What is the profile of a typical Housewarmers affiliate owner?
Well, some of us are busy moms or dads who wanted to have our own home-based business; others left the corporate world seeking more control of their lives; and still others are retirees who want extra income along with a means to keep busy and stay involved in the community. We all want to set our own flexible hours and do something that is fun, profitable, and helps others. We did not want mulit-level marketing, stocking products, debt, or tons of inventory. Previous work experience ranges from teaching school, selling real estate or working in marketing and/or sales for corporate America. We tend to be people-oriented, with outgoing personalities, who have a strong commitment to family and community.
What is involved with owning my own Housewarmers business?
You will be greeting new residents of your territory by presenting them with a unique and useful Housewarmers Gift Bag. The Gift Bag will include gifts, goodies, and special offers from local merchants, as well as other unique Housewarmers articles. You will market your service to preferred local merchants who are interested in capturing the loyalty of new residents while they are developing shopping patterns in their new locale. You will participate with local professional organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce. You’ll work hard but have a flexible schedule; you can operate from your own home in most cases; you’ll be a real asset to your community; you’ll learn the thrills and the headaches of being your own boss, and you’ll have a profitable and respected business.
How do I know if my town or community is a viable Housewarmers territory?
If your town is growing at a rate of more than seventy-five new homeowners per month it is probably viable! Your formula for success also depends upon the number of local merchants and the shopping patterns in your community. Housewarmers has access to sophisticated demographic analysis data, which we can use to help you answer these questions. When we talk with you and assess the potential, some of the particular factors that we’ll explore include:
- Current population
- Growth trends
- Availability of a monthly new resident listing
- New Resident pattern over the past year
- Profile of existing and forthcoming merchants
Some smaller towns with lower move-in counts can be viable locations for affiliates, especially if they are not suburbs of larger cities – we’ve proved it! If you think your community could benefit from Housewarmers, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll help you evaluate it. Often, these locations are available at a special price.
Is MY community available? Click to see list of communities served.
How does an affiliation with Housewarmers help me? I might just be able start a business on my own without anybody’s help.
Yes, you might. But as a Housewarmer, you’ll get started much faster, with a proven business model, in-depth training, a full set of business templates, corporate support in all phases of your operation, and with the advice and camaraderie of other Housewarmers affiliates. Add to all this, the advantage of cross-market synergies, including multi-city client accounts. Plus our Good Neighbor 7 Point Marketing System™ sets us apart from other greeting services. Last but not least, Housewarmers is a registered trademark which is rapidly gaining recognition as the gold standard for home greeting services in Texas and the Southwest.
I already have a home-based business. Will Housewarmers be a conflict?
A number of our affiliates have had additional businesses as well as Housewarmers. These range from cosmetics/skin care to professional services to sales. Often these prove to be a very good fit because you can cross-promote the two businesses. The key limiting factors are your time and your energy to pursue both.
Speaking of computers, will I need one? And how good do I have to be on it?
Yes, you will need a relatively current home computer with printer, scanner, and internet service. As for software you’ll mainly use Microsoft Office (Small Business version is fine – you will need a version that contains Word and Excel), and some sort of accounting software to run the business side (we like Intuit Quickbooks). There are a few other inexpensive products required, such as a current antivirus program and an online email marketing program. Ongoing training in some programs is also part of our affiliate support.
Can I run the business entirely by myself, or will I need help?
It depends; we have some small-city operators who “do it all”. If you are delivering over 50 Gift Bags per month, then you may want to get some help with that part of the business. Every city and every operation is different – the important thing is that as the business owner, you devote lots of your time and energy to community visibility and customer support.
What kind of training and support can I expect from Housewarmers?
We’ll guide you through an initial training program (typically two full days of classroom work) and send you home with a complete Operations Manual. We’ll also give you hundreds of templates, programs, and graphic designs which will give you a huge head start in your business mechanics. Then, as you move through the start-up steps, we’re right there to guide you along. We also get all the affiliates together on a regular basis for continued education, comparison of experiences, roundtable discussions, special issue seminars, and more. And of course, we are always available to consult on any issue by phone or email.
Does Housewarmers care about quality control of my operation?
You bet we do! We know that quality and standardization matter, and in fact make the difference between your success and failure! We expect you to follow our published guidelines for Gift Bag quality and delivery, and for customer acceptance. We insist that you provide excellent client support, and that you participate actively in community business groups (usually your Chamber of Commerce). Not only do we want you to become successful (and prosperous!); we want consistently excellent Housewarmers operations in each target city, because we help each other by our good reputations.
OK -- this could be great for me! What do I do next?
Contact us at 903.456.2257, or fill out our convenient online form, to get the process started. Then we’ll arrange a personal meeting to talk more. Be looking carefully at your city demographics, buying patterns (where people shop), housing growth patterns, and business locations. The more you know about your city, the better assessment we can help you make about the definition and viability of your proposed territory.
In the meantime, you can Download our Housewarmers – Opportunity is Knocking Affiliate Information booklet.