Hello Friend,

We might be jumping the gun just a bit, but want to be one of the first to wish you a Happy New Year! It's an exciting time - with a new year comes many opportunities to become a "new & improved" version of yourself, and make big plans for your small business.

In this edition of The Nova News, we've included different things to help you start your year out right. I'm sharing some of my Favorite Apps for healthy habits, an amazing FREE download from Lela to write out your Master Plan for the upcoming year, the deepest Soapmaker Software discount we've ever had, a reminder about my $15 Gift Card that expires tomorrow, and 2 new Business eBooks from Kenna to help you kick butt on Social Media and a killer workbook called Brand Magic.

Best wishes to everyone for a fun & safe New Year's Eve!

Let's keep learning together,
~Lori Nova Endres

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We hope Santa brought you everything on your list this year (assuming you were nice & not naughty). But just in case he didn't, please enjoy this $15 credit towards any one of our online resources by Lori Nova Endres. This includes her Video eClasses, Class Handouts, and Coloring Soap eBook. No minimum purchase required. Simply enter code 15foryou during checkout (offer expires Saturday night, 12/31/16). Click here to see the selection.

I just finished listening to a podcast on DearHandmadeLife.com with our very own Lela Barker of Lucky Break Consulting.

I highly recommend listening if you want to know more about Lela and why so many makers seek her out to help grow their businesses. She's been to The Nova Studio to teach, so we don't need to be convinced how awesome she is, but if you have a free hour, take a listen HERE over a long lunch. She shares personal stories about her business evolution and discusses the importance of 3 things:

1) Make bigger picture plans for your business. Not sure how? Take advantage of her FREE Master Plan Download that guides you through the entire thing. This is one amazing resource.

2) Host a retreat. Even if you're a company of one - take yourself out of your routine. Review what’s working, what’s not working, & plot out your year. Here is a blog post from Lela with all the details on How to Plan a Strategic Retreat for Your Small Business.

3) Know your numbers (they don’t lie). Track your follower counts on social media on a spreadsheet. How much did you sell each month? Use quickbooks or whatever program you have to compile data. Look for patterns so you know what to fix. Get to know Google analytics, and more.

I've already printed out Lela's "Master Plan For My Best Year Yet" and will be filling it out the first week in January when I get back home after visiting with family.

With each new year comes the opportunity to start off organized, and stay that way. The most frequent comment we hear is "I wish I would have had this software when I first started my business." The beginning of the year is the perfect time to make an investment in your business to start off on the right foot. You won't regret getting your ducks in a row and this software is, hands down, the easiest way to do it.

SoapMaker 3 Professional Edition Software has the functionality to keep track of the recipes you make, including the oils, scents, and colorants used, number of bars created, and the cost per bar of soap, including the price of packaging. You can use it to keep track of your inventory, your costs, and your recipes (including non-soap recipes like lotions & candles - it's not just for soap makers!). Add photos to your recipes, round out the records with notes, comments, and details, and even track your customers. SoapMaker 3 Software can even be of help when doing your taxes. It’s that good.

Click HERE to read more & Save $20 - our biggest discount ever on this huge productivity booster. Discount valid from January 1-15 only.

As a small business owner, I'm always looking for things to help me organize my day, be more productive, and just develop better lifestyle habits. I wanted to share some of my favorite Healthy Habit Apps that I've been really enjoying lately. Many are helpful to form better habits, especially at the start of a new year. Here is a quick list below. To read my commentary & what I like about each of them, check out the full blog post I did HERE. Most of these are free, except a few that are well worth the nominal price.

Brand Magic – Branding Development & Mastery Workbook
Having trouble building a stable and loyal customer base? Can’t seem to get customers to pay the prices you know your products are worth? Think you have your branding wrapped up with a pretty logo? All the marketing in the world can’t save a soap business that doesn’t have a developed and mastered brand and it’s time you got on with it! Price: $25

Kick Ass on Social Media
This quick start guide for social media marketing will get you started on the right path to using social media for your business. Organized into 12 expert tips, each detailed on its own page, this eBook highlights best practices, time saving tips, and other super goodies to help you stand above the social media noise. Price: $15

Click the individual title links above for more information, or click here for all the eBooks by Kenna.

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