Improvability Blog

It seems to me that women starting out in business bring so much unwanted baggage with them and, yet, we have so many innate skills that are just crying out to be made the most of. 

You would make an absolutely great business owner if only you stopped listening to the doomsayers and those who are probably green with envy at the very thought of NOT being brave enough themselves to do what you’re contemplating.

Look at what YOU bring to the business arena:

• Women multi-task - YOU do more than one job at a time brilliantly
• Women have brains - and YOU have the common sense to use them
• Women have compassion - YOU care and want to change other people’s lives for the better
• Women have the power - YOU could run your own business so incredibly well…

… and yet, there you are, listening to some grouchy old friend (or worse, a family member) rabbit on with such uplifting sermons as ‘most businesses fail in the first two years’, or ‘there’s already someone locally doing what you’re going to do’ , or ‘women round here will never pay that much’.

STOP listening to these sad people!

The statistics about whether businesses fail or not and when are not proven.  In fact one set of stats is always being dis-proved by another.  And quite frankly, you can prove anything with figures.

It wouldn’t bother me if there were image consultants living either side of me; there are 21 million women in the UK alone – how many clients can we all get round in one short lifetime?

And in any case, by the time I’ve finished with you, you will be able to charge what you are worth and clients will be queuing up to pay you.

START listening to these wise people!

The immensely wealthy Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis was asked, “If you lost all your money, Mr. Onassis, what would you do?” He replied, “I would pick up the crumbs from a rich man’s table.”

What he meant was that he would spend his time around and work for and alongside rich people. When you surround yourself with rich people, you become rich.  You meet other ‘rich’ people. You pick up their ‘rich’ ideas. You become exposed to and steeped in ‘rich’ thinking. 

And if you’re getting hot under the collar about money being seen as the prime motivator here, take a deep breath and read a little further. 

‘Rich’ doesn’t just mean having loads of money.  If it upsets you,  change the word ‘rich’ to ‘abundant’. 

Whatever you value in life – great relationships, financial freedom, excellent health – you need to be around people who are drenched in an abundance of what you are searching for.

So being around those poor, sad souls who constantly whinge and moan about life, money, the government, the state of the world and anything else they can think of is going to bring you down to their level (which is very, very low indeed).

Let them stew in their own sorrowful soup.

Move on, and up!

Instead, search out those people who are positive, upbeat, inspiring,  energetic, successful, and are drenched in abundance.

And then you’ll become as rich as they are, and as rich as you know you deserve to be.

Hi, Kim, I read the emails you send out and they really inspire me. I recently got my certification as an image consultant.

It doesn’t seem as in demand in the States as it is in European countries. Image consulting was a real big hit in the 80s and it has really faded away.  Personal stylists are the revamped version, but is more popular with the Hollywood stars and people with tons of cash.

Although I have the ability to change my clients’ lives with my talent, I have not purchased complete color palettes, nor do I have drapes. I made my own seasonal palettes with small fabric pieces glued onto a larger piece of fabric.  

I’m on a really tight budget with  starting my own hair salon also. Do you have any suggestions on how to make these items or do you have anything at a very low cost? Thanks, Esmeralda

Dear Esmeralda,

The perception of the image industry may well be that it’s old-fashioned, out-of-date and considered very 80s but if YOU (an image consultant) have those same thoughts about it, that’s going to kill your business before you’ve even started. 

I would suggest that you re-think what you’re offering and change the way you describe yourself, if that helps you to think higher of yourself.

When YOU’re confident about what you’re offering, you will attract clients.

There are plenty of ladies out there who need your help

I don’t think the essence of what image consultants offer will ever fade away; people will always want our services and skills but it’s up to us to market ourselves better and explain what we can do to help our potential clients. 

Call yourself something different - an image coach, or a wardrobe consultant, or a personal stylist - it’s only a title.  The bookings will come because people want YOU, not what you offer.

As for the wallets, offering a home-made version is only going to appeal to low-paying clients. Is that really what you want? 

You need to think about what kind of business you really want

Low-cost investment => low-paying clients => low income

If you want high-paying customers, you’re going to have to offer them something much higher value than home made.

Invest in your business

If you’re serious about working as an image consultant, you need to invest in your business with good colour tools:

• My own drapes have been going strong for over 25 years
• I’ve had my seasonal wallets for 20 years
• and my tonal fans for about 16 years

Colour tools or props are a one-time investment that will pay dividends over and over again. 

Speak to whoever trained you and ask them to help you source good quality drapes, wallets, etc. for your business. Or take a look at our wholesale catalogue.

Colour analysis is NEVER about the swatches

And remember, this isn’t about the swatch wallets, or the drapes, or your premises, or any of those other distractions.

What we offer to our clients is confidence - confidence in how they look and how they feel about themselves. 

The successful consultant has to be totally confident about her own abilities and about the services that she’s offering.  If not, the client will know. 

You have to believe first and foremost that what you’re offering is worthwhile and that there are women out there who want your services. 

And there are absolutely loads of them!

30 years in this wonderful business!

I’m clearly much older than I look (tee hee).

I have so many stories to tell from the last 30 years that I could be here some time. But I’ll start by reminding you that this is the last day of our mad sale. 

Self-study ‘in a Box’ training courses

1. Use coupon code CK30 at the checkout to save £300 on any of these three Colour Analysis training courses:

• Colour in a Box
• The Complete Colour Analysis Training Kit (includes colour supplies)
• The Complete Colour Analysis Training Kit Platinum Edition (includes Advanced Colour Analysis for Image Professionals)

2. Use coupon code AK30 at the checkout to save £200 on Advanced Colour Analysis for Image Professionals

3. Use coupon code MM30 at the checkout to save £200 when you pre-order 3 Steps to Success for Image Professionals

4. Use coupon code LS30 at the checkout to save £150 when you pre-order Ladies’ Style in a Box

THIS SALE ENDS TODAY 12th AUGUST 2010

PS. If you haven’t been receiving my newsletters then you’ll know nothing about this sale so register now so that you don’t miss any future offers.

I’m a real busy bee right now. My wings are going that fast that I might take off at any moment…

Well, actually, it’s my fingers that are typing so fast that’s causing the draught…

I’m writing madly from dusk until dawn in preparation for the live training event 3 Steps to Success for Image Professionals on 16th August.

I’ve got loads of great stuff to share on how to create the image business of your dreams.

And the reason I’m running this day is that it makes me so cross that there are lots of great consultants out there who have all the skills and enthusiasm to change the lives of so many potential clients - if only they knew how to find some!

I’ve been where you are now

As I started writing the notes for the course, lots of horrid memories from years gone by started to rear their ugly heads, like:

• those times when I’d taken a booking for a personal consultation and the client never showed up! (infuriatingly aggravating)
• the time when I ran a workshop for 12 and only 1 person turned up (utterly mortifying)
• those times (and there were loads of them) when I’d give a talk or presentation and not one single person would book with me (totally demoralising)
• all the money I’ve spent on advertising, leaflets, business cards, etc. and got zero enquiries (expensively exasperating)

I could rattle on for hours about all the stuff I did wrong, how I had the necessary skills, all the props, loads of enthusiasm but not a clue how to get and keep clients.

Thank goodness I finally learned how to never have any of this happen to me again.

Now I know I could start over again tomorrow

I know that if I moved to a brand-new location tomorrow, I could start offering personal consultations, workshops, etc. and have paying clients within days - because I’ve already done it, several times.

And let’s be real here:

• if you don’t have any clients, you don’t have a business

and all the skills and props in the world are not going to make you a single penny!

Would you like me to show you how I did it?

And how you can do the same?

There are just 2 places left on the ‘3 Steps to Success for Image Professionals’ in Chesterfield, UK on Monday 16th August and you can use coupon code MM30 at the checkout to save £200 - but only until the end of today Monday 9th. You’ll also get a complimentary copy of the 6-DVD recording of the entire day, and the next person to book will get a free strategy call with me after the event. Loads and loads of extra value. I must be mad, giving all this away.

If you can’t make the actual event, pre-order the DVD set - use the same coupon code MM30 to save £200 at the checkout - until Thursday 12th only.

I’ve already received several emails asking when I will be running this again this year. Sorry, but I have no plans to run it again. The only other live event planned in 2010 is the two-day Ladies’ Style course in September.