:)

Have you ever scheduled a home show or party for a home-based business and wondered if it would be worth it? I have. As a former consultant in direct sales, I have had hostesses with shows ranging from $0-$1000+ in retail value. My Mom NEVER has home shows, but she did for me and hers was one of my best.

The purpose of home shows is two-fold:
1) obviously- to show/sell a product
2) fellowship- the most important!

So often, we rush from here to there, and we don't get a chance to get together with the girls. When they go well, home shows allow the opportunity to hang out and shop from your feet in a relaxed environment, but if they don't go well, sometimes the hostess is left feeling, "what did I do that for?"

I had a few neighbors and a few friends from church and one long-time friend come tonight, and had a nice time. I always get a bit nervous when I have people over; overwhelmed. I manage to hide it fairly well, thanks to my teaching experience, but sometimes the uncertain girl from middle school and high school comes out and I want to crawl back into my shell. I often do better in one-on-one settings, where I feel like I can really focus on another person and not divide my time/attention. And sometimes part of me feels bad for asking my friends to buy something to help me get my hostess benefits, no matter how much I like the product.

In tonight's case, thanks to my friends showing up and knowing my consultant really well after living a block away for 6 years, hubby mopping the kitchen/dining room floor, and me actually cleaning the living room so it is temporarily not a tornado zone, and products that literally sold themself, it was a success. (Sorry, grammar-geeks.)

Thanks to Gina, my fabulous Thirty-One consultant, and all my friends who came and missed their favorite TV show (or DVR'd it for later). :)