Expense by
 Class’ report. You can find this report by clicking on the
 Print button on the Income and Expense Log Screen. Then click
 the down arrow by Report. You will want the second report:
 Income/Expense by Class.

 If you print this report for the entire year, for both
 Income and Expense, you will get a very long report. It
 will print a line for every invoice you had for the year.
 This isn’t really necessary. So, print two reports:
  1. Print one report to ‘Include: Both’ income and
     expenses. On this report, select ‘Show: Totals only’.
     This will be a good (short) starting point for your
     tax preparer.
  2. Then print the Income/Expense by Class report again.
     But, this time, select ‘Include: Expenses only’ and
     ‘Show: Details’. This will show every expense you
     entered, so you and your tax preparer will know what
     you have to work with. And this report won’t be very
     long either.

 And then, don’t forget to print the Inventory Listing.
 Print it by clicking the Print button on the Inventory
 screen. For the top option, Section, select All. Be sure
 to select ‘Value by: Amt Paid’.

 With these reports in hand, you’ll have everything you
 need to get your taxes done. Thank goodness for computers
 and NutShell, eh?

 Funny Sales Aids – Recently you may have ordered some Retail
 products that were listed on your BeautiControl invoice as
 Sales Aids. When you enter the order in your NutShell, the
 totals don’t work out right as a result.

 The easiest solution to this is to go ahead and let the
 NutShell PO total these products in with your other Retail A
 products. But you won’t want them to get the regular
 Retail A discount. So, for these items only, change the retail
 on the PO to match what you were charged for the product.
 And put a zero for the discount %, right next to the Retail
 Price. This will prevent these items from being discounted.

 Your Sales Aid total will be too low and the Retail A total
 will be too high by the same amount. But your discount
 will be right and your PO Total will be right, too.
 
 Product won’t ship? – If you have product on an invoice that
 won’t ship and you can’t figure out why, it could be because
 you are carrying the product in your inventory as a set and
 selling one of the individual items. Or vice versa.

 A good practice is to ALWAYS carry product in your inventory
 as the individual items. And ALWAYS sell it as individual
 items. You can market it to your clients as sets, but invoice
 it as the individual products.
 
 In summary, BUY (on a Purchase Order) as sets or individual
 items. When you close the PO, let NutShell break the set.
 Then SELL the individual products rather than the set.
 
 Spam Blockers – If you are aware of a spam blocker that
 you have in effect on your computer or through your Internet
 Service Provider, please make sure that any address from
 ‘blueflute.com’ is marked as approved. The spam just keeps
 on coming, while your desired emails (like mine) may be
 getting blocked.

 The hard part about this is, if you have received this
 newsletter via email, you are fine! It is those who
 don’t receive it that may be unknowingly having emails
 from Blue Flute blocked.
 
 
    *------------------A Good Laugh--------------------*
    'Dear God, I pray for patience. And I want it
     right now!'

        -Oren Arnold   
    *-------------------------------------------------*

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   Consultant Success Story
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 Who are you proud of?


 Please help with this part of the newsletter. It can be
 motivating to those of us who are working hard, but
 sometimes get discouraged.

  Who are you proud of? (It can be yourself!) Sing their
 praises and inspire others:
 mailto:SuccessStory@blueflute.com

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   Game – TV Recruiting Game
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  (This month’s game is a rerun. Since it is a popular game,
  I am printing it again in case you haven’t seen it before.)

 The new recruiting promotion makes this a ‘Prime Time’ to
 play this game!
 
 Tell the following story and have your guests count up how
 many times you mention the name of a TV show. There are 38
 shows mentioned. The guest who gets the closest can win a
 small product prize or BeautiBucks. (If you want to give a
 prize, you can get product at a great discount from the
 ‘While Supplies Last’ portion of the order form.)

 WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE??? We all do. I was
 THIRTY SOMETHING, living through the WONDER YEARS with ALL
 IN THE FAMILY, and my husband and I ware taking it ONE DAY
 AT A TIME.  We were doing ok, but THE FACTS OF LIFE were
 that we were not born with SILVER SPOONS in our mouths.
 Our savings were in JEOPARDY and we didn't want to be in
 debt for the rest of THE DAYS OF OUR LIFE. I finally told
 my husband,
   “Its time to get out of THIS OLD HOUSE or at least start
    making some kind of HOME IMPROVEMENT.  I don't want to
    start a FAMILY FUED and end up in the ER , but it is
    time to GET SMART!”

 Without being THE CRITIC, I was in search of AMERICA'S MOST
 WANTED job.  FAMILY MATTERS to me and I didn't want to miss
 out on PRIMETIME with my kids by hiring THE NANNY to raise
 them. BeautiControl offers a great opportunity. THE PRICE
 IS RIGHT and - WHO's THE BOSS???  ....  I am!

 I remember thinking “Could I get up in front of a FULL HOUSE
 of PERFECT STRANGERS for 60 MINUTES and show people these
 wonderful products?”  Of course, I have experienced GROWING
 PAINS, but soon I was able to spread my WINGS and watch my
 business BLOSSOM.  BeautiControl has made me feel like I am
 a part of the A-TEAM.  I have GOOD TIMES at home with ALL
 MY CHILDREN. My family has the extra income needed and my
 husband CHEERS when I come home from a party. He says
 “Show me the money!”

 Soon I'LL FLY AWAY to paradise - a dream vacation for
 which BeautiControl will pay. My husband and I will be
 like HONEYMOONERS again, sharing HAPPY DAYS in ANOTHER
 WORLD!

 BeautiControl may not be for everyone, as they say
 DIFFERENT STROKES for different folks. But if you are
 MARRIED WITH CHILDREN and have FAMILY TIES, then I am
 excited about sharing BeautiControl with you!

 -------------------
 Do you play a game that is a big hit? We would love to
 hear about it: mailto: Games@BlueFlute.com    

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

 ~Leadership Awards~
 ~Top Sellers
  Kemper Bushnell
  Norma Conatser
  Donna Lee
  Barbara Milosevich
  Kellie Blumberg
  Camille Evans
  Lisette Monroe
  Mary Alice Peters
  Sandra Knellinger
  Kitty Barrow
  Pam Vandenbulck
  Julie Baldridge
  Margaret Smith
  Lisa Wilkinson
  Kathy Ray

 ~Top Recruiters
  Sheila Banks
  Donna Lee
  Gail Sojka
  Tracie Wilson
  Marie Garrett
  Annette Walden
  Kitty Barrow
  Pam Vandenbulck
  Dana Foster
  Susan Ramsey
  Leigh Ann Marshall
  Teresa Anthony
  Blair Billings
 
  ~ Mustang Director ~
  Carissa Evans
  Deborah Hunt
  Debra McComb
  Susan Ramsey
  Linda Williams
 
 ~ New Director ~
  Gillian Greer

 ~ New DIQ ~
  Lou Cauthron
  Linda Croft
  Linda Foreman
  Marie Garrett
  Alice Gray
  Mary Hamala
  Deborah Harrell
  Tracie Jones
  Sandra Knellinger
  Laura McLand
  Jeanne Saxon
  Mary Ann Smith
  Casey St. Pierre
  Sheryl Statham
  Annette Walden
 
 ~ New Unit Manager ~
  Sandi Adcox
  Sheila Banks
  Kathleen Hudson
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   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 2004 Blue Flute Software Creations, Inc.

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 A note about referrals and your email address – Being an
 avid hater of email spam as much as you are, I have
 never (and will never) give, sell or rent your email
 address to anybody who could possibly spam you! However,
 I will give your email address to consultants who list
 your name as their referral. I will give her address to
 you, as well. This is so that you and she can be ‘NutShell
 partners’! If you would rather not have your email address
 given to your referrals, please let me know:
  mailto:privacy@blueflute.com             
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Linda Gerloff
 Blue Flute Software Creations
 Linda@BlueFlute.com 
 P.O. Box 77882
 Fort Worth, TX 76177
 817-439-1081