Archive for the ‘work at home moms’ Category
Monday, June 14th, 2010
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.
Tags: brides, invitations, wedding favors, wedding invitations, weddings
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Whether you’re working in your business suit or birthday suit, working from home offers many challenges, benefits, and adventures.
Working Naked Day on February 1st is dedicated to helping the more than 37 million home office professionals who are working naked—working without the support of the corporate workplace—to improve the way they work from home.
Home office expert and author Lisa Kanarek offers five tips for making working from home a little easier:
Know the best place to do it. Before you decide where to set up your home office, evaluate every room and ask yourself: Will I actually work in this area? Can I keep distractions to a minimum? Is there enough lighting and are there enough outlets? Is there enough room for all of my equipment, files, and supplies?
Find the right position. There are five basic furniture arrangements for your home office: L-shape; U-shape; Parallel (desk with credenza behind you); corner (desk faces the wall); or reverse corner arrangement (desk faces into the room). The arrangement you choose depends primarily on the size of your office, the type of furniture you have, and how much work surface you’ll need.
Size doesn’t matter. You can work in a 15’ x 15’ home office or inside a small, walk-in closet. The size of your home office won’t affect how productive you are. What matters is how you use that space. Make use of your walls and add shelves above or near your desk. Use a 3-in-1 printer, copier and scanner to save space.
Decide if it’s better by yourself or with your spouse. Before you share a home office with your spouse, consider whether you have compatible working styles. A neat spouse can drive a pack-rat up the wall and out of the office. Spouses work better together if each person has his own desk and “space” that’s off limits to the other spouse.
Don’t wait until you’re in the mood. Set a specific time to work in your home office each day. The time will change daily, but if you don’t target a certain start time, it may be late afternoon before you get to work.
With these five simple tips, your home office will be a place where you enjoy working, even if your commute is only seconds each day. For more home office tips, visit Kanarek’s site at www.workingnaked.net.
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
This blog post marks our 2nd annual Top Picks list. If you missed 2008′s list, check it out here…>
Every year, we receive dozens of products to review. We do not review them all due to lack of time, but all products we receive are eligible for The Mom Entrepreneur’s annual favorites list. The only criteria is that the products fit some need for a woman who is either a mom and/or an entrepreneur.
The Mom Entrepreneur’s 10 Top Picks Count Down for 2009:
10. Scentsy* – I received a beautiful Scentsy Warmer as a gift from a member of The Mom Entrepreneur Online Support Group. It is a ceramic holder with a light inside that melts a fragrance bar, which sits inside a warming dish. Mine was from their autumn line and the dish was shaped like a leaf. It is very decorative and the scents I received, Cinnamon Vanilla, Poinsettia Pine and Pumpkin Spice, all smell wonderful. I prefer this over a candle since it is safer, and when the fragrance bar is used up, you do not have to throw a glass jar away.
9. Coco-Zen – As a mom entrepreneur, I rely on chocolate to get me through the day. It is a much better day when the chocolate is really good. That is why I choose Coco-Zen. All of their treats are made from organic and Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate. My favorite is the Chocolate Chai Spice followed by the Dark Chocolate.
8. My Storytime Friends*- Last Christmas, I received a stuffed bear packaged in a colorful box, which included a 32-page hardcover storybook, and a unique code for lifetime membership and online access to free stories, downloads, activities and more for children ages 3-8. The company has combined the things children love – books, animals and fun – and packaged them in such a way that encourages children to explore, learn and interact. All of the books include key messages of empowerment over adversity, attaining dreams, and aspiring for the future. Messages that children of all ages should hear over and over again. These stories come to life with cheerful characters, rich illustrations, and realistic dialogue that families can enjoy together. A book and a bear might seem like a common gift to give, but what really excited me about this product was the lifetime membership to mystorytimefriends.com. That is why I choose them for this list.
7. Lilypad LunchMates* – I am always looking for new ways to be more environmentally
sensitive. My goal is to teach my kids these valuable lessons so that they will carry them into adulthood. That is why I love Lilypad LunchMates – they made switching from paper to cloth napkins easy. Lilypad LunchMates is a set of 5 reusable cloth napkins that come in fun colors and patterns. The company uses repurposed fabric to keep it from going in the landfill. That means they are not purchasing “styles” to sell, rather they are using the fabric that they liberated from the cutting facility as well as their excess fabric that would typically just get tossed. Their napkins are 100% cotton and handmade in the USA. They are also durable and hold up to multiple washings.
6. Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up
(affiliate link)* – This bestselling guide takes you across town and around the globe to 500 of the most exciting places on earth. It comes complete with hotel information, age recommendations, websites and more. It is comprehensive and easy to use. You can search by country, state, or alphabetically. This book makes it easy to plan family vacations and to be assured the destination is one that all will enjoy.
5. Mosquito 86* – Every summer I worry about the many pests that invade our yard and home. Wasps build nests under the eaves of our house, swinging chair and in the ground. Ants of all sizes invite their relatives to move into our house for the season, and mosquitoes are highly abundant no matter how many bats we try to attract to our bat boxes. This past summer, we had days upon days of endless rain. Soggy weather is an open invitation for ants to move in to a home, and puddles are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. I was invited to test the Mosquito 86TM Pest Eradication System, a professional-grade mosquito elimination system that is EPA approved and safe around humans and pets. The system worked extremely well for us and that is why they our on our Top Picks list.
4. Dinner Games – Last Christmas, I purchased the Gather ‘Round Dinner Game and Classic Style from Families with Purpose. Their dinner games are quick, simple, and fun. To play, families just sit down to dinner, pick a card, and read it aloud. My boys, ages 5 and 9 get so excited to play these games, and look forward to family dinners. More importantly, they are more apt to finish their food because we have found a way to make it fun!
3. HP Color LaserJet CM2320nf MFP* – You can click the link I embedded to learn all about this printer and get a full list of specs. What really matters though is that this printer is the first and last printer you will ever need. It was the easiest printer my husband has ever had to set up (his words). The printer, which includes copying, faxing and scanning capabilities as well, is very intuitive. It asks you questions during the setup process of its different functions that makes it easy to understand and use. This is perfect for us work-at-home moms who may have limited space and need to have a reliable printer that can perform many functions.
2. GoPicnic* – This product is a mom’s dream. GoPicnic creates the highest quality, best tasting ready-to-eat meals that are exceptionally convenient and require no refrigeration or special preparation – you can truly enjoy them anytime, anywhere! A GoPicnic meal is ready to eat right from the box, just grab a drink 
and enjoy one of their delicious, nutritious meals. They come in many varieties, including full meals, kids meals, and quick snackboxes. This was perfect for baseball games, soccer games, trips to the beach or park, etc. when you may be in a hurry, have not gone grocery shopping in awhile, or need something that will last if you are sitting out in the sun all day. Not only did my kids love the taste and selection, but so did my husband and I. They also offer gluten-free, kosher, halal and many other health conscious choices.
1. Citizen’s Bank – Last year, I was faced with the challenge of having to switch banks. I was very disappointed with the customer service I was receiving from my current bank at the time. I asked friends and vendors for recommendations, and the popular choice was Citizen’s Bank. Among the many perks I received was a free personal checking account for setting up a business checking account (which was also free), $.10 back for each online transaction I conduct (Green$ense program), a credit card that pays me back every time I purchase gas, and much more. I was also very pleased with their customer service, and their genuine willingness to help me get my business setup with their bank. That is why Citizen’s Bank IS my #1 Top Pick for 2009!
What was your Top Pick for 2009?
*(The products listed above marked with an * were sent to me at no charge. That being said, I am under no obligation to write a good review or to write any review about these products, and what I’m writing here are my own opinions based on my personal use of the products.)
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Wow 2009…what a great year! I had a lot to say this year and many of you had a lot to say back. I thought it would be fun to count down the Top 11 Blog Post of 2009 based on comments and feedback from readers.
I also learned a lot about what you like and what you want to hear more about in 2010.
And here they are…
My favorite posts are #5, #3 and #2. Which one is your favorite?
Thanks so much to everyone for reading The Mom Entrepreneur Blog and for sharing your thoughts, ideas and emotions. You have been so supportive and I appreciate it very much!
I have lots more to tell you in 2010 so stay tuned!
Monday, December 7th, 2009
WHAT:
Balancing the Supermom Act: Tips and techniques for getting more done, spending more time with family and achieving more.
WHO:
Presented by Lucinda Cross of Corporate Mom DropOuts
WHEN:
Tuesday, December 8th from 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST
COST:
FREE Sign up now: Limited to first 100 people
REGISTER HERE…>
Supermoms are often identified as those women who do it all, they run a business; take care of kids, the husband, the house, the laundry, the car, everything and everyone in between.
Balancing the Supermom act starts with taking off some of the weight we carry and directing our energy to get more done without burn out. There’s no perfect balance so we sometimes feel pulled in too many directions and we end up putting out fires and not taking care of ourselves or making the necessary steps inspired by our vision or our passion to succeed. In the end, we spread ourselves so thin, we become disillusioned about what matters most.
After interviewing over 200 moms, Lucinda has come up with some of the most interesting ways Supermoms can fly and create a life that operates the way you want it. Unlike the Marvel characters Superwoman, Cat woman, Batgirl, etc we have a bigger job to play and the roles we play are several.
If you want more for your life & from your business, this teleseminar is for YOU!
During this presentation, Lucinda will show you how to:
- find peace and balance in your life by being true to yourself
- how to create a focus calendar
- apply the “Supermom” principles and techniques to your business
- use energy management vs. time management
- delegate for success
Who will benefit from this teleseminar?
- Moms who do everything themselves
- Moms who won’t seek needed assistance
- Moms who refuse to delegate assignments
- Moms who are overwhelmed juggling family and business
- Moms who are experiencing “Burn Out” or “Melt Down”
Three participants will win the Corporate Mom Dropouts Book and Journal at the end of the teleseminar.
REGISTER HERE…>
About the presenter:
Lucinda Cross is a speaker, author and mom. Now founder of Corporate Mom Dropouts, blog, radio show and book.
For several years, she has made it her life’s mission to uplift, inspire and change people’s lives. She likes to call herself a catalyst for motivation, passion and high energy and has worked with small business owners supporting them to work ON their business and not in their business. She also works with women who are interested in learning how to work from home, and take charge and create the life they love.
Her life has been filled with wonderful experiences – from being a single mother, to a Mompreneur as well as sharing her gifts as a marketing strategist, mentor and writer. She uses this wisdom and insight to motivate moms to create a better life, a better community and a better business.
For more information, visit www.corporatemomdropouts.com.
Friday, October 9th, 2009
My mom recently asked me if I would ever consider going back to work for someone else once my boys were grown and off to high school.
The answer….a resounding NEVER!
She was worried that I was too isolated working at home, by myself with no adult interaction. I attempted to explain that I have lots of adult interaction online and offline. I love it this way!
When I started my business in 2000, I worked at home. Alone. I had previously been working for a company with several other employees and I enjoyed the interaction. But I did not enjoy the insecurity of working for someone else; someone who did not respect his employees and whose business was failing.
It was hard being alone at home as a new mom. My son was less than a year old and entrepreneurship and motherhood were both very new to me.
I was lonely. I desperately wanted to interact with other women who were experiencing something similar. I searched…but could not find anyone.
My business quickly grew, I added six employees, and I moved my office out of the house and into a traditional office setting.
Within two years I was miserable.
Coming back home to work for myself was one of the best business decisions I have ever made.
A recent survey conducted by Gather and Mom Central Consulting of more than 1,300 moms revealed that the majority (60%) feel lonely and unsupported in their day-to-day lives and have turned online – to social networking sites, community forums and chat rooms – to make new friends.
Their survey revealed some other interesting facts:
- 71% of moms are connecting online because of shared interests
- over 60% of moms reported making a new friend online in the past year
- 70% of moms talk to other moms online in forums and communities
- 1 in 3 moms who’ve made friends online tell their online friends things they don’t share with offline friends
I explained to my mom that I loved working for myself and that going back to a traditional work setting would not interest me.
I tried to show her how I connect with hundreds of like-minded women everyday through The Mom Entrepreneur Online Support Group, but she comes from a generation of women who did not connect this way when she was my age. Therefore she did not understand.
In addition to connecting online I:
- go out with my husband a few times a month for date night
- meet other women at the gym
- belong to a local mom group that gets together several times a month
- get involved with activities at my kid’s schools
I feel very content and no longer disconnected from other women as I once did when I started my business almost 10 years ago.
Work-at-home moms do you feel isolated? What do you do to connect with other women who share the same interests?
Monday, September 21st, 2009
I have lost many things over the past few years, including clients, money, my cat, a favorite sweater, etc. But of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.
I miss the ability to remember my kid’s proper names. Instead I switch their names or call them by the dog’s name.
When I go into our cellar to get something, I forget why I am there…stop and think…give up and go back upstairs. Get to the top of the stairs, curse because I just remembered what I needed and then go back down stairs to get it. And who said moms don’t get exercise!
Today, I took a big box of books with me to the post office to mail to a former client. I needed to first stop at my other office to get bubble wrap. I took the box of books and the tape gun but forgot the address. That means I get to do it all again tomorrow.
My desk and computer screen is lined with yellow sticky notes:
“pick up the dog today”
“kids get off the bus”
“call client at 1:00pm”
“car needs oil change”
“reschedule haircut”
“close savings account”
The last reminder on this list, “close savings account” was a note for this morning. However, I forgot to look at my reminder notes, and now I get to try again to do that task tomorrow as well.
I make lists, set reminders in my Outlook, ask my husband and kids to remind me about certain things…but nothing seems to work.
I stare at my computer screen trying to remember what I am working on. Occasionally I forget words in sentences and have to find a way to describe to the person I am speaking to what it is I am trying to say. This is very frustrating when you are trying to sound intelligent in front of a client.
Fortunately, reducing stress or better managing it can improve your memory. Daniel
Pendick, author of the article
“Memory Loss and the Brain” suggests the following tips for reducing and coping with stress.
- Relax: Make time throughout the day for a few minutes of meditation, quiet time, prayer, or even staring out the window; take a hot bath or go to a movie.
- Exercise: It relieves tension and provides a “time out” from stressful situations.
- Sleep: Get enough of it. It gives your stressed-out body time to replenish itself.
- Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant. Reduce or eliminate caffeine by cutting back on coffee, tea, caffeinated soda, and chocolate.
- Multi-tasking: Avoid “multi-tasking,” or trying to do more than one thing at a time, like eating or talking while driving.
- Organize: Get organized, set your priorities, and simplify your life. At work, delegate tasks to others or let some things go.
- Socialize: Socialize with family and friends. Limit time spent with negative people or in stressful situations.
- Seek help: If you feel that your stress is out of control, speak to a therapist or ask your doctor whether anti-anxiety medications might help you as you learn how to manage stress better.
Mom entrepreneurs – do you feel you are losing your mind? What other stress relieving techniques and tips would you suggest?
Yvonne’s Invitations & Favors is a Long Island home-based online wedding invitations and favors company, fulfilling orders nationwide. 
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