Month: November 2022

I have always envied people who wear beautiful jewellery and often admired pretty necklaces and earrings, feeling just a little jealous because I’ve never really been able to wear much jewellery due to skin reactions.  

Where I was

For about 18 months, I’d known I needed to find something new business-wise, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do.   I have worked in Direct Sales for over 12 years; I originally decided to ‘give it a go’ because I loved the product, bought it myself and needed some extra money – quite a common theme, really!  What started as a bit of a paid hobby for me soon developed into a super little business, and the BEST thing for me was that I could work around my family; I was always there to do the school run, take the children to their friends, after school classes etc. and the extra income helped pay for the treats and days out in school holidays.   Win-win.   

However, the lockdown and the pandemic changed things, plus I had a difficult house move to navigate.   I decided to limp along but keep my eyes and ears open for something new.

Finding a new opportunity

Earlier this year, I was in the right place at the right time, and I am so very grateful that I heard that conversation!   A new jewellery company was looking to launch in the UK, very established in Canada with beautiful fine jewellery.  My spidy sensors alerted I reached out and asked for more information.   I am so glad that I did! 

Tocara Jewellery, founded by a jeweller with over 40 years of experience designing and making fine jewellery, was looking to launch here.   I have always believed people need to be a product of their product and believe in what they do or sell.    I had to see some jewellery and, more importantly, find out if I’d be able to wear it – I have sensitive skin that reacts to lots of things, including many metals, so this was the real test.    RESULT!   Tocara jewellery is made from genuine Sterling Silver, surgical grade Stainless Steel and 10c and 14 c gold plate. For the first time in years, I could wear earrings for more than 30 minutes.   These were so comfortable that I forgot that I was wearing them!

This was clearly a sign I had found the product I had been looking for, and not only had I found a new business, I realised that I had found a whole new sparkle wardrobe.   I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was to be able to wear jewellery. I really am like a child in a sweet shop.

How it’s going

Product and business found, new challenge accepted!   I’ve been privileged to see a side of a business that no one really sees.   Usually, when people are invited to join a direct sales business, it’s established, and we wish we could be there earlier in the journey.    My connection to Tocara UK is via Canada and my goal is to share our founder’s vision to share the beautiful jewellery and business model.    My experience over the past 12 years gives me the opportunity to help others build a flexible business, whether that be a paid hobby, a part-time income or an additional income stream around their own lives and families.  

I have enjoyed the flexibility, recognition and income my little business has provided.   I am really looking forward to starting from scratch now, with stunning sparkles ready to share and a fabulous opportunity to enhance lives.    It’s truly rewarding to see how people grow in confidence, blossom and take pride in their achievements, no matter how small.    Some people will love simply wearing and sharing the jewellery enjoying the compliments they receive.   Some people will recognise the bigger picture and the business model providing financial reward, and others will find happiness, like I did a few years ago, being able to provide those extras for my family, taking pride in my own achievements and creating memories that will last a lifetime.  Everyone is welcome to join me.

What’s next?

We’ve just launched here in the UK, and the reaction to the jewellery has been so positive and what perfect timing for Christmas gifts; everyone loves a little sparkle at this time of year.   Tocara also supports Breast Cancer Now through the sales of the Debbie Collection. This beautiful collection includes a pretty bolo bracelet made from stainless steel and shell pearl,  making an ideal Secret Santa gift, stocking filler, or to wear daily and show support to a worthy charity.

If you’d like to know more (or do some Christmas shopping) you can find me on Facebook.

You know some of the most common blogging mistakes (if you don’t, read this). The question is, how do you avoid them? I’m glad you asked; here’s how.

Write a clear headline

A good headline is designed to spark your reader’s interest. It also tells them what to expect from the content they’re about to read. The headline for your blog posts sets the tone in the same way as a front-page newspaper headline; that’s why there’s such a massive difference between headlines in the Sun and the Daily Telegraph.

Your headline also tells people what they’re about to read. It lets them know that if they click, they’ll get five helpful time-saving tips or find out why they need to make a will. When you follow through on the promise your headline makes you build trust with your audience, which is an excellent thing for your business.

Use subheadings

Big blocks of text are scary and off-putting for your reader. When you break your blog post down into sections, you make it more readable and visually pleasing. You’ll also help the people who found you because they were looking for a quick answer to a question. They can use your subheadings to jump straight to the bit they need. They might even read the rest of the post if you’re lucky.

Your subheadings need to be clear, just like your headline, so your audience knows what to expect.

Plan your post

If your headline promises one thing, but the post wanders off from the point, your reader might lose patience. This is especially true if they’re looking for quick information. Even if your post is helpful and well-written, you’ll lose readers if you aren’t giving them what they expected.

Planning your post helps you to work out whether all the information you’re including is relevant to the post’s central theme. If it isn’t, you can still use the points you’ve thought of in a different blog post, so it isn’t wasted.

Get to know your audience

You can write more compelling posts when you know your core audience. It’s essential to be aware of their level of knowledge about your subject and what they need from you. That doesn’t mean that you can’t write for different types of people; you might be able to help beginners with one thing and more experienced people with something else. The main thing is that you’re clear about which one each post is for.

When you know who you’re writing for, you can talk to them at the right level. Being patronising or blinding your audience with science won’t win you any fans.

Think about your call to action

Creating the right call to action, or CTA, where you guide your readers towards the next step you want them to take, can take a bit of planning. Achieving your business goals might mean attracting more leads and growing your audience. Your blog post could ask them to follow you or include an email sign-up form. You could invite people to book a call or have images of your products with links to your online shop if you want to make it easy for them to buy.

There are many potential options, so think about the steps that align with your goals.

If you want to create blogs that will turn your readers into customers, I can help. Book a call, and let’s have a chat.