Planning and event 101

I am going to highlight a few tips about planning an event!

1. Give yourself enough time to plan properly ( at least a month).
2. Don't rely soley on social media to market, use your telephone, postal mail and if you really want to make an impression you can actually physically invite some guess while giving a paper invitation.
3. Set a reasonable budget.
4. This is probably the most important BE ENGAGED with your guest, when the hostess makes you feel welcome it makes a world of difference!!!!!
5. Set goals as to how many people you want, time line, etc.
6.  Make an agenda that you could pass on to guest so they know what to expect or if more informal have it just for yourself so you feel more confident and in control.
7. Be prepared it will make it ssssoooo much more fun for you and your guest ( a relaxed in charge hostess is a better hostess)
8. Send out Thank yous are some how let guest know you appreciate their time.

Hope these are found to be helpful and leave a comment or question!!!!
xoxoxo....Nicki's Beauty Bar

Business Tips from Black Enterprise

I came across an article in the latest Black Enterprise Magazine small biz section.

5 tips for revving up your business

and I thought I should share for anyone who is in or thinking of going into business....

these are the points I found most useful.

Jamilah Barnes Creekmur who used to be a driving force with allhiphop.com had these tips

• Consider adding value before raising the price

so if you must raise the price for whatever reason add an additional service or quality to what you are offering so that the customer doesn't see it as higher prices because something comes with it!

• Don't forget to be innovative

sometimes offer things to your customers before they know that they need it or heard of it.

• Partner Up

this has proven to be the absolute hardest thing for me to do.  I would have loved and still would love to partner up but it is ofetn times hard to find someone on the same page as you are and that is not threatened by the possibility that you will make more money or take some out their pocket.  With me being so new at business I still have that fresh newbie attitude that thinks everything is going to work but not everyone is so receptive.  That does not mean stop trying because I am definitely not going to. 

• Plan Accordingly

this is also something that I have to work on because a lot of my planning begins and ends in my head and never makes it on paper.  I might execute the plan but don't have it written out so it's hard to track later on down the road.  I know how important a paper trail is so that is a MUST for me to get better at.  Jamilah states "that a lot of small business owners want that multi-million dollar business but don't understand the investment and sacrifice it takes to get to that point."

• Understand that Communication is Essential

Heard many times It's cheaper to keep a loyal customer than it is to acquire a new one.  Because the loyal customer has an emotional connection to your brand it is important to have a loyalty program or retention program.  "She also advises entrepreneurs to under-promise and over-deliver.  This may mean follow-up calls, remembering customers by name, etc."

I found this article to be helpful and a reminder of things I heard before but ALWAYS important to keep incorporating them into the business, so I hope this has been some use to someone else!


ttyl....xoxoxo....Nicki's Beauty Bar

FNO 2011 Soho District

Hey Dolls & Gents!!!

SO I went to fashion night out In NY this year!!! It was sssooo myuch fun and tons of people...crazy street fashion.  I went to the city first to Macy's where Ms. Jay was and Rachel Roy, & Joss Stone performed outside!!!  It was crazy packed in there too but nothing like the the SoHo District.  Since it was my first time I didnt know that was the place to be!  I also heard that the Meat Packing District is LIVE as well.

The events start @ 6pm and they are on time (my experience) and from what I heard people saying was that they weren't going home tell 2am...& so hitting up partys tell 5am...so it be all the way jumping!!!!!  There were I would guess @ least a thousand people out in the SoHo District if not more.  You mainly just socialize, most of the store have pop up bars serving drinks ((UMMMM))...the AX drink was so delish! I believe it was Sephora who was giving out little champagne bottles of MOET.  I didn't see a lot of people shopping with the exception of Mac and Steve Madden.  But it was a really good time.

Next time I will hit Soho first and Meat Packing District Second and since Im not from NY I flew in that day and basically got to my hotel @ 6pm and had to just rush out so I was super tired and didn't have time to change:(...I wanted to get a lil more chic but I said hey I'm here so make the best out of it instead of getting all chic but missing most the events...oh well

So in short it was a great time and I prob will do it again!!

Nicki's Beauty Bar updates

So the week run down is Nicki's Beauty Bar has some new arrivals which I am ssssooo excited about.  I mean these earrings say a lot and are so light weight and I could go on & on!  I also updated the website http://www.nickisbeautybar.com/ and got some new flyers and posters made up.  Also it is really big to me but I finally uploaded my 1st You Tube Vid lol....That has been in the making for a while so I'm geeked that it's finally done hehe:).  But overall it has been a very good week. Ready for the Weekend!

Later Dolls!!!

Beauty tip

Reading a magazine I came across an article about avoiding wrinkles around your eyes.   It suggest that you wear sunglasses all year round to keep the sun out your eyes which will keep you from squinting....hence avoids unneccessary wrinkles!  So it's not just about shielding the sun on your skin which of course it is also good to do.

I try to keep a pair in my car & purse.....what do you think?

Janet Princess front lace wig

I bought this front lace a while ago but never got around to posting about it but it might be good cause I could give a COMPLETE review of it.  I have had it for about a year now and I might wear it for 2 weeks max at a time.  I can't really say how many times I wore it but it seems like I got some good wear out if it!  So I would recommend this one, it did not shed much the first couple times I wore it and only shed a lil after the washes.  Even now it still does not shed much at all and I have at least washed it 4 or 5 times.  (keep in mind I don't wear it all the time).  It fit my head well and I did not have to use any glue or tape.  The parting space is really good about a inch and half and the thickness in the front is really manageable.  All over it is not a very (thick) full wig which is 1 thing i wish it was a lil more of.  But when I would wear it people never knew what I had done, sew-in, real hair etc....they were all confused lol.  Which I was actually surprised at. 

 All the jewelry is from NickisBeautyBar.com

Rihanna White One Piece

I absolutely love this whole look that Rihanna has on in these pics.  I normally like her style and 4 ever changing fashions so it's no surprise that I love this one too.  Every once in a while I do not like her look like the green feather top and pants she had on a few weeks ago....that was a big NO GO for me.  I also love her hair in these pics it could be worn as a good protective style when you want to lavish your hair with all the conditioners and moisturizes and tie it in the top knot!!!!

 

The last pic is an example how she wore hers in a top knot!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK!!!!

flyers

So I have been waiting a long time to get some professional flyers made and I finally did a few weeks ago.  I was waiting because I needed to get a website because I thought what's the point of getting flyers without my web address. I designed them myself and went and got a bunch printed!!!!

new nails

I recently got my nails done rounded.  This was my first time I got my nails like this but i love em:!!! i got the nude color from opi ( sorry will post color later)....the two fingers are designed with leopard with clear studs in the center...whatcha think?

Hair war

Now as you'll could see ladies my hair is at war with me but ima win the battle.  This is the third time I washed this hair and I am tryn to bring it back to life because of the whole ocean/pool incident.  So this time I decided to do a hot oil treatment on the weave as well as my natural hair underneath.  I needed to do something to my real hair too because of the drying that was caused form all that swimming.  Well the weave didn't turn out any better in terms not getting tangled from the wash and felt a lil sticky from the hot oil treatment but i'm sure my natural hair loved it!!!! 

This is half way through me de-tangling.

And the finished product it turned out pretty good sorta flat in life less,....I guess the hot oil treatment was too have:/...

If anyone has any experiences please comment, subscribe....xoxoxoxoxoxo

My Hair after getting in the Ocean and Pool...AAAAWWW

Yes I know it is crazy and I was crazy to think that I could go back in forth in the ocean and pool without braiding the weave down.  I pulled It back in a pony tail but that clearly wasn't the best thing to do.  So this is how it turned out all scrunched up into a tangled mess.  This is all while I'm on vaca in Miami!!!!

So lesson learned braid your hair down before going swimming even if it is remi/indi remi etc!

ps. I did get it untangled and it took lots of conditioner and about and hour!

Hair product with a lot of great essential oils PARNEVU T-TREE SCALP OIL

As I was cleaning out my beauty closet of products that have been collected over the years I came across this one.  I read the ingredients and WOW was I surprised by all the ingredients!!!!

Ingredients: Olive Oil, Peanut Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Canola Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Sesame Oil, Vitamin E, A, & D, Cyclomethicone, Tea Tree Oil, Sheep Sorrel, Yarrow, Slippery Elm, Sage, Henna, Comfrey, Burdock Root, Golden Seal, Cherry Bark, Chamomile, Jaborandi (Heavenly Hemp), Alfalfa, Hyssop and Fragrance.                                                        

What it says it does:  To achieve hair and scalp health, Parnevu is enriched with anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties of Tea Tree Oil.  Parnevu helps heal and promote healthy hair while reducing itching, flaking and dryness.

My Thoughts:
It was a good product if it is still available I will buy it again.  ( I don't know if it still prodcuced).  It have a thick consistency like a really thick lipglass almost..(only thing that came to mind).  The small was lil weird but goes away quickly....did not smell like Tea Tree.  But I have my hair in a sew-in and it definitely does not itch!

If anyone has it or finds it be sure to let me know and sure your thoughts!!!

quote

"A lil sweat on your brow now can prevent a headache later"...this quote has rung true in so many ways for me and as I learn I appreciate the sweat just to avaoid the headache:)....hope everyone had a great day!