Here We Go!

Last night was the end of Campaign 25, C26 begins in a couple of days.  It’s a good routine. I may not always know what’s going to be on sale campaign to campaign but I know it’s a 2-week long process and the steps I need to take to make it successful.  This campaign will be different because I’m going to be away for half of it while we travel for Thanksgiving.  I hope that people will continue their shopping on my eStore:  It’s All About Avon.

The next few days are going to be busy while I work to get my house ready for the upcoming holidays.  Having lost both parents within the past 7 years this is the first time I’ve actually felt like decorating for and celebrating Christmas and I can’t stand decorating a house that hasn’t been deep-cleaned 😉  So…don’t be surprised if I don’t post again for awhile as “real” life takes over!

 

Taking Time for You

I love Sundays, don’t you?  The one day I can sleep in and wake up without an alarm, it’s heavenly!  It’s also a day I can sit and reflect on my Avon business and plan for the next week.  I love that too, it’s a level of creativity I don’t get with my full-time job and is what makes it so fun for me.

This week, in light of the election, I’m going to focus on taking time to take care of ourselves.

It’s All About Avon

A Big Week Ahead for us All…

This Tuesday we will elect the next #President of the United States.  I don’t know a single person who isn’t dreading this.  I’ve never experienced an #election like it, the hostility on both sides has been surreal and extraordinarily unprofessional.  Imagine if we were to go in for a job interview with these same outlooks and actions!  We wouldn’t even be considered as a candidate for the job, yet…with the most important position the U.S. has to offer here we go.  There can only be one winner.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if they BOTH won and had to share and learn how to work with each other?!  Like we teach our kids.  That’s a whole other blog for a different day.  What DOES this teach our kids?  The loudest one wins?!  If you get caught in something try to lie your way out of it?

Wednesday will, in all likelihood, be a solemn day for at least half of the country.  Keep your chin up “We the People”.  Do good.  Be the example for others.

Being Grateful

Last weekend I was exhausted.  I barely moved off the couch and when I did it was to go take a nap, lol.

I know this is a blog about Avon but that isn’t my only job and lately the full-time one has been requiring all my focus and attention.  My little Avon business It’s All About Avon is still a work in progress but today I’m going to share about the other work I do.

Our business recently went through a very trying time.  My husband is an optometrist and I run the office.  We had hired a professional billing company to do all of our billing since it’s become so complex the past few years.  (I’ve often wondered how many people would work without knowing whether or not they’d be paid for their efforts…it’s not uncommon in our business since we’re at the mercy of insurance companies and their wide, wide range of rules regarding payment.)  Several months ago I noticed that we weren’t getting many payments and they were coming in slower and slower.  I called our billing service and they told me that they were looking into it.  Weeks went by and checks were trickling in slowly so I thought it was just a matter of them catching up.  Another couple of months went by and we were getting into serious problems since the money just wasn’t coming in.  I called them again, they didn’t return my calls.  I emailed them…they didn’t return any of my emails.  I did this for a few weeks until I decided we wouldn’t be able to sustain our business much longer at the rate we were going.  We were floating our bills on credit cards, never a great idea.  To make a long story (a little) shorter I fired them.  They still didn’t respond!  I turned them in to the BBB and they also were unable to get a response  What a strange way to do business and yes, they’re still in business!  I had to learn how to bill in about 2 weeks time and then try to catch up on the claims that hadn’t been done by the billing company.  It’s been an ongoing battle and a steep learning curve for me but I’m finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I’m not saying that all of the sudden everything is as it should be.  No. We lost a LOT of money as a result of poor billing and have been told that it would cost us an arm and a leg to bring them to court.  Our attorney tells us to just start again…at square one.  I now have access to all the accounting reports I didn’t have before and I’m appalled to see what they were (and weren’t) doing.  I’m still working to clean up their mess so we can get our slate cleaned and there are some days I just want to pull my hair out but we’re getting there 🙂

I titled this post “Being Grateful” because, in spite of all the drama, I truly am.  We’re still in business.  I was able to learn billing.  My husband has been very supportive and understanding when I get frustrated.  We are truly blessed and I am so thankful to God for his amazing love even when we least deserve it.

Thank you for letting me share this with you!