• Commitment: You can’t be afraid or resentful for the hard work your new business demands. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices, work long hours and have a hard time shutting off my business brain. But, ultimately its because I love what I do.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help: I try and surround myself with smart people who can do the things I can’t or don’t want to do. We’re not all great at everything and entrepreneurs tend to try and juggle it all. Realize that the more you can delegate, the more you can focus on your strengths, grow the business effectively and ultimately do the part that you love to do.

• Make sure you remember to enjoy what you do: I made a deal with myself that the minute this wasn’t fun anymore, I would stop. Sure, some days are better than others but you should always be excited about your business and the direction its going. I remember to laugh daily and not take things too seriously.

• Don’t give up: Starting a business is tough which is why most people don’t. Sometimes things will be great and other times you’ll get hit with things beyond your control. Find a way to keep your strength and move in a direction beyond your competition. One of the best little pieces of advice I ever received was “remember to zig when everyone else zags.”   To read more stories about women in the creative selling businesses click Idea Home Based Service Business   Sites Of Interest http://www.babyidesign.com/     This interview was published on 3rd January 2009 Visit Ilene’s website to get more information about her business…. ]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/creative-business-ideas/feed/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/business-ideas-for-women/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/business-ideas-for-women/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:40:31 +0000 sandy.naidu http://www.dotcommothers.com/?p=884 My guest today is Eve Ash. Eve Ash is a motivational psychologist, public speaker and leading producer of training films, videos and DVDs. She built her business from scratch and today her business is an award winning, multi million dollar company. In 1999, she won the national Telstra business woman of the year. Telstra Business Award is the peak business award in Australia. It is an absolute honor to have her here on DotComMothers. Read and Be Inspired !!! You started your business in 1979.You have won numerous awards and your products have sold well both in Australia and Internationally. I recently read that you have downsized your office space and your products have moved on from being stored on VHS.I also read in the same interview that you are very passionate and look forward to the future.Can you tell us a bit about what is next for your company? And also do you see any new opportunities being presented to you by this huge explosion in the ‘internet’?
    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? If so, in your opinion what is one of the most common mindsets that unknowingly limits the growth of the company and how can we change 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?     • Focus on what you want to achieve and be clear about your goals.

• Talk to wise people and tell them your plans and be open to critical feedback.

• Develop good relationships with staff, suppliers and clients.

• Be open and flexible to grab opportunities.

• Give and smile.   To read more about business ideas for women click Idea Home Based Service Business   Sites Of Interest http://www.eveash.com.au/     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/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/home-based-jobs-for-mothers/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/home-based-jobs-for-mothers/#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:22:04 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=728 My guest today is Kate Sykes. Kate runs a website called CareerMums.com.au. This website connects skilled mothers to flexible employers. The website is only for the Australian market. If you are a mum and are looking for a part time job or a home based job or flexible work times then this is the website for you. Since its launch, CareerMums.com.au has been growing leaps and bounds in its popularity. It has become the first stop for many Australian mothers looking for a home based job or a part time job. Read and Be Inspired…       What were you doing before your current business venture? Why did you start CareerMums.com.au?

    I have always had a desire to run my own business. After 12 years in the corporate sector working in marketing and communications management roles in Sydney and Boston USA, and becoming mum, an idea sparked my interest. I subscribe to an enewsletter generated by www.springwise.com. This website searches the globe looking for new business ideas. In July 2006, I received a Springwise enewsletter that covered a website in the US that catered to women returning to work after taking time of out of the workplace to care for their children.

As a mother myself, I thought this was a great concept because I became aware of how much talent was going to waste. I immediately starting researching the Australian market and realised that there were no services like this. On further investigation and research, the following facts made it clear to me that there was potential in pursuing this business idea:     • There are over 2.2 million women with children under the age of fifteen (ABS data)
• There has been huge investment in women’s education in the last 20 years. Girls have a higher retention rate in year 12, and females now represent over 50% of all higher education students and tertiary education gradates.
• Women now account for just under half of Australia’s labour force (ABS data).

I viewed www.careermums.com.au as a portal to connect this untapped group of skilled parents to employers offering more flexible roles.         What are some of the challenges mothers returning to workforce or contemplating returning to workforce face?

    The top 3 challenges facing women who are re-entering the workforce include:

1. The cost of child care
2. Finding a flexible job
3. Lack of self confidence         Looking back, if you could have done something different in the start-up phase, what would that be?

    Nothing. This doesn’t mean that it has been smooth sailing. There have been many challenges and many steep learning curves - that is what it is all about. But to answer your question, I would have been more prudent in choosing an IT provider to build the back-end of my website. My design team was wonderful and so you instantly trust the choices they make in choosing a 3rd part provider to build the back-end. We should have been better armed with questions relating to their qualifications, competency and communication skills.         Do you think employer’s attitude towards creating a flexible work environment is changing? What are some of the things you normally do to educate the employers about the benefits of having a flexible work environment?

    Employer attitudes are changing mainly due to a national skills shortage and that women now account for half of the workplace. Many businesses are now winning national awards for offering their staff flexible work arrangements. Interestingly, a common barrier to working flexibly is not the industry but rather the personal views of a person’s immediate manager. The concept of flexibility is frequently misunderstood by employers. All it means is that work is not done during core business hours over 5 days. So a full time job can still be flexible with some of the hours being worked from home.

In addition the jobs board, CareerMums has launched two HR toolkits for employers over the past few months – the Working Parents Toolkit and the Flexible Work Proposal Toolkit. These products are assisting employers to implement attraction and retention strategies. Employers know where they need to be to harness the future workforce – these Toolkits are providing them with practical solutions to get there.         What is the most enjoyable part of your working day?

    It would have to be receiving emails and phone calls from parents thanking me for this service and helping them to find a flexible job. I never lose sight of why I started this service.         How do you balance raising family and running a business?

    Partnership and planning. I have a wonderful partnership with my husband. Everything is a team effort. We discuss where we are at and what is coming up all the time so we can manage the organisation of the children and work.

Also, because it is my business, I name my own hours. Nights can be very productive for working mums. It is amazing how many women are working and emailing each other after 8pm at night!         Finally, your five keys to success?         • Love what you do. Without passion, it won’t work.

• Be efficient with your time – don’t waste it.

• Have a support network around you – particularly if you have children.

• Have a healthy mind and a healthy body. Going for a run keeps my stress levels down.

• Patience and persistence. Children have taught me patience and it can bring clarity.   To read more stories about women in the service based industry click Idea Home Based Service Business   Sites Of Interest http://www.careermums.com.au/     This interview was published on 30th October 2008   Visit Kate’s website to get more information about how Kate helps mothers find part time or home based jobs….   ]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/home-based-jobs-for-mothers/feed/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/writing-business-meet-jennifer-gnaidecki/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/writing-business-meet-jennifer-gnaidecki/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:36:14 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=703 My guest today is Jennifer Gnaidecki. Jennifer started working from home as a Virtual Assistant. She recently gave up that and started writing full time. She now earns her full time income by writing on numerous blogs. She is an excellent writer - very engaging. She has also released a book about Networking. In this interview she shares her tips on how one can write for business and pleasure. Read and be inspired by this amazing woman…..       Your writing style is amazing (truly engaging) – You are a gifted writer. Once I started reading your blog posts, I could not let go…

    Thank you so much for the kind words. I always wonder if I’m being as engaging as I hope I am. I see so many gifted bloggers out there and worry I’m not good enough. But, I think everyone has that same fear so I say that not looking for sympathy but to basically say, “I think I stink sometimes too.”

My current business is words. From blogging to articles to tips & advice. It’s what I do well and I find that I am having more fun doing this than anything else I’ve ever done since I started working at Burger King when I was fourteen.



Currently I work with editors dealing with corporate clients. The editors talk to the clients and tell me what the client needs. I send them my work, they proof and revise, and off it goes to the client. It’s really a dream job.

I’m working on transitioning my online portfolio into print work, and I do speaking engagements locally for my book Non-Toxic Networking. I teach people how to talk to strangers.         Can I ask you why you moved from being a Virtual Assistant to a full time writer?

    It was a gradual process. First I started raising my rates, then when I hit a cap and found clients shying away from the rate I changed my job description and started Marketing Curve. Then, two things happened. I had a string of very demanding clients that wanted to be on the phone all hours of the day, and my babies turned into toddlers, meaning they, too, didn’t ever want to be quiet.

So either the phone was ringing or the girls were fighting. I figured there had to be a better way! I’d never tried writing before because my memories as a child were of “starving artists” - I thought writers sat around trying to write the Great American Novel all day and night, never finishing and never getting paid.

Once I realized I could make money blogging, I realized my own misconceptions about writing were wrong and proceeded to surf the Internet to learn everything I could online about freelance writing.

Some extremely helpful sites were:

http://www.wahm.com

http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com

http://www.problogger.com

http://www.vanetworking.com

I started writing more, and blogging more, and doing my best to find ways to monetize my blogs without ruining the reader experience as well as getting a b5media blog, which is through a blog network. They pay better than monetizing on my own while putting a quality name by my work. Being part of a good blog network is saying, “Hey, I’m not the only one who thinks I should get paid for this!”

    Everyone is a stranger before you say hello. I’ve found most of my clients and writing jobs have come from networking. Mostly online networking, but sometimes offline networking as well. People all want others to be nice to them and care about them, and saying hello is a first step to a great relationship.

The problem most people have is that being told not to talk to strangers as kids has kind of crippled us when it comes to talking to people we don’t know as adults. Not only are we taught we should not talk to people we don’t know (so don’t learn the skill as a child) we are taught it is dangerous. This carries over into adulthood.

I’m as scared of rejection and not being liked as the next person, but just forcing yourself to talk to people you don’t know can result in amazing friendships both online and offline.         How many hours do you work each day?

    If you consider parenting part of my work than I’m working 24/7! Just kidding. When I’m on a deadline I’ll work about 5 hours a day, but there are lulls where I won’t work for four or five days in between assignments. I schedule it that way so I’m not overwhelmed. I love writing and don’t want to get overwhelmed and burn out.

That five hours is spread among breakfast, snacktime, lunchtime, diaper changes, playtime, potty training, and other toddler-centric activities, so it feels like I work more than I actually do at times.

I also spend about two to three hours a day networking and enjoying myself online with the intention of meeting new people, putting up new blog posts, and reading news and other blogs. While this is part of my work, it’s really fun, so I don’t consider it work. (Isn’t that the best kind?)         What is the best advice you have ever received about running a business?

    The best advice I ever received came from Seth Godin. I was talking on my blog about being disillusioned and saddened by my heroes all turning out to be human. He responded to find my own thing instead of following other people’s things.         You have got 3 blogs…All of them are very interesting reads. It is not easy coming up with topics to write about. Is there a process you follow to come up with topic ideas…Any tips?

    Be willing to use anything.

I have no problem using personal experiences in my business blog, I have no problem using celebrity information either. Stories are everywhere waiting to be told from your perspective.

Know your boundaries.

If you know what you will or won’t be willing to write about online, you won’t spend a bunch of time looking at your monitor and wondering if you should really tell the story you’re about to publish on your blog.

Have an emergency list.

I keep a list of potential blog entries. If I’m tapped out and can’t think of anything to write, I break out the list and use something from there. It’s my emergency back-up plan.

        Finally, your five keys to success?     1. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be better than your competition.

2. Do your best on every assignment. You never know who is going to look at your work.

3. Remember there are thousands of people who want to do what you do. Make it easy for people to give you work, make them want to work with you again, and always let them know you are willing to work for them again (if you are.) Communication is key!

4. Blogging is not a conversation, it’s a speaking engagement, so say something people might actually want to hear.

5. Don’t sell yourself short, but remember that sometimes low-paying assignments turn into lucrative work. If you don’t have a long-term goal you may find yourself with no work at all.     Sites Of Interest http://nontoxicnetworking.ning.com/ http://beyondmom.com http://mommyblogreviews.com/ http://www.everydaynetworker.com/     This interview was published on 23rd October 2008   Visit Jennifer’s website to get more information about her business and learn how she is using her writing skills and building a business around it….   To read more stories about women in the service based industry click Idea Home Based Service Business ]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/writing-business-meet-jennifer-gnaidecki/feed/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/summer-energy-nutritious-health-drinks-kids/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/summer-energy-nutritious-health-drinks-kids/#comments Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:39:50 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=680 My guest today is Denise Devine. Denise Devine is the creator of Froose drinks. When Denise’s kids were toddlers she was concerned about the lack of nutrition in all the kids juices. She saw a market gap, realised the market potential and created a nutritious health drink for kids. The brand of the drinks is called Froose. All the ingredients used in Froose drinks are organic. On her website, Denise says this about her product - ‘The nutritional profile of Froose® makes it an ideal beverage to drink through out the day and a great “drinkable snack” for finicky eaters or busy children who won’t take the time to stop activities to eat or when they are “on-the-go”.’ Read and Be Inspired By her business success story. How did you come up with the idea for Froose drinks? When my son was a toddler I was working for a Fortune 100 food company. Nick was a very thirsty kid who only would drink juice. This was before the clinical studies were published that confirmed problems with young children drinking too much fruit juice and before Pediatricians were warning parents to limit even 100% juice consumption to 4-6 oz. per day, my motherly instincts knew that my son’s juice habit was causing him to be both a finicky eater and was providing too many empty calories. I began to do a lot of research and I became passionate about children’s nutrition. I was an executive in a large food company who was a frustrated consumer myself because I could not find what I wanted for my own children so I decided to create a beverage that would appeal to my son by “sneaking” in whole food nutrition to a juice-like format so that he would think he was getting the juice that he loved but the nutrition he needed without the empty calories of juice. I understand you have a patent on this product…Can you tell me what makes this product so unique and different? We discovered a way to incorporate whole food (i.e., grains or vegetables) into a number of non-solid formats. We built a new beverage “from the ground up”. We did not start with juice and add soluble fiber, but rather started with the whole food and found a way to keep all the nutritional elements , including the soluble and insoluble elements along with the micronutrients, in a drinkable form that we then used the fruit to flavor. In addition to beverages, we have also developed a number of other products such as frozen confections, puddings, etc. using the patents. Once you had the idea, what were some of the next steps you took to get the product manufactured? I contracted with food chemists to execute my ideas and I worked with Universities that had food science departments and pilot plant facilities to do test runs and scale up the product for commercial production. I used my contacts from the food industry to find the right technical people and also to locate a contract manufacturing facility that had the right processing and packaging capabilities for my product. Can adults have Froose as well? Absolutely! The whole grain nutrition and good source of fiber in each 4 oz. serving of Froose is helpful for anyone who is interested in good nutrition. The grains and fiber in Froose are heart healthy and create satiety which is very helpful for weight maintenance along with its low calorie, low sugar profile. What has been your biggest hurdle so far? Because we were interested in addressing nutrition for young children, it was important to use smaller size aseptic boxes. There is very little manufacturing capacity in this packaging format so we had to delay the product launch until more capacity came on line. Now we have a contract with both a west coast and an east coast manufacturing facility. What is the most enjoyable part of your day? Every day I receive calls and emails from parents who tell us their kids love Froose. Parents are very happy to have a truly nutritious and convenient alternative to juice. I love to talk to and email daily with parents. Finally, your five keys to success? I call it my five “P’s”…..Passion, Persistence, Patience, Product Quality & Innovation and Prayer (Spiritual Reflection) Sites Of Interest http://www.froose.com/ This interview was published on 16th October 2008 Visit Denise’s website to get more information about her business…. To read more stories about women who manufacture kids products click Kids Products Business ]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/summer-energy-nutritious-health-drinks-kids/feed/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/personalized-clothing-labels/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/personalized-clothing-labels/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:32:48 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=640 My guest today is Julie Cole of Mabel’s Labels. Mabel’s Labels was started by 4 entrepreneurial moms. After a lot of research and testing, these moms created fun, durable labels for stuff kids lose. There are two types of labels - clothing labels and sticky labels. All the labels are customized with the child’s name. The labels are also dishwasher, microwave and laundry safe. Their company has been growing remarkably well and their popularity and growth has led to a lot of media coverage. Read and be Inspired.       How did you come up with the idea for the business?     We are busy moms who were getting frustrated by the amount of baby and kid stuff that was going missing when our kids would head off to daycare, playgroup and school. Their bottles, hats, sippy cups, clothing, books and toys were getting lost or mixed up. When I had a play date with my business partners, it would often finish with ‘is this your box of wipes?” or “whose bottle is this?” We knew that there was a product missing from the market. We did not like to use masking tape and markers on our children’s belongings – we knew we could do better than that!         Once you had the idea, what process did you follow to get your product developed?     We knew we had to find a material that would be durable. We were shocked at how difficult it was to find a material that could withstand the dishwasher and microwave, and also be kid proof! On top of spending a lot of time researching technology and testing material, we were consumed with creating our business plan, formalizing our partnership and creating a marketing plan. Those early days were very busy and exhilarating times.         I understand Mabel’s Labels is run by four mompreneurs - Yourself, Cynthia Esp, Julie Ellis and Tricia Mumby. Now a very frank question here – How do you all work well together in a business environment…What are your tips for partnership companies?     Most experts would advise against having four partners. On top of being business partners, we are all also related. Cynthia and I are sisters, and we met our other two business partners at University. They went on to marry our brother and young uncle. There are challenges in having four business partners. We always have four different opinions coming to the table and while it can be feisty, it is always fun! Certainly you need to have the skills to appropriately manage conflict and strong communication is key. Having a large partnership has many advantages as well. It has allowed us to divide the workload and the risk! There is no question - our company would not have grown so quickly without four business partners.         What is the best advice you have ever received about running a business?     Someone once told us to ignore anyone who told us we were crazy. Luckily, that advice was given very early in the process because a lot of people thought we were crazy! We left our professional and well paying jobs based on an idea. While our husbands and families were supportive, there were certainly times they wondered whether starting a business was a good idea! We were also told that we should never neglect our customer service. You can spend all the money in the world on advertising and product development, but you have to be there for your customers – responding promptly and exceeding expectations.         You guys seem to have adopted all the modern ‘internet marketing’ concepts very well. I noticed that a lot of blogs (especially the mommy bloggers) have blogged about your products. You seem to have a successful blogger outreach program…Plus you also have an affiliate program. How important is this for your business?     This is paramount. Word of Mouth is the best marketing we have. Our loyal customers have been amazing at spreading the word about Mabel’s Labels. So many Mamas are now online doing facebook, blogging, posting on message boards, etc. This has made the whole concept of Word of Mouth marketing even more important.         What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?     There are many rewarding aspects of running a business. We have started something and been there nurturing it and watching it grow. We often say Mabel is like a daughter! I love the connection we have with our customers who, like us, are busy with small children. It has also been very rewarding to hire employees as the business has grown. We now have our own Mabel community and culture in our office and it is a delight to be able to provide employment opportunities to people.         Finally, your five keys to success?    

1. - Use your social capital. You know people who can help you. Do not be afraid to ask for advice;
2. - Don’t get so busy working ‘in” the business and forget that it is your job to work “on” the business;
3. - If you don’t love it, don’t do it. This applies to everything – how an ad looks, how a phrase in your brochure sounds, to the actual work you do everyday.
4. - Know that sometimes you have to put the cart before the horse if you want to grow. That can be very frightening, but if you don’t take risks, your business will not move to the next level;
5. - While you may be the ‘boss’, treat everyone else like they are your boss – your customers, suppliers, employees, etc. If you are not completely accountable to them, you won’t be the boss for long!

    It’s interesting that you ask that question! I’m glad you have enjoyed reading the articles. I define success as being happy with who you are and where you are in life. I struggle with that daily because I’ve always wanted to do more and achieve more when I know deep down that to be content with myself and what I have achieved is true success. I work on it every day. I think what drives me is that if I can achieve that success, I can help others find it too.         You were the founding CEO of Isochron Inc. You were instrumental in making that company into a million dollar company. And now you have Babble Soft which also seems to be going from strength to strength…All this would not have been possible without some challenges and hardships along the way. What have been some of the most valuable lessons you have learned in your business journey so far?
    I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that ‘things take time and more time than you can ever imagine to come to fruition.’ I’ve also tried to listen to my gut more often but when stress gets in the way, it’s often hard to do. There are always so many things competing for your time.         What is your number one stress relief tactic?     Wow, that’s a tough one because I have to do many things to relieve stress. ? I try to exercise, take yoga classes, drink red wine, and/or get a massage when I can.         What’s next for Babble Soft? Where do you see it in five years or even say in a couple of years time?
    I honestly don’t know right now. I would love to create a social community for people who can also use our applications. I think it’s important that new parents find other new parents they can connect with during that time when a baby is a newborn.

Being a WAHM mom is challenging and rewarding but I think the future of Babble Soft depends on how long we can either self-fund the business or find outside sources of funding to help us grow. As everyone knows, the economy has been a bit perplexing as of late so my goal is to survive the next 9 to 18 months as creatively as possible so we can continue to provide our applications and support to millions of new parents world wide!

        Finally, your five keys to success?     I think it comes down to each individual so what I think might be keys to success might not work for others. I think if you can accept your situation (and yourself) and keep moving forward, that’s success. I think if you can be a good parent and your children know they can count on you, that is success. I know that’s not 5 things, but I didn’t want to say the usual things like hard work, etc. Plus, I’m still working on figuring them out which is part of the reason I continue to blog at entrepreMusings!   Sites Of Interest http://www.babblesoft.com/ http://www.entrepremusings.com/     This interview was published on 2nd October 2008   Visit Aruni’s website to get more information about her business….   To read more stories about women in the service based industry or in the baby business click Idea Home Based Service Business ]]> http://www.dotcommothers.com/baby-business-ideas/feed/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/recommended-products/ http://www.dotcommothers.com/recommended-products/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:08:17 +0000 sandy.naidu http://dotcommothers.com/?p=566 http://www.dotcommothers.com/recommended-products/feed/ 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.

    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!

Read and Be Inspired…. When you decided to convert your love for organic and natural products into a business what were some of the first steps you took to converting your dream into a reality?     Once I had the idea and the inspiration, there was a lot of research to be done. Looking at the market as a whole, the opportunity, the threats, etc and basically gaining as much insight into the organic and natural beauty sector to see whether the idea was worth making a reality! Once I confirmed that there was an opportunity, then I worked on creating the business plan, the brand, the name and setting the foundations for the whole business. I believe that by planning properly and taking the time to do your homework, the rest happens fairly easily.         What set of criteria a product has to meet before it gets the tick from you?     What makes puresha different I think is that a brand must meet my demands on ingredients, but also on look, appeal and feel of the product. I have worked in the industry for years and I know only too well that the joy of beauty buying is in the chase: lusting over packaging, swooning over a scent, caressing a bottle…etc. My criteria takes this AND the ingredients into account. Simply making products that don’t contain nasty chemicals isn’t enough for me. If a woman chooses a healthier approach to beauty, I think she should be rewarded with a wonderful experience of using that product. That’s what we deliver.         You have an absolutely gorgeous website. My understanding is that it was even picked by Marie Claire as one of the best beauty websites in the cyberworld. Congratulations…A lot of moms struggle to get a good website up and running. What was your trick? How involved were you in the whole process of creating this website?     Thankyou! Yes, it is a bit of a labour of love. Again, I have created many sites for other people before, it’s something I’ve always loved. Again my advice to anyone wanting to start is to do your research. I must have spent 6 months at least looking at site designs, thinking about functionality, etc. Always get the brief absolutely clear before you go ahead with any company, get more than one quote and make sure the quote covers everything you want.         What is your number one stress relief tactic?     Yoga! I’ve been doing it for about 15 years and have my teachers qualification, so I’m happy to take myself off for a practice.         You are in a highly competitive industry….What are some of the ways in which you promote your company?     We focus on search marketing and getting PR in the mags, that’s key to the awareness of the site.         If you had your time again is there anything in your business you would do differently?
    Well, I still have so many things I want to add to the site functionality and with hindsight, these could have been added in, so perhaps I could have managed that differently. But, I think it’s a waste of energy thinking about the past! All business ventures are massive learning curves and that’s part of the enjoyment!         Finally, your five keys to success?    

1. Always do your research
2. Don’t succumb to fear. Everyone who ever started a business took risks and didn’t let their fear stop them doing what they wanted. To actually get things moving and make things work, you have to overcome your fear and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
3. Learn to let go when things go wrong. It’s happened, move on!
4. Take responsibility. When you have your own business, the buck stops with you and it’s an interesting and liberating experience to take full responsibily for things that happen, whether good or bad!
5. Have integrity in all your relationships. If you say you’re going to deliver something, deliver it. Integrity is the key to any relationship working, whether that’s with a customer, a supplier, or an employee. Having integrity also helps with making time for fun and enjoyment with your family and friends.