My New Scrapbook Business

I got a real sour lemon a couple of weeks ago in the form of an email from Top Line Creations letting all Consultants know that the company had changed it’s business model from a Direct Sales MLM to that of a Discount Buyer’s Club. To summarize it all up - they dissolved all of the Consultantships, and made us all Buyer’s Club members. Thankfully - my “team” of downline were mostly all Hobbyists (despite my best efforts to interest them in building a scrapbook business) - therefore, the change really did not effect any of them.

For me, there was a slight loss of income - but that isn’t what bothered me as much as the loss of direction that MY scrapbook business was taking. I’ve had to sit back and wait for the dust to settle at TLC - I think it finally has. There was also a lot of thinking that I had to do as far as what I wanted to do with my relationship with TLC.

Before any of the changes had been announced, I had been thinking about leaving TLC. I was frustrated with the company and what seemed to be a lack of opportunity to promote it as a scrapbook business opportunity. Red flags had been flying, and I had taken steps to sever my ties with them (cashed in coupons and credits) - and I was basically just sitting on the fence about making my decision to resign my Consultantship. Then TLC did it for me with their announcement!

Funny thing is that I’ve decided to stay with TLC, as a Buyer’s Club member, and this is why…

I have spent the last 2.5+ years building a website, blog for marketing, and promoting Top Line Creations (primarily online). My ScrappinWAHM site will need some adjusting, but my Journal blog will keep going as it has - highlighting all of the great products that TLC has to offer!
I still have the opportunity to earn some income from Referral bonuses and commissions from purchases made through our new TLC Shops. Here’s mine - http://www.mytlcshop.com/lhaugh - all of which plays nicely into my online marketing business plan! Actually this new model fits my online efforts better than the old Direct Sales model did.
Honestly-I’m too busy with everything I do on and offline to try and “reinvent the wheel” - LOL! So how’s that for a reason?? I addressed this some in a post at ScrappinWAHM’s Journal “So I’ve Been Thinking…“, and in a way I defended my position as well.

And so I move on, because I really like lemonade, and to be honest with you I think I’ve come up with a recipe to suit my tastes, just fine!