Updating your Urban Botanic Image!

At TSF we are BIG fans of HGTV (Home and Garden Television) at our house. It is a great place to get ideas for giving your home a little facelift or teaching you the `how-to's' of some projects that you might never consider doing yourself.

One show we've been interested in lately features everyday folk who decide that they want to flip a house. It follows them as they purchase a sad and sorry looking fixer-upper and set about the business of fixing it up in order to sell at hefty profit.

During the course of the `flip', an expert in the field, advises the burgeoning real estate tycoons on what they can do to minimize investment and maximize return.
If you ever get a chance to check it out, I would recommend it. It is an interesting show on many levels. Fix-up techniques aside - I find it fascinating to see coaching personality profiles in action. Episodes and ultimate profit vary depending on the personalities of the `flippers', market conditions and demographics.

But what does this have to do with the subject of today's tip, IMAGE?
I got to thinking about our home businesses. What can WE do to `flip' things that may need some fixing up so that our businesses have great `curb appeal' to someone from the outside looking in?

Why not use the following checklist for starters to see how your home business measures up?

• Voice mail/Answering machine
  Message should be short, energetic, professional and informative
  If you share your family's answering machine - include the family information first.
  Include your name, rank and company name
  Consider a short `teaser' - what's on sale, what hostess or recruiting perks are happening. But SHORT is the operative word!
• What are you carrying with you?
  2-3 catalogs WITH customer information cards attached
  Business Cards
• In the car
  i. Hostess/Recruiting packs
  ii. Your calendar or date cards
• Be a walking/driving advertisement
  Window decal
  Bumper sticker
  Logo wear
  Your NAMETAG (Realtors do this ALL the time!)
• Spotlight your products constantly (this will vary depending on your product).
  Use them
  Give them as gifts
  If you can, carrying a small amount of inventory is a great idea.
• Take a look in the mirror and remember that YOU are your company
  Hair
  Clothes that are neat (not wrinkled or stained)
  Some makeup (ok, no emails on this please - most of us can use a little help here).
  Accessories - does your briefcase/tote bag need replacing? Has it been to too many parties?

You get the idea. I recommend that you enlist the help of a friend or peer who will be upfront and honest with you to help you properly assess your image. And BE COACHABLE! You'll be surprised at the difference some small changes can make!