Tea Parties for Grown Ups

by Dawnya Sasse


Adults, just as much as children, enjoy a tea party that
celebrates any sort of occasion. Serving loose leaf tea
is a healthy alternative to any party option and with
the wide range of teas available, you can incorporate
any theme or celebrate any occasion.

From birthdays to anniversaries or other events, tea is
a fun, unique and easy way to create a party.

Use the event (is it a birthday or anniversary?) to
determine the best types of tea to serve or, consider
hosting a themed party. A theme can be based on
anything from a book character to the time of year.

Your party can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
Just use your imagination, because you are sure to find
a tea that is perfect for the occasion!


Activities


Depending on the celebration, activities may range
from traditional to unusual or even none at all! In the
fast-paced world we live in, many adults will welcome
the chance to sit and enjoy a hot cup of tea and good
conversation. Sometimes people need a reason to
relax and a tea party can be just that.

However, if you want to incorporate activities, these
can easily be based on the reason for the gathering.
Consult with your local party supply store or do a quick
search online.

You can incorporate a "tea twist" on many common
games, for example. Bridal and baby shower games
can include a tea theme (such as word scrambles or
searches). Tea gifts make wonderful party favors
for your attendees.

Package loose teas in festive netting and tie it with a
beautiful ribbon.

Love bingo? Try Teago and let your guests learn about
tea and its customs while competing in a familiar game.
(www.teago.com)


Decorations


Decorations will depend on the activity, such as a
birthday, anniversary, or baby shower. Create a theme
for the party, such as a vacation getaway for an
anniversary.

Decorate the room with beach balls, beach towels and
have guests sit in outdoor lounge chairs (or if the
weather is nice, take the party outside!). A “famous
babies” theme for a baby shower is much more
interesting than decorations that are all green and
yellow.

Try filling the room with photos of actors who got their
start in “pampers." The key is to put a twist on your
party and then, of course, offer a twist on the tea you
serve such as a fruity tea for the beach party or bubble
tea for a baby shower.


Music


Music selections for your parties can vary greatly. To
make it easy on yourself, look for compilation CDs that
incorporate the theme.

A CD of soft love songs is a great choice for an
anniversary, for example, or an orchestrated mix of
lullabies for a baby shower.

Visit your local music retailer for specific suggestions
or do an online search for CDs that pertain to your
theme.


Invitation Ideas


Use your theme to determine the types of invitations
you will use. Get creative and make your own using
specialty papers or throw in a few loose tealeaves for a
scented and enticing invitation (although some people
may not appreciate tea leaves falling out, so consider
some type of mesh envelope!).

Because you'll be centering your party on tea, think of
using naturally colored invitations and alternative
papers.

A traditional birthday invitation may not be quite what
you're looking for, so look into blank cards as well, as
you can then add your own words.


Foods


What should you serve at a tea party? Again, your
theme will have a lot to do with the food selections.
If your theme is an anniversary beach party, for
example, serve exotic fruits and finger sandwiches.

If you are hosting a famous baby tea, try collecting and
serving favorite recipes of the stars then let your
guests vote on the best appetizer.


Teas


Many parties lend themselves well to lighthearted and
fruity teas and tisanes. Consider offering teas that your
guests may not encounter otherwise.

This is a fun way to introduce new teas and enjoy
the festive atmosphere.

Creativity is a fountain of youth. Now grab a pencil,
jot down your ideas and get started.

(C) Dawnya Sasse

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business
training school allowing students to discover the secrets
of the tea industry, "quickly and easily" without ever leaving
home.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar
Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer"
and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini
course http://www.startateabusiness.com/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This article may be distributed freely on your website,
as long as this entire article, including links and this
resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events http://www.teaevents.com/

How to Cater Tea Parties and
Add To Your Bottom Line

By Dawnya Sasse


Are you interested in a rapidly growing business
opportunity that is an ideal addition to your catering
business? Are you looking for creative, fun and
exciting ways to expand your business? If so, consider
adding specialty tea parties to your list of services.

Tea parties are a unique and fun way to reach a large
market that includes children's parties. Many parents
are seeking alternative options to traditional parties.
Tea parties easily fill this need.

Tea parties are festive, can be adapted to any theme,
are safe, healthy and are different. All these factors
provide you, as a caterer, with an instant market and
marketing angles.

Tea parties can be a great way to expand your
business and are a wonderful option for caterers, as
you already have much of the equipment.

As a caterer, you can provide a full service of food
and fun because you already have experience in the
industry! From here, all you have to do is learn the art
of tea and you're on your way.

A small investment in bulk teas (which have a big
mark-up), and possibly some props, and you're ready
to expand your business to afternoon tea or even
children's tea parties.

Children love theme-based parties and tea parties can
be as creative as your imagination allows. The idea
that a tea party has to replicate an English Tea is
simply not accurate (although some may love this type
of party).

Examples of themed children's tea parties include
favorite books or characters (such as Harry Potter),
dress-up parties or birthday parties with a tea twist,
incorporating fun and fruity teas.

As a business owner, you're already familiar with
methods to promote your business. Use these same
tools to promote the tea party aspect of your services
and watch your business grow!

Word of mouth is a great way to start, as you already
have a customer base. People are always interested in
new and unique services, so this will be one way to get
the word out quickly about your business. And because
this business is unique, many people will be naturally
curious about what you do.

Add the tea party option to all of your existing
marketing materials as well. Create targeted
marketing materials to hand out to parent groups, the
local library, childcare providers and other places that
target families.

Also run ads in local publications that are distributed
to families. When it comes time to renew your yellow
pages ad, include information about afternoon tea and
your children's tea parties. Be sure to add cross-
references in the yellow pages that will target children
in addition to your regular catering clientele.

Running a tea party business is affordable and when
running the business through your existing catering
company, the overhead is very low. You don't need a
huge amount of startup cash to purchase teas. As
your business grows, you can expand your offerings.

For example, you could begin by stocking some
traditional favorites and as you expand, add unusual
teas for specialty parties. But don't skimp on the
quality of the tea or your tea education.

You will be surprised to find that many customers
know their teas just like coffee lovers know their
espresso. Knowledge is power with tea just like any
other gourmet food.

The tea business is a growing one, with sales in the
billions of dollars each year and expanding, with sales
expected to reach ten billion by 2010. For those
looking for a unique way to expand a catering
business, tea can provide the creativity and flexibility
to make it happen.

(C) Dawnya Sasse

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea
business training school allowing students to
discover the secrets of the tea industry, "quickly
and easily" without ever leaving home.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion
Dollar Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own
Computer" and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio
mini course http://www.StartATeaBusiness.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as
long as this entire article, including links and this resource
box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events http://www.teaevents.com/

Who Else Wants To Be A Stay At Home Mom?

by Dawnya Sasse

Is the idea of being involved in a billion dollar business,
which you can operate from home, sound interesting?
You CAN be at home with your children and run a
company that is profitable and expected to continue
growing.

In fact, a home based tea venture is a low-risk option
with huge earning potential. Are you prepared to profit
from the soaring popularity of tea?

There are different ways a stay at home mom can
approach a tea business. Tea parties are a great way to
earn extra income and could be a great option for moms.
Children love theme-based parties and afternoon tea can
be as creative as you can get.

The idea that a tea party has to replicate an English Tea is
simply not accurate (although some may love this type of
party). The only limit to the type of tea parties that can
be offered is what you can come up with.

Examples of themed children's tea parties include favorite
books or characters (such as The Wizard of Oz), dress-up
parties or birthday parties with a twist, incorporating fun
and fruity teas.

As a mom, you already have a great network to connect
with other families and children. For those who may be
worried about promoting a business, running a tea party
service is simply a matter of telling others what you do
when you're out and about doing all those things you
normally do-taking your children to soccer practice,
school, parent meetings and more.

And because this business is unique, many people will be
naturally curious about what you do, which means your
marketing consists of answering questions during typical
conversation.

Of course, a bit of extra marketing is always a good thing,
but the point is that a tea business can be a very non-
threatening option that doesn't have to include a lot
of high pressure sales found in other home-based
businesses.

Another option that a work at home mom may be
interested in includes in-home tea presentations, where
you host a tea party for your adult friends.

In this setting, people can sample a variety of teas without
the need or pressure to buy the tea. You can then sell
teas based on taste and demand. Your customers will
have sampled the teas before purchase, which greatly
increases the rate of satisfaction.

This is also a great way to introduce people to unusual
teas that they might not ever sample otherwise. What a
wonderful service to offer! People also like buying from
those they know. As the local tea expert, you can educate
people on the wonderful world of tea.

Running a home-based tea business is affordable as well
and when running the business from home, the overhead
is very low. If you wish to establish a loose leaf tea
company, you can purchase bulk teas at wholesale, with a
large markup.

You don't need a huge amount of startup cash to purchase
teas. As your business grows, you can expand your
offerings as well. For example, you could begin by
stocking some traditional favorites and as you expand, you
can offer unusual teas on a regular basis or even start a
"tea of the month" club with regular subscriptions.

If you're interested in running a party business, you can
start small with a few popular themes, then work your way
into offering a wide range of tea party themes, complete
with costumes for children to use for dress up.

The tea business is a growing one, with sales equaling
billions of dollars each year and expanding, with sales
expected to reach ten billion by 2010.

For at-home moms looking for a unique way to work from
home, a tea business can provide the creativity and
flexibility you require in a home based business.

(C) Dawnya Sasse

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business
training school allowing students to discover the secrets
of the tea industry, "quickly and easily" without ever leaving
home.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar
Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer"
and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini
course http://www.StartATeaBusiness.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This article may be distributed freely on your website,
as long as this entire article, including links and this
resource box are unchanged. Copyright 2006
Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events http://www.teaevents.com/