August 18th, 2010 | Posted by: The Mom Entrepreneur |
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The long wait is finally over!
The Mom Entrepreneur Co-op Shop, an online marketplace gateway of unique products and services for busy moms, is now accepting members/advertisers.
Originally established in January 2009, the Co-op Shop closed for renovation at the end of 2009 to accommodate the growing demand for a place that advertisers could promote their products and services to our community of 15,000+ moms and mom entrepreneurs.
We have added all new technology, promotions, options, packages, etc. This new Co-op Shop is amazing!
The Co-op Shop is scheduled to launch on September 15th for the holiday season.
Because of this we are offering early bird pricing only until September 5th.
Join The Mom Entrepreneur Co-op Shopand learn how to get lots of exposure for your product or service this hoilday season!
August 17th, 2010 | Posted by: The Mom Entrepreneur |
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My family lives in a small town in New Hampshire. It is a safe area where everyone knows their neighbors and looks out for other members of the community.
Shortly after my first son was born, I learned about Family Watchdog, an online location and notification service that shows you where registered sex offenders live in your community.
According to Family Watchdog:
- 1 of 5 girls and 1 of 6 boys will be molested before their 18th birthday.
- 90% of all sexual assaults against children are committed by someone whom the victim knew.
- The typical sexual predator will assault 117 times before being caught.
- The re-arrest rate for convicted child molesters is 52%.
These are staggering statistics that all parents should be concerned about.
Recently, I was contacted by ISafe to receive a complimentary bag to review. (No other compensation was provided.)
ISafe has a selection of school backpacks for children ages 8 and up as well as laptop backpacks for ages 14 and up.
What makes these bags unique is the rugged design and the Mobile Personal Security(tm) feature. Each bag iSafe manufactures, which includes laptop messenger bags and sling backpacks (also for adults), comes equipped with a high decibel siren, high intensity strobe light and concealed activation switch.
I chose the sling backpack, which says it is designed for ages 10 and up. My oldest son is 10 and this bag was quite a bit bigger then him. I would recommend for 13 and up.
My family does a lot of hiking so I wanted to test this product for backwoods hiking and camping as well.
I have to admit when I saw the product on their website it looked small and a bit flimsy. I was pleasantly surprised when the backpack arrived. The material is thick and the product feels very rugged. Certainly something that would stand the wear and tear of our hiking adventures. It also has several roomy pockets and a good amount of storage for day hikes.
The best feature however, is the Mobile Personal Security(tm). We have tested the alarm, which is easy to set off. It is loud and would alert nearby hikers if you were to have an emergency situation. The battery has a 2-hour life span, which is plenty of time to be located by emergency crews.
ISafe Bags receives the Top Picks award from The Mom Entrepreneur. These bags are not only perfect for hiking and camping, but are highly recommended for school aged children, women traveling alone and anyone else who needs the additional security feature these products provide.
For more information, visit www.isafebags.com and take advantage of their 30-day money back guarantee. You should also visit their page on safety tips for women and children.
August 16th, 2010 | Posted by: The Mom Entrepreneur |
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On October 30th, 2010, hundreds of moms will converge upon the Big Apple to learn how to turn their Small Business into Big Business at the Super Mom Entrepreneur Conference & Expo being held at the New Yorker Hotel.
Heather Lopez of Happy Healthy Mom and Lucinda Cross of Corporate Mom Dropouts have teamed up to bring together some of the most influential and powerful authorities in business for moms, in order to show moms from all walks of life how to realize their potential to become “Super Mom Entrepreneurs.”
Lopez and Cross shaped this year’s conference theme – Building Economic Futures and Creating Financial Stability – to encourage all mom idealists, mom creators and newbies in business to discover their unique and authentic purpose, create their economic futures and create a lifestyle business they love, while supporting their family in all sects. This call to action will be delivered by a world-class roster of more than 20 newsmakers and expert leaders.
According to Lopez, “Many conferences targeted at women, do not take into account the unique needs and strengths of moms. It is not easy to build a business with children underfoot and our conference intends to help educate and support moms to find their path to success without compromising their ability to be good parents.”
Program highlights for the conference include:
- Keynotes by Savor The Success’ Angela Jia Kim, Count Me In/ Make Mine a Million’s Nell Merlino, and Mompreneurs® Online’s Ellen Parlapiano.
- 16 workshops designed to teach moms how to start, build, & grow their businesses, led by powerful speakers such as, the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz, the Entreprenette Sarah Shaw, Self Made Millionaire Bonnie Marcus of the Bonnie Marcus Collection, Mom Corps CEO Allison O’Kelly and more.
- A B2B & Mom2Mom Expo allowing both the opportunity for moms to highlight their own businesses and for moms to access products and services to grow their businesses.
- Numerous networking opportunities, including a pre-conference networking mixer on Friday night, designed to build lasting connections and support between attendees.
- An Awards & Grant Cocktail Hour, featuring the announcement of the winner of the Super Mom Entrepreneur Fund grant, a small grant designed to help a mom start or expand her business.
In response to the surging popularity of Moms in Business and the demand for a conference in the heart of NY Empire State, organizers have taken a number of steps to expand the conference’s reach and make it accessible to moms in the tri-state area and throughout North America. In an effort to give more mothers an opportunity to experience the inspirational and transforming event, conference speakers and mom entrepreneurs Mindee Doney and Julie Pickens, the co-inventors of Boogie Wipes, are offering an all expenses paid trip to one lucky mom entrepreneur. All interested moms, whether they have a successful business, are a new start-up, or are thinking of starting a business down the road, are eligible to enter.
To be considered, visit the Boogie Moms’ blog, between July 1st and September 1st, fill out the form and tell them a bit about your business or business idea, your goals, and how the Super Mom Entrepreneur conference would benefit you.
The winner will be chosen by The Boogie Moms and will receive an all expenses paid trip, including airfare to the conference (from anywhere in the Continental US or Canada), lodging for two nights, conference registration fees, and two hours of business consulting time with Mindee and Julie, The Boogie Moms.
The Super Mom Entrepreneur Conference & Expo has already garnered the support of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and is looking for support from various sponsors and exhibitors who also believe in supporting moms in business and who understand the household purchasing power moms possess. Limited volunteer positions are available, with preference given to moms who can not afford to purchase a ticket.
For more information about The Super Mom Entrepreneur Conference & Expo 2010, visit www.supermompreneur.com. Enter code TME at checkout for $50 off.
July 19th, 2010 | Posted by: The Mom Entrepreneur |
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In her former life, Mary Murphy was a longtime Kindergarten teacher, making learning fun for young children. Now, as the founder of Hooray for Books (HFB), she offers “Creative classes where kids look, cook & devour good books!” ™
After the birth of her third child, Mary left her teaching job with an idea to start educational classes for young children, teaching them to read and cook in new and creative ways. Local mothers encouraged her to “go for it,” and in 2001, she started teaching a few classes per week.
Mary used her teaching background to create unique, one-of-a-kind programs for her young students. Next, she used her experience as a mom to make the programs attractive for parents, too. She offered 90 minute drop-off classes, allowing parents enough time to run to the grocery store while their kids were in their classes – a win-win for all.
Cooking is something Mary has been passionate about since she was young, so making that activity a centerpiece at Hooray for Books was only natural. Mary is also a self proclaimed “humor expert” creating theme days, wearing costumes to match the theme and greet excited learners with “out of the box” recipes with learning challenges built in.
Her Hopkinton, MA-based company grew due to popular demand. Today, she offers classes for ages 2-
11 as well as birthday parties, summer camps, and book/cook clubs at her two local locations.
The next chapter? Mary is franchising her successful business, with the goal of opening locations first throughout New England and then nationally. As a business convert, she knows moms want exciting, yet flexible business opportunities.
Running a Hooray for Books franchise is that and so much more. Her ideal candidates don’t need a background in education. In fact, she’s considering people from corporate backgrounds who have taken time off from full-time careers to spend time with their children. Franchise owners will receive HFB lesson plans and recipes, as well as personal support and a proven track record. Franchisees can arrange their class schedules based on their own family responsibilities and be part of a fantastic company.
Mary’s advice for others who are considering an entrepreneurial business concept: Go for it. She believes that women are fantastic at finding and filling a need, and then turning it into a business.
The busy mom of five kids (ages 17, 12, 9, 7 and 5) strives to maintain a healthy work-life balance. She finds time in her schedule to work guilt-free, usually from 9 pm until midnight. That way, she can spend quality time with her family, and then carve out a chunk of uninterrupted time to concentrate on work projects when her kids are in bed. (She calls herself nocturnal!)
Mary understands that children’s attitudes towards reading are formed between ages 2-8, and she’s delighted to give them positive experiences in her classes. She enjoys promoting that positive attitude through books, making letter associations through cooking activities, being silly, wearing crazy costumes, planning creative projects for them to enjoy – and watching them learn.
For more information about Hooray for Books and franchising opportunities, visit www.hoorayforbooks.com.
July 14th, 2010 | Posted by: The Mom Entrepreneur |
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Bettina Jetter, owner of CoachingSanctuary.com, has a soothing voice, a positive outlook and an inspirational message. Through her new website, which launched in early 2010, she’s helping women gain perspective, increase confidence, meet their personal goals and become happier.
Her innovative new site provides an interactive, life coaching solution that helps women create a life with intention, integrity and the love of friends.
The motivating, self-affirming site is unique, combining a personal journal, a vision board for goals, a community board to exchange ideas and a personal tracking tool with a self-guided coaching program.
Bettina recognizes that business and personal goals are intertwined, so her coaching services provide tips for all aspects of a woman’s life. A site visitor might be struggling with a personal issue, but after more careful contemplation, will realize that a personal issue is also in play. Coaching Sanctuary aims to transform women’s lives and encourage personal growth.
Bettina was inspired by a quote from Elissa Melamed that says “Men look at themselves in mirrors.
Women look for themselves.” She believes that women are more introspective, and she enjoys helping women see themselves more accurately in the mirror.
An online coaching service may not seem like a very personal, engaging way to work on personal transformations, but Bettina, and her five-person team, has created a virtual oasis. There’s a heavy emphasis on the site’s tranquil look, feel and music.
According to Bettina, visitors have been impressed with her unique, peaceful online sanctuary, and say they’ve emerged from the experience in a really wonderful, positive way.
Bettina has learned first-hand about the importance of a positive attitude, regardless of life’s obstacles. Her husband was diagnosed with leukemia 20 years ago, and has had relapses with the disease every few years since. Bettina said this ongoing experience has changed their lives, but many of the changes were actually positive. She says that dealing with a chronic illness makes you more conscious of your choices. Many people get overly absorbed in minor daily annoyances, which make them lose focus on the important things, like relationships and other things of true value.
This woman entrepreneur, who is originally from Germany but now lives in the Bay Area, encourages others to maintain a healthy work-life balance. She encourages women to carve out 30 minutes a day for themselves, to go for a walk, chat with a friend or do another calming, enjoyable activity. This special time helps women stay healthy and regroup.
She also believes that entrepreneurial success depends on being passionate about what you’re doing. It’s also critical to trust your intuition and surround yourself with dedicated, creative and inspiring people.
For more information, visit www.coachingsanctuary.com.
June 22nd, 2010 | Posted by: The Mom Entrepreneur |
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I was recently contacted by a mom entrepreneur who is a resident of the Gulf Coast. Her 8-year old daughter wanted to do something to help create awareness about the affects of the oil spill, so they created a Web site where people can tell their stories.
They are also trying to raise money via Google ads. The Web site has just been posted and they asked if I could help spread the word.
Please visit www.gulfoilspillstories.com for more information.
Kudos to this 8-year old for her creative idea!
June 14th, 2010 | Posted by: The Mom Entrepreneur |
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Yvonne’s Invitations & Favors is a Long Island home-based online wedding invitations and favors company, fulfilling orders nationwide.
Shirley Yvonne Vitelli, the company’s founder, operates a unique online business model, offering “red-carpet personalized service” that impresses even the most demanding brides. The company’s customized, friendly service takes the fear out of ordering invitations online. Yvonne helps clients every step of the way, with flexible phone appointments to answer questions and provide support. They provide free instant online proofs and can print and ship the same day on most orders.
Their best selling products are invitations, followed by favors and accessories. Their most popular themes include beach/destination, hearts, autumn/fall and fairy-tale weddings.
Shirley started the company as a hobby, and says it’s been tremendously fulfilling to nurture and expand her business. According to Shirley, self-fulfillment leads to happiness, and happiness is the key to healthy relationships and a happy home.
To maintain a healthy work-life balance, Shirley regularly schedules quality time with her two young
children. During family time, Shirley makes it “completely about them,” putting away her laptop and work projects. And when she works with clients, she focuses on them exclusively. A night owl, Shirley works mostly in the evening after her children are sleeping. That way, she can tap into her creativity, uninterrupted.
Shirley’s biggest challenge is being a “one-woman show.” She’s not only the head of the company, but also the accountant, publicist, sales rep, etc. Like many mom entrepreneurs, her resources are limited, and she has found huge value in networking. By securing key partnerships, especially with other vendors, she increases referrals, advice and bartering opportunities.
Shirley’s strong retail background includes Hallmark, Victoria’s Secret, Bloomingdale’s, Elizabeth Arden and Bed Bath and Beyond. She has “worn many hats” in the retail industry, including store manger, retail trainer, corporate buyer and recruiter.
Shirley credits her mom with being her biggest source of inspiration. A successful career woman herself, Shirley’s mom demonstrated how to juggle career and family and maintain a healthy work-life balance. While her family is supportive of her business endeavors, Shirley’s biggest supporter is her husband, who also happens to be a hands-on dad. She values the partnership they share and truly feels blessed to have a husband like hers.
Shirley’s advice to other mom entrepreneurs: when you start to feel guilty about not spending “enough” time with family or at work, remember that quality is more important than quantity. When you’re with your kids, focus exclusively on them and when you’re at work, concentrate on the task at hand.
For more information, visit www.invitationsbyyvonne.com.
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