Thursday, December 31, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM TEA CONNEXIONS

On behalf of TEAm Connexions I would like to wish you a prosperous and happy new year.

Earlier today, I received an e-mail from Stacey Robyn of Go Gratitude and I would like to share her wonderful message:

"May this New Year be one of Joy, abundance, good-will, peaceful awakenings and graceful journeys. May we have courage to look for the blessing in every moment, and the audacity to celebrate it!

May compassion reign in our hearts and kindness ring through every word. May our waking dreams be filled with joy, creativity and passionate pursuits. May our hearts and minds be joined as One; unified within, so without.

May we remember we are all Children of the Earth: kindred spirits, brothers and sisters, members of the Great family of Love.

May we choose Love over fear; unity and harmony over separation and discord. May we have the strength to claim our authentic power; standing true in Word, action and deed, and with firm resolve BE the change we wish to see in the world.

May our children see the Light of Love in our eyes. May our elders be honored for the wisdom each bears. May every Heart trust they are Divinely endowed with the birth-right to thrive, and wake each day celebrating the Great-Full-Ness of life.

May we remember Heaven is within our Hearts, opening our eyes to the sacred in all things. May we breathe prayers of thanks into each moment, and with reverence honor the gift this Life brings.

This is our prayer. We give thanks it is so! And so it is!"


While you are reflecting on 2009 and looking to 2010, I strongly encourage you to view this wonderful video by Dewitt Jones, who encourages you to focus on what is right with this world. It will only take 20 minutes of your time, so please take a look. Always will be grateful! Live with Passion!



Drink Tea and Prosper!

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
Founder/CEO

Friday, December 25, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dear Friends,

On behalf of Tea Connexions, my family, and the whole executive TEAm, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and Happy New Year. Cheers!



Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
Founder/CEO

Friday, December 18, 2009

THE POWER OF PASSIVE INCOME

Dear Teapreneur:

The objective of every entrepreneur is to earn passive income. Passive income simply means that you are earning revenue when you are not physically working. This is often referred to as time leverage.

How do you achieve time leverage? That is, how do you earn income when you are not working? For most working folks, time leverage is a dream. Most people wait until they retire, hoping their investments will yield enough dividends so they can live. However, it is clear that we can no longer rely or trust the stock market.

One of the surest ways to create passive income is by owning a business. Business owners realize that if they build their business large enough and have employees, then they will be able to earn income when they are not working. Simple, right! Not really, because having employees, a show room or store, and other expenses related to running a business, like say a restaurant, can be complicated and stressful.

Is there an alternative? Absolutely! Distribute consumables. Think about it, the largest companies in the world have been built on the sale of consumables. This is the reason that distributing tea is such a wonderful business to be in.

For more than a decade, Tea Connexions has been importing and distributing our unique product line composed of gourmet teas and beautiful tea gifts. From the beginning, we worked with other entrepreneurs who shared our passion. Our business model is built on the premise of localized distribution because we encourage entrepreneurs to build local tea brands.

Over the years, our model has evolved and changed. Today, we focus our energies on working with aspiring entrepreneurs (B to C). At the same time, our model can also be targeted to existing entrepreneurs (B to B).

Our business model is unique because it focuses on creating customer loyalty through our system of loyalty discounts. Traditional wholesale works on the premise of volume discounts, i.e. the more that is purchased the more the customer saves. Not Tea Connexions! We offer 7 unique wholesale packages that enable our customers to lock in their discount below wholesale, regardless of how much they purchase on subsequent re-orders. It is this philosophy of flexible ordering and loyalty discounts plus the many bonuses we offer—training, marketing tools, etc.—that differentiates us from our competitors.

We are focused on a simpler, fairer approach to business that empowers entrepreneurs at a grass roots level. With this in mind, our objective is to create an army of tea business entrepreneurs—teapreneurs—who build local brands supported by customers in their local communities. To build an army you need leaders—Exclusive Area Distributors (EAD).

Great companies are built on the premise of excellent products, but most importantly, superior service. What will differentiate Tea Connexions from all other tea companies is our focus on serving and retaining customers at a grass roots level. This goal will be reached by working with an elite group of EADs.

You are invited to become one of Tea Connexions EADs. Investment in the program not only locks in an exclusive territory, but you also will benefit from an elite status, higher profits on your business, passive income from tea sales in your area, and expertise from our management team that spans many decades.

As an EAD, you do not have to set up a warehouse and will avoid many of the large overhead costs of many types of consumable businesses. Instead, you can manage your territory from a home office. Your primary objective is to build your area, train, mentor, and most importantly manage. You don’t have to worry about payroll, filling orders, logistics, product development, marketing tool creation, etc. because Tea Connexions manages this for you. All you need to do is make sure that the TEAm you have developed stays motivated and focused on building their businesses. Do this and you will earn passive income because every time a customer in your territory orders tea, you earn income. The more customers and tea that is distributed in your area, the more you will earn. It really is that simple.

Our first EAD conference of 2010 is scheduled for January 16th and 17th. To review the agenda, please visit http://www.tcead.com

The deadline to register for this conference is Wednesday, December 23rd. We have set up an online link where you can register: http://www.tcead.com/register

Registration is limited to ten attendees. The cost to attend the conference is US$300 and includes the following:

* Breakfast supplied by our hosting partner, Holiday Inn Express.
* Discounted room rates.
* Hot lunch served on Saturday.
* $300 coupon credit that can be used towards the purchase of any wholesale package or exclusive Tea Connexions products at current wholesale rates. The coupon credit can also be used towards the deposit on an exclusive territory.
* Tea Connexions EAD Business Guide.

To ensure that you get full value from the $300 investment, we will e-mail you a coupon credit in the amount of $300 that you can immediately use in our wholesale store.

Attend our conference and learn about the cash flow principles that are recession proof. If you truly want to be financially free, attend our conference and we will show you how to build a cash flow business that will enable you to sit back, relax, and harvest profits year after year. This opportunity will not last forever, limited territories will be available. Once reserved, they are gone, commit today for a better future!

Again, the deadline to register is Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009. Register for our first conference and start the New Year right. Control your destiny and build the business of your dreams.

Live With Passion!

Drink Tea and Prosper!

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
Founder/CEO

Thursday, November 26, 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving from Tea Connexions!

This poem by Karl Fuchs called "More Than A Day" is a wonderful reminder of what we should be grateful for.

As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.
We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.
So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away.



We hope you have a fun Thanksgiving Turkey bash. Cheers!

Yours sincerely,

TEAm Connexions

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

TEA CONNEXIONS USA LAUNCHES EAD PROGRAM

For nearly a decade, Tea Connexions has empowered our customers by offering training, marketing solutions, and an exceptional product line that can be sold through gift, health, and tea channels. Our unique business model is customer focused, offering ordering flexibility, loyalty discounts, and many other benefits not common to the tea industry.

Today, with our new management team in place, Tea Connexions USA is aggressively pursuing a growth strategy to capture market share in the specialty tea industry. To ensure that this growth is managed effectively and our customers are serviced at the highest possible level, we are seeking teapreneurs who wish to become Exclusive Area Distributors (EAD).

Three key benefits to becoming an EAD:

First, an EAD will manage and control a defined area for Tea Connexions USA and benefit from all sales in their territory.

Second, an EAD will get a preferred discount below wholesale, maximizing their profitability on wholesale and retail sales.

Finally, an EAD will be an elite member of Tea Connexions because limited territories will be available.

To launch this program, Tea Connexions USA will be holding monthly conferences in Fenton, MO. The first conference is scheduled for November 14th and 15th. Each conference is limited to ONLY 10 attendees to allow participants maximum access to Tea Connexions executives.

To learn more about the EAD program and how you can reserve your spot to attend one of our conferences, please visit http://www.tcead.com

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

TEA CONNEXIONS IS EXPANDING

Tea Connexions is pleased to announce the opening of a new base of operations in the United States. As of September, 2009, Tea Connexions operations will be based in the state of Missouri, headed by our new President, Daniel Johnson. We will also be setting up two regional offices. Our V.P. of Western US Business Development, Michelle Davenport, will be based in California and our V.P. of Eastern US Business Development, Joseph Arnette, will be based in Georgia.

Through an exclusive licensing deal with Connexions Trading International Incorporated, the owner of the Tea Connexions name, TM, and intellectual property, Tea Connexions USA will be formed to manage all operations in the United States.

This will benefit existent and future customers in the United States in three key ways.

1. All US based operations will now be managed from within the US.
2. Decisions for building the business in the US will be made by the Executives in the US.
3. Since this will be US led, the revenue and profits generated from the US will stay in the US to create American jobs and further opportunities.

Announcing this new deal, Tea Connexions Founder and CEO, Sanjay Gupta commented:

I am delighted by this new direction of the company. I will continue to be intimately involved in the business focusing my energies on product development, the formation of strategic alliances with other tea suppliers and established brands, international expansion, the creation of new and improved marketing tools and training materials. We are more than just a tea importer and supplier to our customers, but partners, focused on helping our customers thrive and grow.

Michelle Davenport, a long time customer of Tea Connexions and strong believer in our mission commented:

I have known Sanjay since 2002 and am honored to be associated with his company. A customer for nearly 8 years, I am proud to offer my experience and expertise to existing and future customers. My goal is to help build Tea Connexions to the potential I believe it will reach. Sanjay is a visionary and my objective is to help him achieve his vision of helping the average consumer start a business they can be proud of.

Tea Connexions has been helping entrepreneurs start tea businesses since 2001. We have accomplished this objective by offering high quality products, training, and ordering flexibility. Our goal is not to burden our customers with case lots, but to offer flexibility through our no minimum ordering policy. We add further value by offering training, support, loyalty discounts, marketing tools, and volume bonuses. We are truly the tea company geared to the little guy with hopes that our efforts will enable aspiring entrepreneurs to own and operate the tea business of their dreams. In short, we offer consumers the opportunity to pursue the American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Joseph Arnette has been a customer of Tea Connexions since 2005 and has met Sanjay and his family several times when he attended conferences. Joseph comments:

In 2005, I asked Sanjay if he wanted to take the company public to raise capital through the markets. I was very pleased to learn that this was not his goal. His vision is for the company to be customer owned and driven. This new deal in the US is the beginning. Michelle, Daniel and I may be taking over US operations, but we fully intend to make the company even stronger by offering our customers an opportunity to benefit from the profits and growth of the company.

The Management TEAm of Tea Connexions USA will be led by Daniel Johnson from his base of operations in Missouri. Daniel is also a customer of Tea Connexions. As the new President of Tea Connexions USA Daniel will ensure that operations run smoothly. Daniel is excited by this new opportunity. In his words:

I started as a Tea Connexions Distributor in 2007. Now I am the President, this is a dream come true. I have learned a tremendous amount from Sanjay over the past couple of years and look forward to heading up the operations in the US working closely with Joseph and Michelle. One would think that expansion is not the right decision during a recessionary time. However, I strongly believe that Tea Connexions is positioned to help the growing numbers of unemployed that want control over their lives. Our new and simplified program makes it easy for anyone to start a business and we look forward to serving all existing and future customers who wish to pursue their teapreneur dreams.

Over the next couple of weeks Tea Connexions will be busy updating websites, getting the warehouse ready in Missouri, and finalizing details for the operational take over. We are excited by this new direction and look forward to serving you.

For more information please contact:

Sanjay Gupta
Tea Connexions
P.O. Box 580 STN Main
Kingston, ON
Phone: 613-887-2344 ext. 111
E-mail: sanjay@teaconnexions.com
Web: www.teaconnexions.com

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

BUSINESS CASE FOR TEA

Tea is Hot! Entrepreneur Magazines’ ‘The Hot List’ named tea as one of the hottest trends and business ideas.

The U.S. Tea Market is a rapidly growing industry with sales forecasted to reach $10 billion in 2010
-Tea is ‘Hot Report’, 5th Edition, Sage Group International


Specialty tea will represent the fastest growing segment of the tea industry over the next decade.
-Joseph P. Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA


The specialty tea market is growing, and will have a lasting financial impact on entrepreneurs that get involved. Timing is essential. With any upward trend, the first to get involved profit the most.
-Sanjay Gupta, Founder, President/CEO, Tea Connexions


• On average, approximately 519 million pounds of tea are imported into the United States each year.

• Americans consume about 1.42 million pounds of tea each day.

• In North America five out of six North Americans drink tea consuming about one cup of tea per day.

• The average North American consumes 1.76 pounds of tea each year.

• American tea industry wholesale purchases increased more than 100% in the past ten years

You should start a tea business because the market for tea is growing. This is a fact. The information used to cite this information has been derived from the following credible third party sources: Sage Group, Tea Council of Canada, Tea Council of USA, Tea Council of UK, US and Canadian Trade Statistics.

A. THE SALES POTENTIAL OF SPECIALTY TEAS

The market for specialty teas is growing and will eventually dominate tea sales.

By 2010, it is projected that specialty estate, specialty flavored, green, oolong, organic, and herbal tea will account for 75% of the tea market share.

The statistics below demonstrate the sales growth potential of specialty estate, specialty flavored, and green teas. These categories of tea are identified as the fastest growing segment of the specialty tea industry, and projected to be the most profitable.

Specialty Estate Teas

Definition: Higher quality long leaf teas with limited annual production, harvested using orthodox methods. Commonly unflavored black, green, oolong and white teas, from smaller tea producing regions or estates. Also referred to as “premium” tea.



“These higher grades of unflavored/unscented estate teas will have sharp price increases as demand grows and supplies remain static. While there will be superb growth opportunities for orthodox tea estates started to support 21st century market conditions, there will be a gap between 2004 - 2010 as millions of tea aficionados demand premium tea grades and supplies are tight.” (US Tea is “Hot”)

Specialty Flavored Tea

Definition: Commonly black, green, oolong and white teas, flavored using spices, flowers and herbs. Sales of Specialty Flavored tea in the United States was $565 million in 1999. The market has since grown to an estimated $1.04 billion in 2003, and anticipated to reach $2.56 billion by 2010. Historical and future expected growth rates of Specialty Flavored tea sales ranges from 10%-20% per year. The Sage Group believes the Specialty Flavored tea sector represents the “hottest” business opportunity among all segments of the tea industry.



Green Tea

Definition: Any variety of Camellia sinensis that undergoes a multi-step process of pan-firing (or teaming), rolling and drying after harvesting. Little oxidization occurs with green tea, leaving most of the healthy polyphenols intact. The Green tea market has grown at a rate of 28%-35% over the past couple of years, and is expected to experience continued growth between 14%-28% per year for the next decade. Sales of green tea in the United States were $298 million in 1999, grown to an estimated $836.7 million in 2003, and predicted go grow to $2.48 billion by 2010. Part of this growth is attributed to the consistent media coverage on the health promoting properties of green tea.



“We believe affirmatively that green tea will eventually outsell black tea in all forms and types in the U.S.A. with the exception of food service iced tea.” (U.S. Tea is “Hot”)

B. WHAT INDUSTRY INSIDERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS GROWTH POTENTIAL

Ten years ago, no one would have dreamed that consumers would pay $4.00 for a cup of specialty coffee. Today, specialty coffee counts for a third of total coffee sales and an even larger percentage of the profits. According to Simrany the trend to specialty tea is following on the heels of a similar expansion in the coffee industry. Simrany believes that specialty tea will represent the fastest growing segment of the tea industry over the next decade. According to him this segment has the capability of doubling its volume over the next five years and might grow at an even faster pace.
-Joseph P. Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA-

According to Sage a glut of lower grade commercial grade tea is being overshadowed by increased demand for higher-end specialty teas. In Sages view, the greatest contributing factor to the tea industry's growth has been news coverage of tea's health benefits. Baby boomers are the most receptive group to specialty teas. According to Sage, "for many of these two-income, stressed out families, tea represents more than a commodity beverage; it is an affordable way to relax and revitalize while learning about other cultures." Sage researchers believe that "millions of American households will shift to tea as their preferred daily beverage choice during the next three years."
-Sage Group International LLC, Publishers of the US Tea is “Hot” Report-

Waddington believes that Americans are susceptible to food trends. He believes the wave towards tea "will have a longer-lasting impact (than coffee or cigars) because it is the only one that is good for you-it is the only truly luxury gourmet food in the world that has lasting effects on the health of the consumer and that is also of remarkable value."
-Bill Waddington, Owner of Tea Source-

C. SIX REASONS SPECIALTY TEA DEMAND IS GROWING

1) World Demand for Tea

Tea is the second-most widely consumed beverage in the world, next only to water. The average consumer in England drinks over 10x the quantity of tea in a year than the average American. Rapid growth in the U.S. tea industry is partially a result of the Americans playing catch-up with the rest of the world in terms of per-capita tea consumption.



2) Consumer Preferences

With the rapid growth in the specialty tea industry, consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about quality and grades of tea. A growing number of tea connoisseurs are emerging, with tastes that are sophisticated and refined. They are seeking the highest quality rare and exotic teas, organic growing conditions, and other specialized qualities. This group can be compared to wine connoisseurs in that they are willing to pay top dollar for their teas of preference.

“U.S. specialty wine and coffee consumer profiles are similar to that of the specialty tea aficionado. One must only look at the growth of the specialty wine and coffee businesses (shops and brands) over the last thirty years across America to consider the possibility that specialty tea has more than a remote chance of becoming intrinsic to mainstream population groups. The twenty first century specialty tea consumer is searching for definable, superior quality – peak flavor, leaf purity, pinnacle freshness – and connoisseur level knowledge from retailers.” (U.S. Tea is “Hot”)

3) Scientifically Proven Health Benefits

Not only is tea soothing and delicious, but it is healthy too. In fact, the American Health Foundation recommends we consume 5 - 6 cups daily. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, green tea exhibits more powerful anti-oxidant bio-activity than the 22 fruits and vegetables that it was tested against. Some studies indicate that green tea is as much as 50x more potent than Vitamin E as an antioxidant. Tea contains 1/3 less caffeine than coffee or cola, helps reduce fatigue, maintain mental alertness, stabilizes fluid levels, and is fat free and calorie free.

The antioxidants in tea help prevent cancers of the mouth, stomach, pancreas, lungs, esophagus, colon, breast and prostate. Tea’s flavanoids prevent heart disease by reducing blood clotting, lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol.

A study conducted by Harvard University researchers found that those who consumed one or more cups of black tea per day had more than a 40 percent lower risk of having a heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers. Tea is a rare source of natural fluoride which inhibits growth of the oral bacteria and enzymes responsible for dental plaque. Tea is also a rich source of manganese, necessary for healthy bones, and of potassium which regulates the heartbeat. Other valuable vitamins and minerals found in tea include vitamins B1, B2, B6, folic acid, and calcium.

4) Powerful Demographic Trends

Over 76 million U.S. baby boomers are looking for products that will help them live longer and feel healthier. There are many reasons why baby boomers are the most receptive group to specialty teas. According to Sage, “for many of these two income, stressed out families, tea represents more than a commodity beverage; it is an affordable way to relax and revitalize while learning about other cultures. Millions of American households will shift to tea as their preferred daily beverage choice during the next three years.”

In the U.S, the 50+ age group numbers 76 million and growing. Every eight seconds another person turns 50. This makes mature consumers the fastest growing segment of the population. By 2010 the 50+ segment in the US will grow by 21 million while the 18-34 age segment will grow by just five million. The mature market is sophisticated and has unprecedented buying power. The number of baby boomers and seniors on the Internet grew by 18.4% in 2001, making them the fastest growing Internet population. The spending habits of older Americans make them one of the most desired markets in the world today. (Excerpt from “Baby Boomers”, Euromonitor International, June 2003)

5) A New Generation of Tea Drinkers

Owners of coffee shops are reporting that younger customers are consuming chai latte in record numbers. In some shops, chai latte sales account for up to 30% of hot beverage revenues. Many coffee shop operators report that chai tea has strong acceptance in college and university towns, because younger consumers are always more open to new products.

Chai is a newer drink with an element of hand-preparedness that puts it on the same level as espresso and latte. Chai is a gourmet beverage with a new kind of pizzazz. The growing popularity of chai among younger people will build a natural market for other specialty teas among this market segment. With tea’s numerous flavors, colors and aromas, hot beverages can be created with much more “personality” than coffee, which will attract even greater attention from young tea drinkers.

Further, Generation “X” consumers are more likely to choose healthy alternatives than were their parents. For example, the rate of young cigarette smokers was much higher 20 years ago than it is today. Young people are making healthier lifestyle choices, and the health benefits of tea will make it a natural preference over coffee for this younger group over the coming decades.

6) Change in U.S. Tea Industry Composition

Coffee and black teas are predicted to lose market share to the specialty tea sector because of the substitution effect. In 1999, Black tea held the highest market share among tea groups at 67%. All others combined accounted for the other 33% as shown on the graph. As of 2004, it can be seen that this composition is already changing dramatically in favor of the other tea categories such as Green, Specialty Estates, Specialty Flavored and Herbal.



By 2010 it is expected that the tea industry will have shifted as illustrated on the accompanying pie chart. This type of change is known as industry cannibalization, and what it means is a significant opportunity for tea entrepreneurs.



Bottom line, the specialty tea market is growing, and will have a lasting financial impact on entrepreneurs that get involved. Timing is essential. With any upward trend, the first to get involved profit the most.

Tea Connexions has been helping entrepreneurs start tea businesses since 2001. To learn about the key benefits we offer, please click here.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

TEN KEY BENEFITS TEA CONNEXIONS OFFERS

(Note, if you have not read the entry, "Who is Tea Connexions", click here)

1. NO MINIMUM ORDERS

Unlike most tea companies, we do not have minimum order policies. In short, you don’t have to order products by the case lot and have the flexibility and freedom to customize your order choosing any variety of the current 200 products we carry in stock.

2. DROP SHIPPING

We will drop ship, regardless of the order size.

3. PRIVATE LABELING

All of our teas, with the exception of the individually wrapped Indian and Chinese tea bags, have the import label on the outside of the packaging. This means you can private label your own teas, even on small orders.

4. ONLINE ORDERING

We have created an online ordering system to make it easier for you to place and pay for your orders.

5. LOYALTY DISCOUNTS

We value your business and depending on the wholesale package you choose, we offer an on-going discount below wholesale to ensure that you maximize your retail profits. The discount we offer ranges from 5.00% to 36.25%.

6. VOLUME REBATES

To further reward your loyalty, we offer volume rebates ranging from 1.25% to 3.75% depending on which wholesale package you choose: Bronze, Silver, or Gold.

7. TRAINING

We offer extensive online training, consisting of more than 500 html pages. The training is included with the Bronze, Silver, and Gold packages and available on a subscription basis for the Agent, Super-Agent, Re-Seller, and Teapreneur packages. This training is an extensive value particularly if you are new to the tea business and need guidance on marketing, business, and tea education. Created in 2001, this training has been constantly updated and even includes a quick start 30 day plan.

8. REFERRAL COMMISSIONS and RESIDUAL COMMISSIONS

Should you choose to just market and sell these wholesale packages, we offer healthy commissions on the sale of the packages and on-going residuals on all the tea orders placed by your wholesale clients.

9. MARKETING TOOLS

As a bonus, we provide you with valuable marketing tools to help you promote your tea business.

10. VALUE ADDED FEE BASE PRODUCTS and SERVICES

Tea Connexions prides itself not only on being a tea supplier, but a full service tea business solution. For this reason, we offer many other value added services including the following: turn-kea tea-commerce websites; marketing materials; and many other design services. Essentially, we can supply pretty much all of your tea marketing needs.

Please CLICK HERE to download a pricing summary of the wholesale packages we offer and the bonuses we include.

Tea Connexions has been importing teas since 1999 and serves customers in both Canada and the United States. US customers are serviced from our warehouse in Upstate, NY while our Canadian customers are serviced from our head office in Kingston, ON.

We offer turn-key tea business solutions and look forward to serving you.

For answers to the top four questions we have been asked over the years, click here.

Drink Tea and Prosper!

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

TOP FOUR QUESTIONS

(Note, if you have not read the entry, "Who is Tea Connexions", click here)

Over the years, we have received many questions about the tea business. We refer to our customers as "members" or "family" because our business is not just about importing and selling tea at wholesale or below wholesale rates, but developing long term business relationships in which we provide training, advice, and expertise to our customers. Every customer is considered a member of our overall buying group and therefore part of our ever expanding family of wholesale customers and distributors that market our teas.

Here are the top four questions and answers.

I. How Do I Market Your Products?

This is probably the most common question we receive. Tea Connexions has been in the tea business since 1999 and has been marketing teas successfully since then.

Presently, the majority of our members are promoting our products through tea and gift channels. Preferred promotion methods include the Internet, Direct Mail, Newspapers, Magazines, and Trade Shows. It is also interesting to note that many members are pursuing other avenues of promotion such as sales through their own gift or tea store, marketing to Real Estate companies as a corporate or thank you gift, tea parties, person to person sales, craft fairs, and referrals through friends and family. One of the unique aspects of this program is the flexibility it offers to members. How our members market the products is up to them. Clearly, our members have chosen many marketing channels and methods.

The most important point I want to make is this:

*****Next to water, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world.*****

This means the market for tea is enormous.

The US market is perhaps one of the biggest markets for tea because it is playing catch up with the rest of the world. The US has gone through the coffee and cigar trend. It is time for tea, literally. The health benefits of tea are generating market demand for tea.

As an independent distributor of tea, your job is simple:

*****To market the teas to this growing market.*****

The marketing approach you take will depend on your experience and comfort level with business. These are the top six marketing methods our members are using:

1. Online Retail Marketing. This is a simple concept. These members promote their websites online and offline, sending potential consumers to their websites.

2. Home Party and Direct Sales. Some members invite friends and family to tea tasting events. It is the *****try before you buy***** method of sales. Guests try different types of teas and then decide on what they like. A variation of this is the handing out of 5 gram samples and then following up with the recipients to find out which teas they liked the most.

3. Mail Order. Through Tea Connexions you can get our most popular catalog which you can use for mail order sales. The key to the success of this strategy is the quality of the list. Our training shows you how you can create a pre-qualified list, therefore creating better sales results.

4. Consumer Trade Shows and Flea Markets. This is a retail sales scenario where you display your product and sell directly to consumers that stop by your booth.

5. Wholesale. This is another very productive sales approach. Using the wholesale training we provide, which includes a downloadable wholesale information package, all you have to do is contact local or regional gift shops, tea shops, health food stores, specialty kitchen shops, etc. and present this information either in person or through mail. One of our Members set up 10 wholesale accounts in less than 30 days. This is truly a success story because this individual worked full time and was on a plane most of the time with their job.

6. Corporate Gift. In a chance meeting with her mortgage broker one of our members sold 200 pieces for more than $3,000 and earned a profit of more than $2,000. All this member did was give her broker our catalog and show her some samples. The broker placed an order, and the rest is history. Real Estate Agents, Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planners, Insurance Agents, Lawyers, Accountants, and any business owner are all potential purchasers of these items because of their uniqueness and high perceived value. Our products are a unique alternative to chocolates and flowers as gifts.

The strategic advantage you have with Tea Connexions is the diversity of our product line. Our product line expands your market opportunities because you can target gift, health, and tea distribution channels.

The most important strategic advantage you gain from Tea Connexions is through our online training which has grown to more than 500 html pages since 2001. Bottom line, our goal is to help you succeed because our success is directly based upon your success. We are with you every step of the way and pride ourselves on the level of training and support we provide.

II. What Are The Primary Reasons Your Members Joined The Tea Connexions Family by purchasing one of your wholesale packages?

1. Unique packaging and high quality products is the top reason our members chose to invest in this opportunity. A great business revolves around unique, high quality products. Our members understand that to build a great business, they need unique, high quality products.

2. The turn key e-commerce solution we offer. E-commerce has become so important because the Internet is such an effective method to promote a business. Tea Connexions has been building websites since 2001. Since we want our members' websites to succeed, we guarantee top-notch service and answers to their website related questions within one to two business days.

3. Long Term Residual Income and Attractive Markup Opportunity. One of the most important keys to successful business is residual income through repeat business. Since our members are able to purchase products at below wholesale, they realize substantial profits through the markups.

4. Marketing Solutions. Through Tea Connexions our members gain access to professional marketing tools to help them grow their business.

5. Training and Support. Mentoring, online training, and periodic conference calls enables our members to gain expert knowledge, education, and get their questions answered so that they can focus on building their tea businesses.

III. What Are The Top Selling Tea Connexions Products?

Gift items tend to be very popular sellers because of their uniqueness and also because of the high markup potential. The unique containers not only make our tea a great gift, but remain a constant fixture in consumers' homes, reminding them to order tea again and again. Overall, however, our full range sells well, particularly the loose teas because they are such a high quality. Our new customers tend to order the 5 gram samplers and tea bags to get started. Because tea is a consumable, you will not only enjoy profits from customers on the first sale, but have the potential for ongoing income through refills.

IV. How Much Money and Profits Can I Earn?

This is a very good question.

Obviously, the income you generate and subsequent profits, will depend on two key factors:

1. Customers.
2. Your Cost of Goods.

With respect to "customers" and getting customers, this is your responsibility. However, unlike most suppliers, Tea Connexions is not just interested in selling you tea. We view all of our customers as part of our family and therefore help you succeed and prosper by providing you with access to training and marketing tools. Our training is designed to help you lay the foundations of a strong business. We provide you with knowledge, all you have to do is use the training and take action to get customers. To help you even further, we also provide marketing tools and other business solutions so that all you have to do is focus all your efforts on sales and marketing.

With respect to "cost of goods", the key to your success is determined by your buying cost. Traditionally, the more you buy, the less your cost. Many of our competitors operate on this premise. Tea Connexions, however, has structured our wholesale program so that you can lock in discounts ranging from 5% to 36.25% below wholesale, simply by making a one time purchase of one of our wholesale packages. Once you purchase one of our packages, your discount is locked in. This is the reason we view all of our customers as part of a buying group. As a group, we have greater purchasing power. Tea Connexions imports by the container load and passes on continual discounts below wholesale to our loyal members/wholesale customers.

If you have further questions, feel free to call me directly, toll free: 1-877-532-3832 ext. 111.

Drink Tea and Prosper!

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

WHO IS TEA CONNEXIONS?

This blog entry provides a short summary of who Tea Connexions is:

LEGAL
PURPOSE
FOUNDER
FIVE KEY NEEDS
MANAGEMENT
GUARANTEE
LEARN MORE (This section is really important, many links to more information)

LEGAL

Tea Connexions, a trade name owned by Connexions Trading International Incorporated (CTI), was formed on November 1, 1994 and officially incorporated March, 1995. We are a privately held federal corporation located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Recently Tea Connexions expanded to the United States, to learn more click here.

PURPOSE

Tea Connexions is a value added supplier of high quality gourmet teas beautifully packaged that markets its products exclusively through Marketing Partners and Distributors who are able to purchase their products at rates below wholesale. Our goal is to create a world-wide tea buying group by offering turn-key tea business solutions.

To learn more about Tea Connexions' journey and origins, click here.

FOUNDER

Our founder, Sanjay Gupta, formed CTI to help Canadian manufacturers market and export their products to the United States and Europe. He represented clients at trade shows, recruited agents, and also worked with buyers from major chain stores playing a key role in closing international deals. Through CTI, Sanjay brokered commodities, beverages, clothing, and other consumables. After extensive research, he developed the plan that enables Tea Connexions to offer the world gourmet teas beautifully packaged.

The creation of Tea Connexions took four years of intensive research, development, and financial investment. All of the hard work and investment it took to launch this program has been worth it. We officially began helping entrepreneurs start tea businesses on August 1, 2001 by offering a business opportunity that filled five key needs.

To learn more about Sanjay, click here.

FIVE KEY NEEDS

The Tea Connexions buying group was created to address five key needs of entrepreneurs, needs which other opportunities did not fill.

1. FREEDOM

Members of the buying group have the freedom to personalize marketing and distribution strategies. True freedom. There are no minimum monthly purchases, royalties, and none of the usual non-sense many opportunities force their customers to adhere to.

2. REAL OPPORTUNITY-LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY

This opportunity is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It is a sustainable, successful business opportunity because it does not depend on the recruitment and sponsorship of distributors. It depends on your individual efforts and how you decide to market the product and build your business.

3. ECONOMIES OF SCALE PRICING

Discounts on products and marketing tools based on the purchasing power of the entire buying group.

4. PRODUCT ORIENTED

Great products with high profit potential because costs are below wholesale, discounts ranging from 5% to 36.25%.

5. CONTROL

Tea Connexions does not control your business. By promoting your own brand and creating a customer base loyal to you and the service you offer, you gain total and complete control over your destiny. The results you attain are based upon your own personal efforts, meaning you reap all the rewards. And since tea is a consumable, you can count on yearly residual income.

MANAGEMENT

Tea Connexions is composed of Executives in Canada and the United States. To learn more please click here.

GUARANTEE

Tea Connexions has been importing since 1999 and guarantees the quality of our products. The key to our success is the fact that we offer Turn Key Tea Business solutions. We are not just your supplier but a partner that has a vested interest in your success. To help you succeed we offer training, marketing tools, and other benefits. This philosophy has resulted in a return rate of less than 1%.

LEARN MORE

Over the years, we have received many questions and requests for specific information from prospective members. The most popular questions are answered below. Click the links for the full articles.

What are some of the tax advantages of starting a business?

What are the most common reasons people decide to start a business?

What are some of the key market statistics about tea?

What are some of the key health statistics about tea?

What is so special about Tea Connexions teas?

How will distributing tea enable me to achieve financial independence?

How do I market tea?


Why do I need a website?

What are the top five reasons I should consider investing in the Tea Connexions business opportunity?

WHY DO I NEED A WEBSITE?

An online presence is essential to building your tea business for three key reasons.

First, your website empowers you to wholesale and retail products. Imagine, with a website you can market to customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Second, you can use your website to educate consumers about the many health benefits of tea, tea growing regions, consumption statistics, tea grading, and preparation. An educated consumer is more likely to make a purchase once they realize the health benefits of drinking tea and understand why our tea is superior quality.

Third, you can use your website to enhance your permission marketing campaign. Sponsoring an online contest is a popular way to begin building a permission marketing database. Contests are a great way to promote product, generate hype, and most importantly gather names of prospective customers.

Permission marketing is less costly and more effective than traditional interruption marketing. Old fashioned, expensive interruption marketing has become less effective because consumers are constantly bombarded with commercial messages. They have stopped listening. Unread junk mail and flyers end up in the garbage. Constant bombardment through television, radio, billboards, the Internet, magazines, direct mail, telemarketing, and newspapers causes consumers to ignore and filter out most of the marketing messages they are exposed to.

Conversely, potential customers pay attention to permission-marketing messages. This system enables you to spend less time marketing to strangers and more time marketing to friendly prospects who look forward to hearing from you. The message becomes personal and relevant, establishing trust between you and prospective customers. Trust, of course, is of paramount importance to online business success.

Now, the big question, how do I get people to go to my website? Simple. Promote! Promote! Promote! The marketing success of your website lies in your ability to promote your website online and offline. But you are not alone. Tea Connexions helps you get your marketing efforts and website off to a good start by providing you with the following benefits:

1. WEBSITE: Your unique domain name (www.yourteaname.com) hosted website. Use your website to promote your business in your local market, process online orders, and handle wholesale orders.

2. BRANDED WEBSITE: You are able to choose the name of your website and domain to reflect the name of your tea company. This enables you to create your own tea brand.

3. SHOPPING CART: We use a proven 5 star rated shopping cart technology to ensure that your store is able to process online orders. The technology we use is MIVA Merchant.

4. DESIGN AND CUSTOMIZATION: Once you have chosen a design layout, your website will be customized to reflect your business name, logo, and contact details.

5. SERVERS: Your website will be hosted on fast, reliable servers with a guaranteed uptime of 99.99%.

6. PAYMENT ACCEPTANCE: Payment solution so you can accept all major credit cards plus e-checks.

7. TRAINING: We provide you step by step guidance on how to get traffic and convert that traffic into revenue and profits.

Tea Connexions has been building websites since 2001 and provides our customers in-house design services. We do this because our goal is to help you succeed in the tea business.

I hope you found this information useful. Feel free to call call me directly, toll free: 1-877-leaftea (532-3832) ext. 111 if you require further marketing guidance.

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

P.S. Over the years, we have received many questions and requests for specific information from prospective members. The most popular questions are answered below. Click the links for the full articles.

What are some of the tax advantages of starting a business?

What are the most common reasons, people decide to start a business?

What are some of the key market statistics about tea?

What are some of the key health statistics about tea?

What is so special about Tea Connexions teas?

How will distributing tea enable me to achieve financial independence?

How do I market tea?


What are the top five reasons I should consider investing in the Tea Connexions business opportunity?

HOW DO I MARKET TEA?

There are many marketing channels that you can market and distribute these products through: booths in malls, consumer shows, tea parties, e-commerce, gift baskets, your own gift or tea shop, fairs and exhibitions, tea-of-the-month clubs, corporate incentives, gift and tea shops, specialty grocery stores and restaurants, book shops, gift basket businesses, university and college campuses.

TEA-MISSION MARKETING

Tea Connexions uses "Tea-mission Marketing" to get customers.

To date, Tea Connexions has given away TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS worth of tea to entrants who have received enough tea to make more than 100,000 cups of tea. This contest enables Tea Connexions to Permission Market and we recommend our members to use this method of marketing as well.

Permission marketing is an efficient, cost effective method of marketing that produces outstanding results. What is "permission marketing"? The concept is simple.

There are two distinct types of marketing.

i) "Interruption marketing" is used to get a prospects attention. Methods of "interruption marketing" include television, radio, telemarketing, flyers, etc. Many companies rely exclusively on this method of marketing.

ii) In contrast, "permission marketing" takes a totally different approach. Permission marketers only market to people that asked to be marketed to.

How is permission marketing applied to the tea business?

I have coined the term, "tea-mission" marketing because we use "permission" marketing extensively to ****turn strangers into friends and friends into customers****.

The key, of course, is to create a list of prospects, which is not that difficult to do. Tea Connexions launched a contest site that gives away tea to build a database of tea consumers. To date, tens of thousands of individuals have entered our contest.

Here's how we built the list.

Step 1: Traffic generation.

Link popularity. I repeat Link Popularity. This is the reason our contest site has done so well. There are 100's of websites linking to our contest site. So many that for many key words this site ranks very high in search engines such as Google. It is interesting to note, that we did not pay anything for these rankings. All we did is spend the time to get as many other web sites to link to our site.

Step 2: Get Permission

We purposely designed this website to be very simple. It is designed so the visitor can easily see the prize and then enter. When someone enters, they give us permission to send them a periodic e-mail announcing winners of the prize valued at over US$150.

Step 3: Tea-Mission Marketing

To keep contest entrants informed of winners, we send newsletters by e-mail and also post it online. This newsletter is also packed full of useful health, tea education, and scrumptious tea recipes. The main purpose of this website is to:

**Create awareness of our product line and company!**

Tea Connexions supplies the prize, maintains and promotes the website, researches and writes the newsletters, and sends traffic to many of our partners websites at no cost to them. Tea Connexions' sponsorship of this contest is just one valuable service our partners benefit from. To learn more about the privileges and benefits of membership visit:

http://www.leafteabiz.com/privileges.html

You can even start a contest on your own tea site and use information from our newsletters to permission market to your database.

Once you are a member, all you have to do is read the section on "Permission Marketing" to learn how you can build a database of enthusiastic tea drinkers. Now, imagine the possibilities...

I hope you found this information useful. Feel free to call call me directly, toll free: 1-877-leaftea (532-3832) ext. 111 if you require further marketing guidance.

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

P.S. Over the years, we have received many questions and requests for specific information from prospective members. The most popular questions are answered below. Click the links for the full articles.

What are some of the tax advantages of starting a business?

What are the most common reasons, people decide to start a business?

What are some of the key market statistics about tea?

What are some of the key health statistics about tea?

What is so special about Tea Connexions teas?

How will distributing tea enable me to achieve financial independence?

Why do I need a website?

What are the top five reasons I should consider investing in the Tea Connexions business opportunity?

HOW WILL DISTRIBUTING TEA ENABLE ME TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE?

For the past couple of years, we have been trying to determine the most important reason entrepreneurs request more information about the "Opportunity is Brewing" program. So far the data shows us that the number one motivation for contacting us is the desire to be "Financially Independent". As CEO of Tea Connexions, I greatly understand this motivation. I have been involved in numerous business opportunities because I sought "Financial Independence" and the fringe benefits it provides: flexibility and freedom to design and control one's own destiny.

At an early age I decided that I wanted to achieve this goal of "Financial Independence". It was a dream. I had no clue how to achieve this dream, but knew I wanted it.

While I was in University I used to watch a lot of late night TV. This is how I got exposed to Anthony Robbins and his infomercial. After seeing the ad about 20 times and how he promised that he would show me the key to achieving "Personal Power" and all the benefits--the major one being Financial Independence--I finally called the toll free line. I remember I was nervous, thinking--how am I going to pay for this on my student budget and why am I doing this? After all, "I thought to myself, I'm educated why do I need these tapes?" I even got "buyers remorse" and almost canceled my order, but decided "what the heck," let's give it a try, I have 30 full days to preview the tape program. I figured if I was not completely satisfied, then I could always return it for a full refund.

I waited six weeks and the tapes arrived. Since I had invested in the tapes, I immediately popped the first tape in and began using the program. The tapes taught me three key lessons:

1) Determine "What You Want". I know, this probably sounds like common sense doesn't it. But, Robbins pointed out that knowing what you want out of life is very important. Essentially, the only way to succeed at anything is to have a defined goal of where you want to be in a certain period of time. In the case of "I want Financial Independence", I forced myself to create a life's "road map" taking me to that destination.

2) "Take Action". Again, this probably seems relatively simplistic, but it is true. The only way to achieve Financial Independence is to make a decision and take action. Only if action is taken, can the dream of Financial Independence be achieved.

3) "Find a Mentor". This was the most important lesson I learned from the program. The quickest way to achieve Financial Independence was to seek out someone who presently is financially independent and duplicate what they have done.

I took his advice. This is how I started my first company. In fact, this is how I got involved in international trade. Without a commerce background and no business experience I decided to set up an export management company. My first client, a manufacturer of a housewares product. A very successful manufacturer who had won numerous marketing awards. This manufacturer sold a world class plastic wrap dispenser. One of the keys to his business plan: RE-SALE of the plastic wrap for his patented dispenser. Today, he is financially free because he continues to profit from plastic wrap re-orders. You might be thinking, what does plastic wrap have to do with tea? It is a consumable.

Early on during my business training, I was exposed to the power of consumables. And because of my desire to pursue international trade, I eventually found myself in India searching for a unique product, but most importantly, a consumable product. That's how I discovered gourmet tea.

Consumables distribution is one of the best ways to achieve financial independence for three key reasons.

1) High Return on Investment (ROI)

Since repeat profits are generated from repeat sales, the ROI should be high. Once the market is built through your sales and marketing efforts, you should continue to reap profits and high returns on your initial investment. In short, the initial investment in building a customer base, should yield a high return over time.

Participation in the "Opportunity is Brewing" program enables you to earn profits guaranteeing a ROI. Bottom line, once your customer base is built and, provided you offer exceptional service, then you should continue to receive repeat orders from your existing customer base. All of our customers gain access to our online training which will show you how to use "permission marketing" to generate sales of $93,600 or more.

2) Time Leverage

Most people earn wages by trading their time for money. In most instances, jobs requiring higher skills or education get higher salaries. The key to Financial Freedom is **not to be paid on an hourly basis**. But, to ***EARN CONTINUOUSLY regardless of the time of day.*** This concept is known as "time leverage". Entrepreneurs know that Financial Independence is only possible if time can be leveraged.

One of the benefits of the "Opportunity is Brewing" program is the turn-key e-commerce solution we offer which enables you to market the teas 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. This means that once the customer base is set up, you can accept orders while you are sleeping, on vacation, participating in volunteer work, working out, attending a class, etc. Participation in the "Opportunity is Brewing" program also empowers you to leverage your time by wholesaling the tea to retailers and/or setting up your own sales force to market your tea brand.

3) Loyal Customers - Strong Brands

Loyal customers are created through high quality product and superior service. Loyalty is the key to long term success and ever growing market share because loyal, happy customers tell their friends. In short, loyalty leads to "word of mouth" advertising which compounds your marketing efforts, leading to more sales and ever increasing profits. The power of loyalty is increased through branding.

Tea Connexions is a value added supplier that markets its products by working with our Marketing Partners. Our goal is only to supply our partners who retail and wholesale the products. Also, membership in the buying group DOES NOT, in any way, restrict you from carrying other tea products. In fact, we encourage our members to carry complimentary lines of products.

The concept of the "Buying Group" gives you the purchasing power similar to large retailers without having to purchase large volumes or commit to monthly purchases. Providing our members discounts below wholesale enables them to reap much larger returns on investment, one of the keys to Financial Independence.

In fact, one of our core goals is to help our members launch their own tea brands. When I started Tea Connexions, the slogan that I ran the business under was "Gourmet Teas in Custom Packaging". "Custom" meaning we can "Private Label" the product with your company name and contact details.

Why is this important? When you create your own brand through your marketing efforts, you will continue to profit from customers loyal to your brand. And since we stand behind the quality of our products, all you have to worry about is providing superior service to your customers.

The path to "Financial Independence" can be achieved through the distribution of consumables. This is the reason the biggest companies in the world manufacture and distribute consumables. Pharmaceutical companies like Johnson and Johnson, Warner Lambert, etc. have made huge sums of money catering to consumers' concerns about health. (Demand for tea, by the way, has been increasing because of its many health benefits). Food and beverage manufacturers and distributors like Nabisco, Kraft, Coca Cola, Kelloggs, Star Bucks, etc. understand the power of consumables. These companies have been able to get huge returns on their marketing investments because they have leveraged their time and created a continuous and loyal customer base by building powerful brand names.

Ask yourself three key questions:

Do I want to achieve my goal of Financial Independence?

Do I think that distributing consumables will allow me to achieve Financial Independence?

Do I think that distributing the consumable, tea, will enable me to achieve Financial Independence?

If your answer is YES, Congratulations! :-)

Simply by making a decision and "taking action", you are on the right path to achieving Financial Independence. Let me be your mentor. I know, starting a business can be kind of scary. I know from experience. But now you have an opportunity to benefit from my years of experience. When I designed this program, I designed it so that it is easy to get started and easy to get results. Don't get me wrong, this is not a get rich quick scheme. I repeat, this is not a get rich quick scheme. In order to achieve your goal of Financial Independence, you will have to formulate a plan and "take action". But keep in mind, Tea Connexions is behind you every step of the way. Our goal is to help you succeed.

Membership in the buying group gives you access to in-depth training, start up product to help you re-coup your investment and earn a profit, and access to marketing tools to help you sell our products.

I look forward to welcoming you to the Tea Connexions family and hope that I can mentor you in your quest to achieve Financial Independence.

I hope you found this information useful. To ask me a question directly, feel free to call toll free: 1-877-leaftea (532-3832) ext. 111.

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

P.S. Over the years, we have received many questions and requests for specific information from prospective members. The most popular questions are answered below. Click the links for the full articles.

What are some of the tax advantages of starting a business?

What are the most common reasons, people decide to start a business?

What are some of the key market statistics about tea?

What are some of the key health statistics about tea?

What is so special about Tea Connexions teas?

How do I market tea?


Why do I need a website?

What are the top five reasons I should consider investing in the Tea Connexions business opportunity?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY HEALTH STATISTICS ABOUT TEA?

According to the Sage Group, the greatest contributing factor to the tea industry's growth in the past two years has been news coverage of tea's health benefits.

Unlike the coffee and cigar trends, distributing tea will not only make you wealthy, but it will positively impact your customers through better health and increased vitality.

These are some of the health benefits driving the increased consumption of tea.

The American Health Foundation recommends we consume 5 - 6 cups daily because . . .

Tea
-contains 1/3 less caffeine than coffee or cola
-helps reduce fatigue
-maintains mental alertness
-stabilizes fluid levels
-is fat free and calorie free

Scientific information from the USDA points out that drinking one cup of tea could make a significant contribution to daily antioxidant intake, equivalent to approximately one serving of vegetables.

The relative amounts of antioxidants in 2 cups of black tea is equivalent to the antioxidants found in 1 glass of red wine or 7 glasses of orange juice or 20 glasses of apple juice.

The antioxidants in tea help prevent . . . cancers of the mouth, stomach, pancreas, lungs, esophagus, colon, breast and prostate.

Tea's flavanoids prevent heart disease by
-reducing blood clotting
-lowering blood pressure
-lowering cholesterol

A study conducted by Harvard University researchers found that those who consumed one or more cups of black tea per day had more than a 40 percent lower risk of having a heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers.

Tea is a rare source of natural fluoride which inhibits growth of the oral bacteria and enzymes responsible for dental plaque.

Tea is also a rich source of manganese, necessary for healthy bones, and of potassium which regulates the heartbeat.

Other valuable vitamins and minerals found in tea include . . . vitamins B1, B2, B6, folic acid, and calcium.

Eating Well Magazine named tea "Beverage of the Year" for its health benefits and mass appeal to consumers searching for an alternative to soft drinks and coffee.

FURTHER RESEARCH ON TEA

FLAVANOIDS ZERO IN ON FREE RADICALS
Flavanoids, the antioxidant found in tea, neutralise free radicals, the molecules that cause cell-damaging chemical reactions. The BBC reported in a 1999 study that consuming one cup of tea daily reduces the risk of heart attack by about 50%. Hot or iced, tea retains its flavanoids, so enjoy it either way.

Tea Council of Canada's annual convention speakers confirmed that both black and green tea have "naturally high levels of antioxidants that may protect against heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancers."

SMILE! AND SHOW OFF THOSE PEARLY WHITES
Tea is a natural source of fluoride which helps fight plaque. One cup of tea contains 0.3 - 0.5 mg of fluoride. Science and News (July 2001) reported a study that found persons who frequently incorporated tea into their daily routine had an enriched store of fluoride in their plaque.

84% of Dentists attending a conference (Dentists 2000) agreed "patients gain oral benefits" from drinking tea.

The British Dental Association states that in some cases drinking tea may represent up to 70% of a persons daily fluoride intake!

TWO CUPS A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
In a 1996 study at Boston Tufts University, published in Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers measured the antioxidants in tea alongside 22 antioxidant rich vegetables and reported that tea leaves have more antioxidants than any vegetable tested, including broccoli, garlic, onions, corn and carrots.

A subsequent study at the Antioxidant Research Center in London, England, published in Free Radical Research, February 1999, showed that the antioxidants in 2 cups of tea are equal to those in 7 glasses of orange juice or 20 glasses of apple juice.

While tea cannot replace vegetables and fruits in a balanced diet, a 170 ml (6 oz.) cup of tea can make a significant contribution to the antioxidants consumed each day.

HEALTH MYTHS ABOUT TEA:
MYTH #1: Coffee and tea have the same amount of caffeine.
Fact: Tea has only one-third to one-half the caffeine of the same amount of coffee. Most people can drink up to 10 or 12 cups of tea a day and stay within the caffeine limits recommended by nutritionists.

MYTH #2: Herbal teas are the most healthy teas.
Fact: Herbal beverages are not actually teas, but tisanes or infusions. Although herbal blends can have similar relaxing and aromatic qualities, the research on tea and health does not apply to herbal infusions.

MYTH #3: Green tea is better for you than black tea.
Fact: Green and black teas come from the same Camellia Sinensis plant, and both teas are rich in flavonoids. Research shows that black and green tea have comparable antioxidant benefits. The antioxidants in tea have been linked to a range of health benefits. In fact, at the Second International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health in 1998, scientists reported that drinking tea may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and cut the risk of some cancers, including stomach, lung, colon, skin and oral cancers. This new research has been published in Proceedings of the Society For Experimental Biology and Medicine, April 1999.

MYTH #4: Tea is a diuretic.
FACT: If five or six cups of tea are drunk in one sitting, then yes there will be a diuretic effect because of the accumulated caffeine consumption. However, keep in mind that the caffeine content of one cup of coffee is equivalent to three cups of tea. Tea drinking throughout the day is recommended because it contributes to alertness and the constant hydration of one's body.

MYTH #5: Green tea contains no caffeine
FACT: Black and green teas are produced from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, so both naturally contain some caffeine, though much less than coffee.

ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO DRINK TEA: DIABETES PREVENTION
According to scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture tea can be an effective weapon in the fight against diabetes because it boosts insulin activity in the body by more than 15-fold.

DRINK TEA FOR STRONGER BONES
A study conducted in Taiwan of 497 men and 540 women, ages 30 years and above, concluded that habitual tea consumption for more than a decade increased total-body bone mineral density (BMD). Researchers found that men and women with a greater than 10-year tea habit had denser bones than the other participants, regardless of the type or amount of tea they consumed each day.

TEA'S BENEFITS TO THE HEART
A Dutch study has found tea drinking seems to protect people against heart disease. The survey of almost 5,000 people over 55 found those who drank a lot of it had about half the risk of a heart attack.

A Harvard Medical School study of 1900 heart attack patients concluded that heavy tea drinkers--those who consumed about 19 cups of tea each week--were 44% less likely to die than patients who did not drink tea, and moderate tea drinkers were 28% less likely to die for up to 4 years regardless of other medical and lifestyle factors.

TEA AND PROSTATE CANCER
Researchers at the MAYO Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota hypothesize that a substance in Green Tea, epigallocatechin gallate also known as EGCG is potent in inhibiting the growth of prostate cancer cells.

THE STRONGEST ANTIOXIDANT
Research at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas shows that EGCG is the "strongest of all" the antioxidants - more than 100 times as effective at soaking up free radicals than vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E.

Antioxidants are thought to help prevent the development of diseases, like cancer because they mop-up free radicals -- byproducts of the body's metabolic processes. Left alone, it is believed that free radicals damage cellular DNA, which may in turn trigger disease.

TEA AND FERTILITY
A study of 210 women who were trying to conceive, by Researchers in Oakland, California found that those who drank as little as half a cup of tea each day were twice as likely to become pregnant as women who did not drink tea.

TEA AND ULCERS
Research has shown that most ulcers are caused by the bacteria known as helicobacter pylori. Today, ulcers are treated with common antibiotics because they eradicate this bacteria. Researchers in Japan found that catechins, a substances found in tea also appear to have antibacterial activity against helicobacter pylori. It is also believed that since helicobacter pylori is one of the causes of stomach cancer, then consuming tea every day reduces the risk of gastric cancer.

I hope you found this information useful. To ask me a question directly, feel free to call toll free: 1-877-leaftea (532-3832) ext. 111.

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

P.S. Over the years, we have received many questions and requests for specific information from prospective members. The most popular questions are answered below. Click the links for the full articles.

What are some of the tax advantages of starting a business?

What are the most common reasons, people decide to start a business?

What are some of the key market statistics about tea?

What is so special about Tea Connexions teas?

How will distributing tea enable me to achieve financial independence?

How do I market tea?


Why do I need a website?

What are the top five reasons I should consider investing in the Tea Connexions business opportunity?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY MARKET STATISTICS ABOUT TEA?

General Market Statistics

-US trade statistics report 236 million kilograms (519 million pounds) of tea imports per year.

-646,575 kilograms (1.42 million pounds) of tea is consumed per day in the United States.

-Five out of six North Americans drink tea.

-The average North American consumes one cup of tea per day.

-The average North American consumes 800 grams (1.76 pounds) of tea each year.

-The American tea industry projects sales of $15 billion by 2012 a huge increase considering sales were only about $4.6 billion in 1999.

-Tea consumption will continue to increase as health-conscious consumers choose tea for its medicinal benefits.

Specialty Tea Market Statistics

The market niche for Tea Connexions' products is specialty teas-high quality, high end teas that produce a much superior cup of tea. We specialize in Leaf Grade teas from India, the world's largest producer and exporter of tea. We import superior teas, specializing in Darjeeling, the "Champagne of Teas."

Ten years ago, no one would have dreamed that consumers would pay $4.00 for a cup of specialty coffee. The following statistics show that the market for specialty teas is growing. As a member of the Tea Connexions buying group, you can profit from this trend. You can be the supplier who satisfies growing market demand for specialty teas.

-Specialty tea will represent the fastest growing segment of the tea industry over the next decade. According to Joseph P. Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA, Inc., this segment has the capability of doubling its volume over the next five years and might grow at an even faster pace. Simrany believes the trend to specialty tea is following on the heels of a similar expansion in the coffee industry. Today, specialty coffee counts for a third of total coffee sales and an even larger percentage of the profits.

-According to the fourth edition "U.S. Tea is 'Hot' Report," released by Sage Group International LLC a glut of lower grade commercial grade tea is being overshadowed by increased demand for higher-end specialty teas.

-According to the Sage Group, the greatest contributing factor to the tea industry's growth in the past two years has been news coverage of tea's health benefits.

-Baby boomers are the most receptive group to specialty teas. According to Sage, "for many of these two-income, stressed out families, tea represents more than a commodity beverage; it is an affordable way to relax and revitalize while learning about other cultures." Sage researchers believe that "millions of American households will shift to tea as their preferred daily beverage choice during the next three years."

-Bill Waddington, owner of Tea Source in St. Paul, MN believes that Americans are susceptible to food trends. He believes the wave towards tea "will have a longer-lasting impact (than coffee or cigars) because it is the only one that is good for you-it is the only truly luxury gourmet food in the world that has lasting effects on the health of the consumer and that is also of remarkable value."

Bottom line, the specialty tea market is growing, and will have a lasting financial impact on entrepreneurs that get involved. Timing is essential. With any upward trend, the first to get involved profit the most.

I hope you found this information useful. To ask me a question directly, feel free to call toll free: 1-877-leaftea (532-3832) ext. 111.

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

P.S. Over the years, we have received many questions and requests for specific information from prospective members. The most popular questions are answered below. Click the links for the full articles.

What are some of the tax advantages of starting a business?

What are the most common reasons, people decide to start a business?

What are some of the key health statistics about tea?

What is so special about Tea Connexions teas?

How will distributing tea enable me to achieve financial independence?

How do I market tea?


Why do I need a website?

What are the top five reasons I should consider investing in the Tea Connexions business opportunity?