Tell us a bit about your business (about The Seed and Boutique for the Soul) ?

Boutique for the Soul was launched in May of 2007 and is an organization that supports and connects women in business.

We do this through producing events or partnering with other events or organizations to allow for women business owners to meet their potential customers face to face and build their businesses through building their relationships first.

We educate women on promoting themselves as their best asset so the consumer builds a relationship with the person and not just the product or service. Since its inception, BFTS has produced over 300 events and has assisted thousands of women business owners in getting the support they need to build a sustainable business.

The Seed is an “off-shoot” of the BFTS concept. We saw the need for women to have everything they need to manage their business in one place, virtually. Creating a virtual space where women and women in business can be connected with the resources that they need at the time they need them AND the way they need it (social profiling) has never been done before. Just think Facebook meets Match.com, meets Monster…and then add classified ads, events (post or register), non-profit collaboration (donate, volunteer, event postings), managing your other social accounts from one place…and much more!

What were you doing for a living prior to starting your own business?

I have been en entrepreneur for over 10 years now and in the workforce for 20+ years. My background consists of home sales, lending, marketing, sales, fundraising and strategy execution. Prior to BFTS, I had a consultancy that worked with some of the major US banks in creating and executing sales & marketing strategies for their high-end sales representatives.

In your business you meet many business owners. Based on your observations, what are some of the characteristics of successful business owners (what separates them from the others)?

You have to treat what you are doing like a business and NOT a hobby. If you do not have a plan, budget or strategy, you are in a hobby, not a business. A great quality in a successful business owner is that they know to surround themselves with the resources and experts that manage the tasks that they themselves are not good at managing. You need experts in your business to assist you in making the right decisions. It is hard to admit that you may not know it all…but once you do admit it, you will be so grateful to have experts in your life and business to do the things you do not like or have the knowledge to accomplish correctly.

What has been your biggest hurdle so far and how did you overcome it ?

Teaching business owners that they are the ones responsible for their success has been the largest hurdle to climb. Business owners need to be accountable for the actions that they take to be successful and they need to do everything that they can to make each and every task that they do valuable. Learning from mistakes and growing from every experience will assist you in growing personally and professionally. Business is not just going to come to you. You will need to work hard at everything you do to earn it!

How can business owners benefit from becoming a member of one of your businesses?

Just getting out and meeting or connecting with people is a benefit in itself. If you add to that the instruction, education and guidance given by our organizations along with the opportunities that are presented (which you most likely would have not received otherwise), you will be that much farther ahead than your competitors. Both BFTS and The Seed accomplish these goals.

What is the best advice you have ever received about running a business?

The best advice I have received is to find a mentor early on in your business. It is free and experienced advice. Creating in a bubble is dangerous to the success of your business. A mentor or team of advisors will assist you in bouncing ideas and concepts off those who have the past experience and knowledge to lead you in the right direction.

Finally, your five keys to success?

1. Love what you do…wake up every morning with a smile.
2. Put others first…karma does exist for those who give more than get
3. Be honest with others and yourself…learn from your experiences even if they are not all positive.
4. Work hard…nothing comes for free.
5. Balance your work and life so you can reap the rewards of both!

Sites Of Interest

http://www.theseedconnection.com/


This interview was published on 3rd September 2009


Visit Erin’s website to get more information about her business

To read more stories about women in the service based industry click Idea Home Based Service Business

A lifelong study of the art, science and passion of eating good-for-you-food has given Deb a vast knowledge of food and healthy living choices. Deb Bixler now offers diet and lifestyle coaching – she teaches common sense solutions to weight management. Read and Be Inspired !!!

Can you tell us a bit about your business ?

As a 30-year veteran of the hospitality business, I retired from the corporate world in 2000 to start my home party plan business. I used this business as a transition tool to gradually move into what I love and that is teaching people how to live healthy through whole food and natural eating choices.

In the process, I found another niche that I am exceptionally good at, which is home party sales. After leaving my corporate job and replacing my income in only nine months, I began training my own sales team and eventually started training other home party plan and direct sales professionals as well. I am still active in my direct sales company and also present workshops for corporations, schools, organizations and direct sales companies and team leaders as well. My mission is to change the quality of family life through creative education in the area of healthy living and home business solutions.

Based on your experience as a professional speaker, can you give us a couple of tips for growing the business (basically to someone who has just entered the professional speaking field or thinking of entering this line of business) ?

• Focus on your passions. Speaking to groups is easier and more exciting for the audience when you are passionate about the information you are presenting.
• Most people never begin public speaking because they are to busy writing speeches. Just write your speech titles and get started. Don’t wait until you have all your speeches written out. Write out three snappy titles reflecting your passions and then three subtitles which are more descriptive and start booking your events. The process of finding gigs will determine if you have viable topics. If you write the speeches first you may be wasting your time, as there might not be a market for them. The “booking” process will also give you a better idea of the needs and open up new ideas for other speeches you may be qualified to present.
• Give your best presentation every time. Even if there are only one or two people in the room, give them the best. This will happen as you gain experience. Remember that a good program for one or two people will generate a packed house for another program. A lackluster program because the room is empty or a cancellation will result in more cancellations for the future.

If you had your time to live over again is there anything you would do differently in your business ?

Most likely I would make the same mistakes over again.

If you could name just one key ingredient for success in the home party business, what would that be ?

I can not narrow it down to one. The key ingredients to success for any business are study, action, and commitment.

The home party plan business model is simple, yet only 20% of the people who start a home party plan business succeed in reaching their expectations. One of the biggest mistakes that home party plan reps make is that they do not take the time to go through job training. When you get a job at a department store and you only want to work 1 day a week, they still require you to train for 7-10 days before going to the one day per week schedule.

In HPP many people start by scheduling 1-2 shows in a month and then wonder why they are not “getting bookings”. Studying your chosen trade and taking advantage of the many resources available to you in the direct sales industry will assure success.

What’s the smartest bit of marketing you’ve ever done?

When I first started my home business I started marketing with enthusiasm. My goal was one new booking a day. In order to make that happen I asked 10 people a day. Everyone who quits a home party plan business does so because they do not have enough bookings. (They may say they are busy, having a baby or some other popular excuse and yet the fact is that if they had tons of bookings in those situations they would continue in their business.) Smart marketing requires using every lead generation systems available. Most home party businesses focus only on two sources of leads:

1. The home party
2. Friends, family and acquaintances

I practiced and now teach creative marketing. My training program “Power UP For Professional Results” is the marketing system I used to fill my calendar in 9 months.

That was pretty smart marketing and yet I think that I may be in the middle of a marketing program now that exceeds that one. The “6 Weeks To The New You” program is a natural online weight loss “camp”. The program includes day-by-day step-by-step changes sent by email which are supported by phone calls from me. I am available as the dieter’s personal coach during the program. The program is a guided tour through articles, videos, cooking lessons, etc. online. Everyone who has finished the program has lost 8-33 lbs. in 6 weeks.

I was approached in mid-October by a nationally known retail “club” and asked me to package it for retail sales. Since it is a “virtual” product, an overview CD, retail packaging and “Club” type (required) shipper boxes were designed for the club. The plan was to sell the overview CD at the “Club” stores. Inside the retail package would be a card with an activation code to activate their online diet coach. The program was developed and designed specifically for the club and after creating, designing and paying for 1000 units the company backed out of the deal. All 1000 units are in my basement!

I am now in the process of marketing it to cover costs and have placed it in five local stores. I am looking forward to marketing it during the New Year diet season and ordering another 1000 units quickly!

What do you believe is your greatest business achievement so far?

I developed a home party plan business in 9 months that replaced my 30 year career. For 5 years I used the HPP business as my primary source of household income.

Finally, your five keys to success ?

1. Study: If you are not growing then you are falling behind.
2. Honesty/Integrity: You must only engage in events or transactions that benefit all involved.
3. Commitment: You can only fail when you stop.
4. Action: Without action you have no business.
5. Positive Attitude: As Americans, we have many things to be grateful for. Good or bad, every situation has something good in it.

Sites Of Interest

http://www.DebBixler.com





This interview was published on 2nd April 2009


Visit Deb’s website to get more information about her business


To read more stories about women in the service based industry click Idea Home Based Service Business

I understand you started your career as a graphic designer. How and why did you move from graphic designing to setting up a successful publishing house ?

I was finalizing a beautiful 16-page product catalog for a big corporate client one morning in late November of 1998. Six-week-old MacKenzie was on my lap, her 15-month-old brother Wyatt was holding on to my chair, as I reviewed the catalog on my computer screen. That’s when it hit me.

Flipping through the pages I realized-I had created the packaging for every single product in there from scratch, and for what? My name, my design company’s name, wasn’t in there anywhere! It would pay a few mortgage payments and end there while I helped my clients build their legacy. It was like an electric shock of pride, and pain.

I had poured so much heart into the designs, and had juggled all that time with my family-spending more on the client than with the kids. In that moment I decided the next catalog I designed would be filled with OUR products. Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing was born in that nanosecond-so that all of my efforts would be building something bigger, for them.

Now we have a catalog of over a hundred of our own products, all by moms just like me who sit at their computers with a baby on their lap and a toddler at their knee working hard to hang on to both their kids, and their career dreams.

If you had to pick one big obstacle you faced in the initial days, what was that and how did you overcome that obstacle ?

Financing. Paying for print runs, postage, office supplies, personnel, and the costs of distribution can be mind-boggling. As a graphic designer I was paid, as a publisher I pay for everything! What I had to do was create two business models – one that financed the other. My consulting business provides an array of packaging services for authors and entrepreneurs plus an unbeatable level of expertise in publishing and promotion.

Meanwhile in my “Random House for Moms” model, the cost of running an independent press outweigh the profit for now-but we’re leveraging technology, seizing changes in the industry, and making headway towards that elusive bestseller. Until then, I simply continue to take what I love to do and offer it in various ways to those who need it-breaking even financially, but raising brand equity exponentially.

What do you believe is your greatest business achievement so far ?

Branding myself with clarity. I knew who I wanted to work with (creative, energetic, positive moms), what I wanted to provide (an unparalleled publishing experience that included my passion for design which could elevate moms to the level of the multi-million dollar corporate suits I used to work for!), and I always had a clear vision for the future.

I remember when I caught up to my journals-where I would brainstorm my future projects. For many years it was, “…someday I’ll create a line of keepsake boxes to hold women’s dreams, someday I’ll write a book from the publisher’s perspective to inspire writers, someday I’ll attract the most amazing writer whose book will change the world.”

WellŠcheck off the first two, and the third comes out in November! Because I had created such a powerful magnet-by contributing to the community of moms for so many years, seeking out the pillars of the community and helping them so they could help others-I attracted the most amazing book pitch, ever. When I responded with unabashed fervor the author wrote back, “I have to tell you, I was beginning to despair that I would never find someone interested in a mom’s point of view.” I danced around my office for days. That author is Gina M. Bennett, mom of five and senior counterterrorism analyst for the US Intelligence Community.

She wrote the first warning of Bin Laden in 1993 and had led analysis on the biggest, most widely discussed declassified documents since. Her book, “National Security Moms,” draws a powerful parallel between national security and parenting that encourages us all to get engaged and create a better future for our children. CNN correspondent Peter Bergen, author of “The Osama bin Laden I Know,” has endorsed the book wholeheartedly and we are preparing for a wild ride through its release this fall!

There are many moms who want to be authors. You probably get a lot of requests to publish a book. You obviously can’t pick every book request you get. Can you briefly tell us what some of your important selection criteria are to pick a book to publish?

First I want to say there are many, many publishing options and the first step is to match the writer’s goals with the perfect option for them. This may be guiding them to a quickie do-it-yourself online option. Or it could be helping them create a fancy 30-page book proposal to get a literary agent and land a major publishing deal. Or it may be our transparent Imprint program which is a creative step above self-publishing underneath our umbrella.

Or it may be as a Wyatt-MacKenzie author-here’s what a great pitch to us includes:

• An unforgettable book title and descriptive subtitle, with a short 100-200 word description;
• Reviews from peers, experts, colleagues, anyone who has provided input on your manuscript;
• Links to show me the platform you have builtŠyour website, blog, articles you’ve written or been quoted in, radio interviews, podcasts you get the idea. Publishing a book is more than writing it, an author must be prepared to create a thriving community around her topic, efforts and message;
• A marketing plan which shows me who you plan to reach, how you plan to contact them, when you will pitch them, and what you will pitch;
• Read “A Book is Born” and visit abookisborn.com to learn more about all of this.

And, for any agent or publisher you pitch, it’s wise to get to know as much as you can about them. When writers pitch me beginning with, “Dear Sir,” I delete. When writers pitch my office companion by name, I am amused and impressed.

Apart from publishing books, you also run a print magazine. You must be one busy lady. What is your number one stress relief tactic ?

We’re no longer doing the magazine monthly-to relieve that stress and still benefit from my effort for those years in the middle of the mompreneur boom I created four volumes of the “Best of” Mom’s Business Magazine. They still sell well on Amazon years later as many of the women I wrote about have since grown multi-million dollar well-known companies and we have their first Oprah green-room story! I’m still busy publishing 6-10 books a year, and 6-10 imprints a year-and my number one stress relief is journaling.

If I didn’t journal, I think my head would explode. Sometimes it’s a purging of the frustrating moments, sometimes it’s sketching wildly creative marketing campaigns I could never afford. And while the action is cathartic, what’s left behind is a magical journey of seeds being planted days, weeks, months, yearsŠa decade before they sprout, seemingly out of nowhere until I look back and see their source. This process of self-validation, of pulling a journal off the shelf and realizing, “Wow, I did it,” gets me through the most stressful of days.

Which is your favorite book of all time ?

The book on my shelf that is the most tattered and torn is Christine Baldwin’s “Life’s Companion” – I use it often. It’s a tool in the previous stress relief exercise! When I am overwhelmed I grab my journal and this book and curl up with a view of the mountains, flip open a page at random, and find something there to meditate, and write, on. It’s my literary Magic 8-Ball.

Next to this on the shelf is Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way,” and next to that Gail McMeekin’s “12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women.” I suppose as a publisher of books I should list the award-winning novels of our time, but these are the books I use, they have accompanied me and pushed me down this lonely entrepreneurial path.

Finally, your five keys to success?

1. Patience: Everything great takes time.
2. Plan & Build a Platform – think ahead, imagine the future so you can create it, contribute to the community so you can be part of it. This doesn’t take money, it takes creativity and energy.
3. Playing – make sure your work brings you joy and gets you so excited you dance around like a kid at times.
4. Publicity & Pitching – the greatest way to get publicity is to learn how to pitch.
5. The Pull of Positive Energy – you have the power to always react and engage positively, do it.

Sites Of Interest

http://www.wymacpublishing.com/

This interview was published on 15th February 2009


Visit Nancy’s website to get more information about her self publishing book company business

To read more stories about women in the service based industry click Home Based Service Business

Can you tell us a bit about your business and how you got the idea to start this business?

Women Like Us – a multi-award-winning social enterprise – was founded in 2004 and supports women with children to find flexible work and helps employers source experienced, part-time staff. The enterprise was conceived by myself and partner Emma Stewart when, as employers ourselves, both Emma and I were looked to employ part time support but really struggled to find the right candidate.

Inspired by other employers facing the same dilemma, we began to look to the school mums around us and realised here were many potential employees – women wanting to return to work but who lacked the confidence or access to services to support them.

Recognising the hidden potential of this unique ‘school-gates’ network, we began to nurture the idea of an enterprise that could put employers in touch with these women, and provide both parties with the support they needed to make sure the relationships Women Like Us brokered were lasting ones.

Once women register with Women Like Us they are able to access our coaching and recruitment services. These services provide a one-stop shop from coaching and referrals, to skills workshops, and ultimately the contacts and job opportunities to work both flexibly and locally – from school gates to salaries.

To date we have now supported over 6,000 women to return to work – a success which is underpinned by Women Like Us’ ability to match the right candidate with the right job.

What were some of the problems you faced in the start up phase ?

The biggest problem was probably the speed at which we grew when we were first setting-up. We had under-estimated the power of the school network and how fantastic women are at word-of-mouth PR! Before we knew it we had a continual stream of women registering with Women Like Us but we needed time to consolidate our systems, staff and ensure we had the right employers on board to match the women with.

We needed to keep our minds focused on our business plan and objectives and resist the temptation to let the business grow at such a rapid pace. And by doing this it wasn’t long before we could control growth at a more realistic, but still positive rate.

Did you ever want to give up?

Because Women Like Us has grown so rapidly and this growth has been both exciting and challenging, there has never been time to even think about giving up! Also Women Like Us is doing something I feel so passionately about that I cant imagine a job I would love more. If ever I do have a bad day where I feel frustrated or over-loaded, I only need listen to a woman telling us of the difference her new job has made to her life and it all makes sense again, why I’m doing what I’m doing.

What is the most enjoyable part of your day ?

I think it’s that moment when I can change into a different gear – first thing in the morning, when the children are safely deposited in schools and childcare and I reach the office and get behind my desk. It’s like placing a different head on my body at that moment of switching on the computer – I’m back to being Karen Mattison, Business Woman and Mum as opposed to just Mum!

What is the best advice you ever received about running a business?

My advice would centre around the actual setting-up of a business – and it would be to look at all the detail involved in running an actual business. Many people launch themselves in to business-planning by looking at the big picture only – the idea, the vision, the outcome. It’s essential whilst nurturing your dream into reality that you also consider all the detail that comes with it – for instance: who’s going to look after the children if you have to work evenings?

Will you be able to exist if the first few years don’t yield a salary? Have you researched every aspect of your market? Ensuring you consider all the finer points will make for a smoother transition into becoming a business entrepreneur.

Have you got a couple of tips for mums looking to getting back into workforce ?

Think about both the skills and experience you had before you had children, but also, importantly, the skills you have gained by being a mum – there will be many that you hadn’t even realized you’d gained!

Consider how you would like to work and what would fit around your family lifestyle – what kind of hours? Would you prefer local employment? Do you want a career change or would you like to return to your previous employment.

If you’re looking for some guidance on confidence-building, honing skills or help with changing careers a great next step is to talk to a Career Coach – so it might be worth taking a look at womenlikeus.org.uk and seeing how we might be able to help you on your journey back to work!

Finally, your five keys to success?

Succeeding both running a business and being a mum is a huge juggling act – but one that can be incredibly rewarding and positively challenging. My tips for success as a mum in business would include:

1. Network! Women are champions of communication, so use this to your benefit
2. Ensure you achieve the right work-life balance that works for you
3. Think creatively – don’t always seek a traditional solution to a problem
4. Find a career or business idea where you best use your skills and where you can continue to develop professionally
5. And lastly, be adaptable to change – as your children grow no doubt will your needs and your availability to work – continually re-asses what working lifestyle is right for you

Sites Of Interest

http://www.womenlikeus.org.uk/home.aspx


To read more small business ideas click Home Based Service Business


This interview was published on 15th January 2009


Visit Karen’s website to get more information about her small business ideas.

You started your business in 1979. You have won numerous awards and your products have sold well both in Australia and Internationally. Can you tell us a bit about what is next for your company ?

WE have sold a major part of our business – the Ash Quarry library of 288 titles to VEA (Training Point.Net an Australian company). My main company, Seven Dimensions, will continue to produce programs and this year has been busy producing the following new titles:

• THE JOB INTERVIEW SUCCESS SERIES – with 14 DVDs to help job seekers SELECTION INTERVIEW SKILLS – 12 DVDs DIFFICLUT PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS – 5 new titles we are filming now
• My own personal company Eve Ash Pty Ltd is producing a TV series called Family Secrets.
• And for VEA, the buyers of the Ash Quarry business, we have produced 18 new programs and will be filming another 8 new titles for them at the end of the year.
• I also have another production company – called inhouse productions – and we are producing a sitcom and a mocumentary staring Mary-Anne Fahey.






If you had your time again, is there anything in business that you would do differently ?

YES – if I am made a good or reasonable offer I would accept it straight away rather than always thinking I MIGHT do better with someone else. And to recognise that an offer is tangible, although not perhaps what you wanted or believe to be the value, whereas a desired amount means nothing!






Not every business person succeeds in taking the business to the next level. Some business people aspire to take their business to the next level but continue to stay small. Do you think that the level of success of a business has something to do with the mindset of the person running it ?

MINDSET WORDS THAT CAN SET US BACK USUALLY FEATURE WORDS LIKE: “Maybe” “Possibly” “Later” What we need to do is focus on getting things done now and action words like “will do” “Make happen” “Now”.





If you can give us one quote that you live your life by, what would that be?

“Just get it done ! – No matter how hard it feels – you will feel good when you have achieved the goal!”






In one of your articles you talk about how we can all learn to become positive thinkers (if we are not already one).Can you give us a couple of tips on how we can do this?

1. Recognise where you think negatively
2. Focus on what is good, what works, what feels right and what will make you happy
3. Stop reliving bad feelings, bad times, lack of results, wishing you had more/better etc
4. Tell yourself what you can do, why it is good for you, how to get yourself motivated
5. Take some action – even small – to clean up your act (mentally and
   physically)
6. Do some exercise – it really does help to move you to a more positive place
7. Change a bad habit – eg leaving things for the last minute, being late, not dealing ith an avalanche of paperwork or emails
8. Enjoy what you achieve and stop punishing yourself for what you do not get done






What do you believe is your greatest business achievement (so far) ?

Surviving 30 years in my own business!





Finally, your five keys to success ?

1. Focus on what you want to achieve and be clear about your goals.
2. Talk to wise people and tell them your plans and be open to critical feedback.
3. Develop good relationships with staff, suppliers and clients.
4. Be open and flexible to grab opportunities.
5. Give and smile.










Sites Of Interest

http://www.eveash.com.au/





To read more about business ideas for women click Home Based Service Business


This interview was published on 27th December 2008


Visit Eve’s website to get more information about her business idea….

]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/business-ideas-for-women/feed/ 1 http://www.dotcommothers.com/day-care-business-idea/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/day-care-business-idea/#comments Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:50:57 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=355 My guest today is Allison Toney of Family Day Care Marketing. Allison runs a home based child day care business. Allison used her offline business knowledge to create a successful online business as well. And this is what makes Allison’s story so special. Today, Allison runs two businesses – an online one and an offline one. In her offline world, she runs a successful family day care business.

In her online world she provides marketing and advertising support to other day care providers. There is a lot we can all learn from her success story. The online world offers lot of business opportunities. Most people shrug off the online world thinking that their business is not suited for that sector. But do what Allison did and whatever your business, explore the online potential. Read Allison’s story, be inspired and implement her suggestions.






Can you tell us a bit about your child day care marketing business ?

In addition to running a home daycare business, I also operate several online businesses. One of which is my main website (a marketing resource hub for home daycare providers). Long story short, I’ve parlayed my years of experience in the home daycare arena and taken it online to encourage the masses. lol






How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Well oddly enough, I never really set out to start a home based daycare business. My plan was to stay home with my little chicklet and feather the nest while hubby brought home the worms… I mean bacon. My neighbors on the other hand had different plans for me (the town baby wrangler). It seemed like every other week someone came a knockin’ with a youngin’ in one hand and a checkbook in the other. I was like the little old lady in the shoe. Of course I was much younger and firmer back then. (batting lashes)

Talk about potential. My market was literally banging down my door. Doesn’t the saying go… “Find a starving market and give them what they want”? Well in my case, the starving market found me.

So I decided to get my business affairs in order and turn this opportunity into a business.

As far as the online aspect goes, I figured if I could some how organize the thoughts and resources rattling around in my head into something useful and cohesive, maybe I could help another mom out there with dreams of returning home to feather her nest. The rest is history.





I understand that you are a bit of a marketing geek… Can you tell us the most effective bit of marketing you have ever done?

I would have to say quality “Article Marketing”.

• You’re seen as an expert (the go to gal) in your field or industry
• You get one way back links to your website which means better search engine rankings
• You continue to reap the benefits well into the future
• It doesn’t have to cost you a dime

For example, all things being equal. Say you’re in the market for a home office organizer or consultant. While doing some online research you come across two local gals, the first with no articles to speak of, the second with say a modest 3 under her belt…

• 5 Steps To Home Office Organization
• How To Choose The Perfect Who-Z-What’s-It For Your Home Office
• Top 3 Ways To Store Your Files In Style

Who gets your business?

If you can come up with 7 tips that are relevant to your target market, you can have your first article written before your head hit’s the pillow tonight.






What is your number one stress relief tactic ?

Nothing beats curling up with a hot pot of tea and a good book. Even if I can’t get my cup of tea in, I still like to get in a good 10-15 minutes of reading before bed.





Apart from the obvious that you need to love kids, what are some of the prerequisites for a mum to start a family day care centre ?

As far as I know it’s not written in stone anywhere, but it really helps to be a self starter, organized, creative, & most of all patient.





What is the most rewarding thing about your business ?

Hands down, being my own boss! I often wonder why I didn’t figure this whole “Work-at-home” thing out a lot sooner. lol





Finally, your five keys to success?

1. As a self-proclaimed “Marketing Geek” I’d be remiss if I didn’t stand high upon my well worn soapbox and yell… “NEVER STOP MARKETING!” Without clients, you have not a business, but a hobby. I know, I know, no one wants to come off as a used car sales man… or sales lady I should say. Find what works for YOU and work IT.
2. Feel the fear and keep moving forward. I promise you, it will be ok. Just remember the little engine that could. I think I can… I think I can… I think I can… The more you practice moving through your fears, the more your business will begin to blossom and produce the kind of results, opportunities and fulfillment that you desire & deserve.
3. Realize that you’re not an expert in “every” area of your business. Do what YOU do best and outsource the rest!
4. Do what puts you closest to the $$$. If churning out X number of cloth diapers is what puts dinner on the table, why waist time fiddling around with the graphics on your website? Please re-read Success Key #3. Lol Sometimes you just have to literally ask yourself… “Does this take me towards meeting my financial goals, or does this distract me from meeting my financial goals?”
5. Have some sort of an online presence. I don’t care if you monogram custom hair bows from your home office in the basement next to the furnace, there’s still room for YOUR business online. No excuses!








Sites Of Interest

http://www.familydaycaremarketing.com




This interview was published on 8th September 2008


Visit Allison’s website to get more information about her day care business….


To read more stories about women in the service based industry click Idea Home Based Service Business

]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/day-care-business-idea/feed/ 1 http://www.dotcommothers.com/holiday-home-rentals/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/holiday-home-rentals/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:08:10 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=291 My guest today is Wendy Shand of ‘TotsToFrance’. Tots to France was set up by Wendy Shand, mum of two, in April 2006 as a holiday home rentals agency with a range of family friendly properties throughout France. She has now expanded into Italy….All her holiday home listings are child friendly – enclosed pools, locks on low windows, cleaning chemicals locked away etc etc…

Wendy takes out all the worry of finding a good accommodation for families with kids. Her agency personally supervises each of the properties and only lists the best ones – Most of the properties are beautiful period properties – NOT padded cells. Wendy’s business has been expanding rapidly – She won the Mother@work Best Mumpreneur Award 2007, the Enterprise nation Home Business of the Year Award 2007 and the BT Essence of the Entrepreneur Award 2007. Read and Be Inspired….





Tell us a bit about your business and how did you get the idea for your business ?

Tots to Travel is the parent company of Tots to France (www.totstofrance.co.uk) and Tots to Italy (www.totstoitaly.co.uk). The company specialises in providing accommodation to meet the very specific needs of families with babies and young children.




The concept proved enormously successful, with the company now offering over 50 French properties. Building on this success, the award-winning formula has been replicated in Italy with the launch of Tots to Italy. Roll outs for other countries like the UK, Spain, Australia and South Africa are currently being planned.





What were some of the hurdles you faced in the initial days?

When we started the business in North Wales where there is quite a lot of support for new business and we had been promised 40% of all our start up costs. This was great news and it meant that we were able to go ahead and buy things like a laptop, printer and camera for the business. My husband then got posted at very short notice (2 1/5 weeks!) and we were moved out of the area. This meant that we were no longer eligible for the funding yet had already made relatively large financial commitments. We found the money in the end but it was a shame !





What are the key ways in which you promote your company (both online and offline)?

The most significant cost that we incur is marketing and we have opted to spend the majority of our marketing budget on a PR agent. We also spend money on optimizing our website and on Adwords which works well for us.






What is the most enjoyable part of your day?

I enjoy almost every bit of the job but if I am to be pinned down to one thing, I like the marketing and strategic aspects the most.





How do you balance running an award winning business and raising a family (especially since your work involves so much travel)? Please share with us a couple of your tips?

We have converted a building in the garden for our office which means that I am never far from home so can balance the family and the business. We have moved recently and one of the major aspects of the move was to cut out all the wasted time in the day spent traveling. So the children go to pre-school and school in the village which are only a short walk away.

I do my grocery shopping online and just have to be as organized as possible! I have also got used to working in short pockets of time which is not always easy! In terms of fitting in the travel, I generally try to go abroad when I know that he will be at home to look after the children but this is getting increasingly difficult to fit in and I think that this is our next big challenge !






I understand you are expanding into finding family friendly properties in Italy. So after Italy do you plan to expand to more countries?


Yes, we launch Italy next week which is very exciting as we have parents banging our door down to travel to different countries! In theory the model would work anywhere in the world that parents want to take their children so watch this space! We have just been offered a house in Barbados….my flight is already booked !





Finally, your five keys to success?

1. Start off believing that you can!
2. Think outside the box, my most wild and wacky ideas are often my best!
3. Work out what skills you have and what skills you don’t and find other people to fill in the gaps.
4. Ask lots of questions, all the time!
5. Work out what you really want from life and build your business to fit in. If it does not fulfill your requirements be brave enough to call it a day.








Sites Of Interest

http://www.totstofrance.co.uk/index.php





This interview was published on 8th August 2008


Visit Wendy’s website to get more information about her business….


To read more stories about women in service industry click Idea Home Based Service Business

]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/holiday-home-rentals/feed/ 3 http://www.dotcommothers.com/work-from-your-home/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/work-from-your-home/#comments Sun, 27 Jul 2008 03:03:23 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=247 I have two guests today – Paul and Sarah Edwards. Paul and Sarah Edwards are highly respectable writers and speakers in the fields of self employment and working from home. They have been working form home for more than 25 years now. They have both co-authored more than 15 books and many of these books have sold more than a million copies.

A couple of their well known books are the – ‘Working From Home’ and ‘The Entrepreneurial Parent’. ‘The Entrepreneurial Parent’ has even been featured on the Oprah show. For fourteen years Paul and Sarah produced and co-hosted an hour-long show on radio’s Working From Home Show on the BusinessTalkRadio.Net.
They are well recognized experts in the area of working from home. Their seventeenth book ‘Middle Class Lifeboat’, provides practical information about what individuals can do to address their growing anxiety about economic and ecological changes in the global economy.I am actually quite honored to have these two on my website. Thanks guys…Read and Be Inspired….






You have a new book out called, Middle Class Lifeboat…Can you tell us what this book is about ?

Over 25 years we had written 16 books on how to choose a secure, meaningful career and to create an enjoyable, comfortable lifestyle. But like most people we were noticing that is becoming harder to do, so we wanted to find out what people were doing to adjust to the challenges of today’s economy and still preserve their dreams, or maybe even pursue a lifestyle they prefer.




Three years ago we began interviewing people. We were surprised inspired by the imaginative and innovative options we discovered. In Middle-Class Lifeboat: Careers and Life Choices for Navigating a Changing Economy, we share what we learned. The book has two parts – careers in which jobs can be found as well as that can be pursued independently and life choices such as moving, including using Cashless alternatives that enable people the freedom to work less and supporting one another.





When did you guys first start working from home? And what was your first home based business ?

We began working from home in 1974. The neighbors thought Sarah was a housewife and I was unemployed. Actually, Sarah established a psychotherapy practice and found clients were more comfortable coming to a home than going to an office building. Paul was doing political and public affairs consulting. We began working on projects together during these years.






My understanding is that your new venture is in the area of health care for people who work from home…Can you tell me a bit about your new venture?

We’ve been interested in health most of their lives. Both personally and because the availability and cost of health insurance and care if you’re ill or injured is a major barrier to self-employment and millions of people who are self-employed lack health insurance. Resulting from experiences Sarah and I had two years ago, we decided to create a website – WishTheDoctor.com – where people could share information based on what we wish the doctor had told them. The site is WishTheDoctor.com and is a way we can share with one another what we can do to stay well, get well, and live well.





In your vast experience what are a couple of the most common problems faced by people who work from home? (and how can we overcome these problems?)

During our more than 25 years researching, writing, and broadcasting suggests two major pitfalls to avoid as you proceed. They are:

• Marketing Mistakes: Year after year, survey after survey, the problem newer businesses identify is getting clients.
• Money Monsters: Research by the Small Business Administration indicates money problems are the primary cause of business failure, problems like:
  • Not having enough money to cover startup and operating expenses
  • Not having sufficient funds with which to grow
  • Insufficient funds for proper marketing
  • Too much debt
  • Cash-flow problems
  • Inadequate financial planning
  • Not charging enough to make a profit
  • Poor credit and collection practices
  • Inadequate bookkeeping

What can you do:

Master Marketing
The keys to building a thriving business is word-of-mouth and direct referrals and the best way to get this working for you is to tailor your marketing to methods to: target the type of clients you are best suited to serve, and (2) suit your personality so you will executive them willingly, if not enthusiastically. In our soon-to-be released eBook, Marketing for Introverts, will be a Marketing Style Inventory to help people identify their special aptitudes.

Once identified Always market in fertile ground. For example, if you want to reach clients over the age of 50, chances are blogging or podcasting won’t be fertile ground for you because market research indicates these media are most appealing to people between the ages of 18 and 34.
Instead you may find it more useful to put your energy effort into developing your website or networking.

Networking always rates high on the ways professionals seeking clients but again the key is to be sure you’re networking in milieus where you’ll be sure to encounter an ample number of people who need what you are offering or are in a position to refer you to others who do.

Thus to network in a chamber of commerce made up of business owners may not be an ideal place to network yourself if you’re a career counselor, but getting involved in an industry group undergoing significant change would.

Most people find they do best focusing their marketing efforts on activities they personally enjoy and do reasonably well with ease. The following are several methods that have been cited over and over when we interview people as effective ways to get businesses underway. Which ones would be appealing to you? We’ve group these under two headings:
(1) Face-to-face contact and
(2) the Web.Face-to-face contact includes directly soliciting individuals who are likely sources of referrals for your practice and networking in business and trade organizations. Going to organizational meetings and events means you connect with potential clients and referral sources on their schedules. Within a networking organization, you can make contacts, trade information and business intelligence, and get and make business referrals. The Web includes having your own website that is directly addressable; taking advantage of referral directories of professional organizations by posting your profile and keep it up-to-date, and test listing on local search services, such as Yahoo’s local search service (http://local.yahoo.com) and Google’s (http://local.google.com).

Tame Your Money Monsters
For someone wanting to start a business, start-up funds can be a barrier, particularly if someone is burdened with credit card debt, auto loan or student loans or a combination of these. It be heartening to know that we’ve met people who have started businesses with less than $100. How do they do it? Some take temp work to pay for their basic living expenses while they get their practice underway. Others continue to work a full-time job but unlock an instant stream of cash by reducing the amount withheld for taxes in anticipation of the business deductions they expect during their first year. Do check with a tax professional, however, before changing your W-4 form.

If you need funds, here are other ways people use to get underway.

• Bank loans
• Bartering
• Credit cards – zero percent rates are attractive but tricky
• Credit unions
• Disability grants
• Funds from investors, who may be relatives or people you know
• Home equity line of credit
• Inheritances
• Legal settlements
• Lending sources with specific missions, such as funds for women
• Life insurance policies, borrowing or cashing in
• Loan referral sites, such as American Express, Quicken
• Loans from relatives, friends, colleagues
• Local seed money funds.
• Retirement funds
• Savings
• SBA Loan Programs
• Selling collections or other assets
• Severance packages

Another money monster is pricing. Pricing is an experiment. We deal with this in our soon-to-be-released e-Book, Charging What You’re Worth.

Other Potential Pitfalls
There are other sources of problems you’ll want to avoid that can hinder your practice from taking off, such as:

• Insurance availability and cost, particularly health insurance
• Legal issues, such as choosing the best form of business to operate, particularly if you’re partnership with one or more other people, licensing, and if you work at home, zoning and condominium association regulations
• Managing time
• Tax planning and preparation
• Technology problems

Of these, one stands out. The cost and difficulty of obtaining health insurance in the United States keeps many Americans from striking out on their own. One indication of this is that a higher percentage of Canadians are self-employed than are Americans. A major reason for this is that at all Canadian residents are entitled to public health insurance coverage. Canadians have health insurance regardless of their type of employment.






What is one business tool that you cannot survive without ?

The computer because it extends our brains, our capabilities, and our markets.





What is the best piece advice you have ever received about running a business ?

Do what comes naturally and either delegate or learn how to do the rest.





Finally, your five keys to success?

1. Having a dream – an ingredient of this is being curious
2. The steam to be a self-starter
3. Having the completion gene. In the short term, this is getting things done; in the long-term, it’s persistence in pursuing your dreams
4. Being keen in understanding and relating to others
5. The resiliency to self-redeem so you recover from setbacks.








Sites Of Interest

http://www.middleclasslifeboat.com/





This interview was published on 27th July 2008



Visit Paul and Sarah’s website to get more information about their business and more work at home ideas / opportunities….


To read more stories about women in service industry click Idea Home Based Service Business

]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/work-from-your-home/feed/ 0 http://www.dotcommothers.com/stroller-exercise/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/stroller-exercise/#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:31:06 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/stroller-exercise/ My guest today is Lisa Druxman. Lisa is the founder of ‘Stroller Strides’, a unique stroller exercise program – It is a total fitness program for new moms. What started out as one woman company is today a multi million dollar business. It was recently named the ‘Fastest Growing Franchises’ by the reputable Entrepreneur.com website. Lisa has been nominated for and has received number of awards from organizations such as the National Association of Women Business Owners.

She has also been featured in many high profile magazines and media networks. In her latest book, ‘L.E.A.N Mommy’, she writes about the stroller strides fitness program and how it can help new moms to get back to shape.

Lisa is also a well recognized speaker…She is considered an expert in the field of fitness. She also writes regular columns for Entrpreneur.com magazine. She in one busy lady and an inspiration to many. Read and be Inspired….






Stroller Strides seems to be a good and an attractive business model for moms. Do you plan to expand Stroller Strides internationally ?

Yes, we’ve secured trademarks in more than a dozen other countries. We’ve started franchising in Canada and will expand in to other markets in the coming years.






What has been the biggest hurdle you have faced in your business so far and how did you overcome the hurdle ?

Believe it or not, the biggest hurdle is in balancing work with motherhood. When you are working, you feel like you should be with your kids and when you are with your kids, you feel like you should be working. Of course, growing a new business, there are financial challenges. We have chosen to fund the company ourselves rather than bring in investors. This way, we can truly run the company as we see fit and only have to answer to ourselves.





You are a regular contributor to Mompreneur section of Entrepreneur.com. You write about home based business moms. In your experience what are a couple of the most common mistakes moms in business make?

They start a business without thinking it through. For instance, they start a business so they can be home with their kids but failed to realize the amount of time it would take to launch that particular business. In reality, many mompreneurs are with their kids less than if they had a traditional job. Make sure to start a business that truly can be done from home and on your hours. 2) They are unwilling to take risk. You need to take some financial risk to start almost any business.

The money won’t come rolling in right away unless you are extremely lucky. You need to be willing to stay the course. 3) They think it will be easy. Juggling work and motherhood is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. I thought it was easier when I worked in a traditional job by far. However, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.





How do you balance work and motherhood? Can you share with us some of your time management tips ?

• Have a plan. If you just wait for work time to happen, it never will. Plans may fall through if kids don’t nap, get sick or nanny cancels but at least you get it done more often than not.
• Be organized and stay organized. Your work time is precious. If you have to search through files and organize yourself every time you sit down, you waste that precious work time. Be ready to work efficiently as soon as you sit down. Don’t answer your home phone just because you’re home.
• Work on the fringe hours of the day. You’ll get a lot of work done before your family wakes up or after they go to bed.






What is the most enjoyable part of your day ?

When my kids wake up, we sit on the couch and snuggle together. It’s a great way to start the day and keeps me going !






If you had your time again, is there anything in business that you would do differently ?

Hire the right attorney from the start. A good attorney and a good accountant are priceless.






Finally, your five keys to success ?

1. No fear of failure
2. CNEI – Constant Never Ending Improvement
3. Hire people that are more talented than me
4. Believe that anything is possible
5. Realize that I’m human and sometimes good enough will have to do










Sites Of Interest

http://www.strollerstrides.com/




Visit Lisa’s business websites to get more information about her stroller exercise business…


This interview was published on 12th March 2008


To read more stories about women with businesses in the service industry click Idea Home Based Service Business.

]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/stroller-exercise/feed/ 1 http://www.dotcommothers.com/margaret-lomas/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/margaret-lomas/#comments Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:10:39 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/advice-on-property-investment-australia/ My guest today is Margaret Lomas. Margaret Lomas is a well known, highly successful, Property Investment Guru in Australia. She currently owns more than 34 properties across Australia. She runs a very successful financial advisory company called ‘Destiny Financial Solutions‘. This company assists clients to achieve prosperity using direct property investments as the vehicle. In 2006 Margaret Lomas won the ‘NSW Telstra Business Woman Of The Year’ award.

Now for all my readers outside of Australia, this is a most coveted award – it is the award given to the best business women in the country. Margaret Lomas’s business journey began from very humble beginnings. She and her husband built their property wealth from nothing. When they started they had five kids and zero wealth. But through commonsense, dedication, hard work and a strong will to be successful, they have now built a multi million dollar company and have accumulated a multi million dollar personal property portfolio.

Margaret Lomas has also written five best selling property books. I have read three of her books. I highly recommend her books to anyone who is interested in property investment. I have great admiration for this business woman. Margaret Lomas has inspired me in more ways than one. Despite all her successes she still continues to be an extremely down to earth person – and that in itself is a huge inspiration.
Read and be inspired…..





You started Destiny Financial Solutions. You worked hard on it and it was doing well. And then you took it to the next level – the level which won you Telstra Business Awards.





A lot of small business owners want to take their business to the next higher level but it’s not always easy. What do you think helped you to take your business to the next level? Was it a change in the way of your thinking or employing right people…What was it ?

I have always been a person who does not take a great deal of risk. This is probably because, when you have 5 children you have such a great responsibility to feed and clothe them that they must come first. Making the decision to expand a business requires you to be quite selfish in many ways, even if you feel you have pure motives (like we did, believing we wanted to help more people)..




For me the decision to expand was about the need to reach a greater audience with important messages about property investing

In fact, our local branch here on the central Coast had a good reputation and we were quite prosperous without having to do a proportionate amount of work. It wasn’t enough for me or my husband though – we wanted the country at large to be able to get independent advice of good quality from people who had real integrity. Because of our disliking of debt, we funded the expansion from (meagre) company profits, and it was many, many years before we even got close to the incomes we were earning prior to our expansion.

It was during those times that we had to hold fast to the dream and remind ourselves of our motives (helping others) to continue and not just throw it all in! Employing the right people came later – it can be hard to share your dream in a way that you capture the passion of others and in this market (high employment) a small business which can only afford smaller wages can have difficulty attracting good people. We found a few, made many promises about the ultimate reward in staying with us, shared our vision, and those people are still with us today.





Who is your biggest inspiration and why ?

I am continually inspired by most people around me, and I try to find something inspiring each day. My husband Reuben, inspires me with his commitment to me, our family and our business. Our current staff inspire me because they share our passion and continually go over and beyond the call of duty simply because they believe in us.

Our branch managers inspire me because they work long hours for the pleasure of seeing others get ahead. And my children inspire me because they are all good, independent people with a great love for our family, even though society has said they should be dysfunctional because they have been through divorce and had a working mother !





You have five kids and an extremely successful business. It’s always hard for working women with kids to create balance in their lives. If there is one tip you can give to women about staying organized, what would that be ?

Give up thinking you are every going to get 8 hours sleep again – in fact, give up thinking you need it. Instead be thankful for whatever you do get and know that a waking hour is provided to you so you can achieve something new. It is on those days that I wish I had more time/rest/hours in the day that I don’t cope as well.

On those days when I know that I have all I am ever going to get and I might as well utilise it as best I can that I achieve more!Be sure that you get your kids to learn about responsibility early on. My children are 22,20,19,15 and 13 and they all do their own washing. Why? Because they would have no clothes to wear if they didn’t! They can all cook too, which can be useful when dinner time comes!





If you had a chance to start your business all over again what would you do differently this time?

I do think I would go into debt for my dream. We could have done what we have done a bit sooner had we asked for financial help. Instead we used whatever money we were creating and that makes for a slower road. Mind you, that is not necessarily bad. We started with only a few branches and sat for a few years trying to iron out the bugs and get it all right before opening more. In hindsight, I do believe this was a good strategy.





When you are looking to invest do you first look for a property in your price range, then research that suburb/region for its future growth Or do you first research and pick the region and then find a property that fits your criteria in that region?

This is a hard question. I like to use Australia as my search area and start with perhaps a fairly open price range and then start whittling down from there. If you spend too long in one region doing the research, and then get to question 15 (of the 20 must ask questions) and find the area is not right, you have wasted a lot of time on that one area.





What do you think are the key ingredients of your success ?

Firstly you must have a big business mentality. When we started, we had a desk in the bedroom. We still answered the phone using a corporate greeting and really did visualise ourselves as being a big business from day one. We ensured we had comprehensive systems in place even when it was just the two of us, and always asked ourselves questions like ‘What would AMP do? What would the St George Bank do?’ when planning our next moves.

Next you must have a long term vision. If we had been in this for short term profits we never would have come the distance. Not once did we ever focus on small issues which may have impacted on weekly or monthly profits. We just plunged ahead, spent whatever we had and committed 100% to this business. In the early days, there were many weeks where the staff got paid and we did not, and we got by using our personal debt capacity.

The other few important things include – only do something if you really love it (because working hard doing work you hate will make you bitter and you cannot be successful if you are bitter!); Do whatever you do better than anyone else does – you don’t have to be the first at anything but you do have to be the best; know your competition and always add value to your service or product and, most importantly, START TODAY. If you think about it too long you may never get started.





What’s next for Margaret Lomas ?

I want to be a fiction writer. I have started my first book and each chapter I write I read to my husband – he cries and laughs in all the right places so I am hoping it comes off.Writing a novel is so much harder than the books I write now – I can write one of those in just 2 weeks because I have all the information in my head.

A work of fiction requires far greater time commitment, which I don’t have right now.Of course I would also love to have an educational Property Investment TV show – but I have tried and tried to get the networks interested and they say that there is not enough interest in Property Investment to do a whole show !










Sites Of Interest

http://www.edestiny.com.au/





Visit Margaret Lomas’s business websites to get more information about her property investment advisory company…


This interview was published on 10th February 2008


To read more stories about women in service industry click Idea Home Based Service Business.

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