With Labor Day quickly approaching, I do believe that fall is upon us. I love this time of year since we live near the mountains and can take a day trip to watch the leaves change. You will probably find us spending next weekend at the annual Apple Festival in Hendersonville, NC. After driving through the gold and red hues of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we will partake in this annual festival where local vendors display their wares and where you can find every type of delectable apple treat (think apple cider, apple cobbler, candy apples, etc.)

Fall is also a great time for a lot of writing contests. I know that Writer’s Digest is holding several contests this fall, and www.fanstory.com is always hosting a seasonal contest. I urge you to participate! Write a story that uses the details of September in your country and submit them to a contest. Write a poem that emphasizes the sights and sounds of the season.

I would love to see your ideas! Please feel free to post them here!

To your success,

Katie

Good morning! How was your weekend? Ours was so busy! We spent the day at the lake with our Sunday School class on Saturday. The water looked beautiful; but as soon as we stepped in to cool off, we sank into the red mud that quickly stained our arms, legs, and bathing suits. Plus, the minnows were nipping! We still had a fun day, and we loved getting to know each other better. Then we rushed home in order to meet some friends for dinner. By the time we got home that night, we were totally exhausted! It was nice to have a day at the lake as summer is quickly slipping behind us.

Speaking of the bygone days of summer, can you believe how quickly we are approaching the end of the year? Christmas is just around the corner! My husband is already setting the Halloween aisle at his store. What have you accomplished this year? Now is a good time to look back and see what you have accomplished and what you still hope to achieve.

On my list of things to do, I have finally started writing a book. It’s still in the research stages, but I am developing ideas left and right. How is your book coming along? If you would like an outside perspective, send me a chapter. I would be happy to review it for you.

To your success,

Katie

Good morning! Can you believe it’s already mid-August? Most of the kids in our area are starting back to school either this week or next week. I remember those first days of school. I was so excited to have new opportunities to make new friends and enjoy new experiences.

I don’t have long to write today, so I thought I would just leave you with a writing prompt. Write a story about your first days of school. Include any sights, sounds, and new experiences that happened that first day. Please send me your submissions. I would be happy to display them on my next blog if you want.

To your success,

Katie

Good morning! How was your weekend? This weekend was equivalent to the holiday season for us here in South Carolina as it was Tax-Free Weekend. That’s right. Every year, the first weekend in August is Tax-Free Weekend, meaning anything that qualifies as “school supplies” is completely tax-free. This includes computers, basic school supplies, and even clothes! While the customer is only saving a mere 5 percent, stores are bombarded with people hurrying to purchase all they can on this specific weekend. It can seem like total chaos if you decide to head out to the mall!

What a great way to help promote business, though! I even went to a candle store that did not qualify for the Tax-Free Weekend, but they decided to pay the taxes for their customers that weekend anyway. It was such a small price to pay to get people to come into their store and purchase their merchandise.

In that light, what are you doing to get people to come into your business or to purchase your product? Perhaps a Back to School sale isn’t such a bad idea. You could do a sort of “yard sale” if you could get some of your colleagues to contribute some of their services or products for discount prices. If you don’t want to do a yard sale, you could offer a “Buy One/Get One Free” sale or include a smaller item free with purchase.

No matter what you decide to do, get into the spirit of things! This is a great opportunity to promote your business, so make the most of it! You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get customers to come to you. You just need to show them that you appreciate their business.

To your success,
Katie