Close To My Heart Announces International Expansion

Direct sales company Close To My Heart has announced that they are expanding their consultant sales network into Australia and New Zealand. Currently, the Utah-based company only operates consultant networks in the United States and Canada, although the company had been selling directly to consumers in Australia for about a year in preparation for entering the direct sales market in Australia and New Zealand.

The company is forming a subsidiary called Close to My Heart Australasia, which they expect will commence operations in Australia in July 2013, followed 30-60 days later by New Zealand. The company has purchased Creative Memories Australia’s databases of Consultant and customer names with contact information and distributor genealogy structure, after Creative Memories opted to cease operations in Australia and New Zealand as part of their current bankruptcy.

Brian O'Callaghan, former General Manager of Creative Memories Australasia, is part of the new Close To My Heart Australasia team, as are Susan Wilmot and Diane Lampert, who were both former Senior Directors of Creative Memories Australia.

According to the announcement, Close To My Heart Australasia will be offering certain relief and incentives to former Creative Memories consultants who join the new company:

This relief, which will include a programme to redeem sold vouchers for digital products, free e-commerce websites for Consultants, and a discount programme, for a limited time, to provide value to members of Creative Memories’ VIP Club, will help support Consultants and customers of Creative Memories Australia at a time of transition and give them some return on the investment left unfulfilled by the former company.

Creative Memories consultants who sign up with Close To My Heart Australasia will be maintained within the same genealogy structure of the former Creative Memories teams.

"It's long been my vision to bring Close To My Heart to Australia and New Zealand," says Close To My Heart Founder and CEO  Jeanette Lynton. "These are unusual circumstances, and we recognize the hardships many of the former Consultants of Creative Memories Australia have weathered. We honour their passion and enthusiasm and are thrilled to share our exclusive products and offer our business stability to this vibrant community."

O'Callaghan agrees, noting, "We had been searching for the right company—Close To My Heart had the exclusive line of products for real business potential. Plus they were already investigating expansion into the market and were agile enough to move quickly to support our needs. We're looking forward to an exceptional business and a strong launch effort."

Close To My Heart Australasia plans a series of launch events for July, along with an event in mid-August in Melbourne that will replace the cancelled Creative Memories convention. The event in Melbourne, called Creative Kick-off, will be a welcome event for new consultants and provide information and education on using the new products, but will be smaller in scale than the planned Creative Memories event. For more information on the company, visit the Close To My Heart Australasia web page.


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Nancy Nally

I’m the owner of Nally Studios LLC, which owns the websites Nally Studios and Craft Critique. I’ve spent the last 20 years working in the crafts industry as a writer and marketing consultant. My newest venture is the Nally Studios etsy store, where I sell digital files for scrapbookers. I live in Florida with my husband, teenage daughter, and a cat who thinks its a dog.

https://www.nallystudios.etsy.com
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