Mama-press: July 2011

9 Common Sense Lessons for Mom

1. Give a 2 1/2 year old markers, she will draw all over herself.

2. Leave a child alone in the bathroom too long, he will fill the sink with water and soak the hand towel.
3. Give a child a squirt gun, he will shoot it at Mommy.
4. Keep a package of napkins in an easily accessible place, your child will manage to empty the entire thing.
5. Leave chap stick on the counter, your child will not only put it on his/her lips, but all over his/her chin and cheeks.
6. Keep a flashlight in an easily accessible place, your child will take it and use it to find random nothings...or toys under the couch (and for this you'll be thankful).
7. Keep your book on a table, your book mark will inevitably be taken out and you'll lose your place.
8. Leave diaper wipes in an easily accessible place, your kids will use them to clean everything in sight (not a bad thing...though they do smear the windows).
9. Let your kids open a box of snacks, they will just rip it open causing you to need to bring in reinforcements so they don't spoil.

Have any to add to the list? Please share them below!

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New Linky for Mama-press Directory

I can cross another item off of My Goal List. I just created a Linky for my Mama-press Directory. I've been wanting to do this for awhile and finally had the time. Please visit my new page highlighting 53 mom owned businesses. Some are just starting out, some are rather impressive with their success thus far. I also enabled the "like" feature. When you visit these sites, make sure you stop back and "like" them...that is, if you do indeed like them. I may have a friendly competition in the future! Also, when you visit them, it'd be great to say you found them on Mama-press. Everyone in business wants and needs to know if their marketing efforts are working...and some of the start-ups in the directory may not have the tools in place to track visits and entry pages. So, stop by, send some love, and tell your friends. The more press we get, the more press these great women will get!

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5 Items on My Goal List

Do you have a list of goals you want to accomplish? Maybe a to-do list, but comprised of "big" things? When you are working on a project (professional, educational, personal) you need to constantly re-evaluate yourself and add to your goal list. People who never change never grow. Businesses who don't adapt don't survive. I love learning new things and love doing things myself. Here are 5 items on my goal list, which are slowly becoming accomplished:

Drop my blogspot sub domain. I did a little research on this. Although there are varying opinions, I decided that it would benefit my site to drop the blogspot. I was fretting over this for weeks. How do I do it? Should I hire someone to do it? What if my entire site gets lost? What if I lose the 170+ followers I have and love? I had already registered my custom domain with go daddy, it was just sitting there. Finally, I looked up some directions on blogger, called go daddy for help, and shortly thereafter it was done! Not only was I ecstatic, I was proud that I did it myself...and it was much easier than I had anticipated! If you need a custom domain, I completely recommend go daddy, and no, I'm not paid to write that (unfortunately).
Design a new site (while keeping it simple). People, especially women, are entitled to change their minds...again and again. I decided I didn't like my original site design. I almost hired someone to add a couple little touches to make it more appealing to the eye. Then, in the desire to do things myself, I figured out how to do it and I did...am super happy with the result.
Get a Twitter account. Personally speaking, I don't "get" Twitter and probably will never have a personal Twitter account. However, I read it's a must if you are an entrepreneur or have your own business. Now that I have my account (Mama_press), I can see how it is vital to networking and connecting with clients. So, follow me and I'll follow you!
Add linky tools to my site. I already purchased the package, I now just have to figure out how to add them. This will improve my site dramatically and I'm excited to start working on this. Any suggestions or comments on this are welcome!
Do some offline marketing (read my previous post on offline marketing ideas).

The point is to keep re-evaluating and even re-defining yourself. Do what you have to do to grow and improve. Make it happen. Don't be afraid. Even someone as non-technical as myself can figure these things out and make them work. As long as you are smart, determined and unafraid, the world is your oyster.

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Diaper Donation

I recently read about Huggies' "Every Little Bottom" diaper campaign. Last year they conducted a national study to estimate "diaper need" across the country. Huggies defines diaper need as: the struggle to provide babies with an essential need - diapers. Some mothers face having to clean out and reuse soiled diapers or have to choose between diapers and other basic needs like food. This is very disheartening. The study concluded that about 1 in 3 American families struggle to provide enough diapers to their baby. Imagine your baby wearing a dirty diaper all day long. It's very sad, and needing to choose between food and diapers is not a choice anyone should wish on another. This brings me to today. I belong to a moms' group who had an excess of funds this past year. It's a nominal amount...$125. Being the treasurer, I had a say in how the money should be used. Instead of using the money frivolously, I decided to use it to donate diapers to families in need. Some areas have a "diaper bank" which matches families in need with diaper donations. We do not have a diaper bank in our area; however, many food banks partner with local social service agencies to donate diapers to these needy families. I aim to spend this $125 on about 6-8 cases of diapers, totaling about 600-700 diapers. I will then drop them off at a large, local food pantry. Imagine how happy these moms and dads will be when they go home with what they may consider a luxury item...not a car or jewelry or a fancy kitchen...but a case of diapers for their little one. Not only will their baby be more hygienic, the parents will feel a little less stress for the next couple of weeks. If you have the means, consider diaper donation for your next good deed.

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6 Little Mistakes that can Sabotage your Business

You know how "they" say you should always have someone else proofread your work? When we are too close, too involved in the everyday activities of something, it is easy to overlook important details. Here are a few easily overlooked things that can ultimately sabotage your business:

Pricing errors. I recently worked with a small business owner who had her brand placed in a major store chain. That was quite an accomplishment. While viewing her items on the store shelf, I noticed one was priced $2 too high. This equated to a 33% pricing error! I told her and she stated, "well, it will come up correctly at the register." Frankly, I was shocked. I thought...this item will never make it to the register because no customer will pay that high of a price for it. The customer would have no way of knowing the true, lower price. Lesson: always check the shop is pricing your items correctly.
Typos. This goes back to elementary school. Make sure your flyers, business cards, website, Etsy, Facebook, etc. have everything spelled correctly...phone numbers too.
Not having business cards. Anytime your products are on display at an event, you should have business cards. Give prospective customers something tangible to walk away with...something with your business name and contact information on it.
Not having product labels. You can find quality, inexpensive websites that will design product labels for you. You don't want the buyer thinking they just bought a necklace...you want them to know they bought "your" necklace. It is one way to ensure they will know how to buy more!
Not having quality control. Make sure you are personally satisfied with 100% of your items. 1 poorly made item can do much harm. We all know that when we are satisfied with something, we may tell a few people. However, when we are utterly dissatisfied with an item, we want to tell everyone!
Not giving it 100%. You must be confident, strong and passionate. Don't let naysayers distract you. Many people who don't give you credit or speak negatively about your efforts, are simply envious of your drive, determination and skill.

Any other mistakes that can sabotage your business? Post them here!

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2 Simple Must-Have Tools for Your Site

If you've read my bio, you know I'm new to the blogging world. If you are a veteran blogger, this will be old news; however, I wanted to share 2 great, simple tools for your blog. The 1st is Flag Counter. The basic service is free, with upgraded service available. You can design a simple "flag counter" which keeps track of country of origin of visitors to your site. For each new visitor from a new country, that country's flag is added. For each subsequent visitor from said country, a count starts (1, 2, 3, etc.). You can design the colors and dimensions of your flag counter within certain parameters. This is simply a fun thing to have! I love seeing new countries added to my flag counter.

The 2nd great tool I've found is Site Meter. They also offer a free service with an upgraded service available. Once you add the html code to your site, you can login to Site Meter and see a wide range of statistics about your visitors: from where they originated, on which pages they clicked, for how long they stayed on your site, how they left your site, etc. It keeps running averages and also gives a traffic prediction for the future. I think it's a must have.

If you know of more or even better tools to use, please comment below. I am sure there are a ton of great tools out there. Word of mouth is a lot more efficient for those of us who cannot spend a lot of time researching. I stumbled upon the Flag Counter, and my brother told me about Site Meter. If not for this, I would have had no idea.

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Small Business Saturday

Think of your last several purchases. From where did you buy your last gift, home decor item, even veggies? Have you bought at a locally owned small business lately? Have you bought from a mom selling cute handmade items from her home? If you haven't, you should! Make it an intentional purchase...try to buy from small businesses more regularly. If they are local, the items may be less expensive because less fuel charges are incurred by the businesses..not to mention it's better for the environment too. Perhaps there is a mom in your area with a great talent, trying to make a few extra bucks selling from her home, Etsy, or Facebook. Maybe you can buy your next baby shower gift, birthday present, or house warming gift from her. Imagine how thrilled she may get with each sale. Not only are you supporting her business, you are helping her confidence, self-esteem, and sense of pride. What a great thing to do for another person! We were recently vacationing in a small town in northern Wisconsin. Here are the ways we supported the small businesses up there:

1. Ate the occasional lunch and dinner at small, family owned cafes and restaurants.
2. Bought 2 birthday presents from a small toy store in town.
3. Bought a couple small trinkets for the kids from a man at a craft show.
4. Bought coffee from a tiny coffee stand in town.
5. Bought dips and spreads from the small cranberry store in the woods.
6. Bought a boat battery from the small boat/car repair shop.
These are the types of shops that are probably lucky to have one sale during the week, simply
because the town's population is only 642, and tourists primarily visit on summer weekends. I
feel great patronizing these businesses instead of shopping at the typical super chains flooding my home town. Perhaps the shops that have gone out of business wouldn't have if one more person each day made a purchase. At a minimum, make each Saturday "small business Saturday," and patronize a small business, locally or online. See my directory to the right for a great list of small, mom owned businesses with an online presence.

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7 Offline Marketing Ideas

Any business-minded person understands that online marketing is critical to a successful business. However, she also understnds that offline marketing is still not a thing of the past. It reaches consumers online marketing does not. It can reach critical target markets. It can surprise people and gain their attention...even those people who may intentionally ignore online ads. Here are some creative ways to market your business offline:

1. Create an impressive, yet inexpensive bookmark highlighting your business, and place it in appropriate trade magazines in bookstores. For example, if you sell handmade jewelry, place your bookmark "ad" in a beading magazine.
2. Create a similar impressive, yet inexpensive, flyer and place them in neighborhood mailboxes. You don't need a fancy service to do this...get on your bike and place them yourself.
3. Participate in a craft show (if your products are applicable to this setting). Be sure to hand out business cards and flyers, including your Etsy site, Facebook page, or website. Many people may not be ready to buy that day, but if they walk away with a flyer, they may remember you and buy at a future date.
4. If your business sells "green" items, visit nearby farmer's markets and ask if they would let you set up a table of your items. If not, ask if you can hand out flyers or at least have your business cards available to their customers. I've found that the people who are very into green or holistic lifestyles are extremely friendly, and would be willing to help others with similar values succeed.
5. Call on local boutiques and ask how you could get your product in their shops. Make sure you call on the shop manager, as she is likely the only one who could make the decision. I've found they are usually eager to work with local people who can offer them something new and trendy.
6. If you hold a garage sale, set up a table to showcase your items. Make sure you set this table apart so customers don't think it's "stuff" you're selling from your basement. Make sure you have flyers and/or business cards available.
7. Donate a product (or a gift basket of your products) to a local charity event. Perhaps there is a silent auction in town looking for prizes to be donated. Again, ask if you can place some business cards near your donation.

Think outside the box and you may come up with more ideas. These are relatively inexpensive, and can definitely bring you new business. Also, when you receive inquiries from new customers, don't be afraid to ask them how they heard about you. This will give you an idea of how successful your marketing efforts are.

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6 Unlikely Places Inspiration Strikes

I've often found my best ideas come at odd times. If I sit down and try to think of an idea, my mind remains blank. My ideas appear in the midst of doing something random, usually when my brain is on autopilot. I'm sure there is some research out there showing a mind at relative rest is more inducive to producing creativity. Here are some times inspiration strikes me:

In the shower
Nursing my baby (when my kids were babies, that is)
Driving in the car
Making dinner
Working out
Lying in bed

The goal is to write down these ideas lest they pop out of my head as quickly as they popped in. I have a list of post titles just waiting to be written. That's my way of keeping track of my ideas. I can work on them when I feel like it, but at least the title is down so my idea won't drift away.
Where does inspiration strike you?

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Pay it Forward Friday

We've all heard the phrase "random acts of kindness." I love it. Being kind to someone without expecting anything in return. I thought it would be nice to have a regular "Pay it Forward Friday" post. Each Friday I will list a few suggestions on how we can all pay it forward. Your job is to pick something from the list and do it (preferably multiple times) over the course of the week. To add some accountability, you can return to Mama-press and comment on the post after you have completed the task. Things like this spread like wildfire. They grow exponentially and suddenly everyone is happier & in better moods...and when we are in a good mood we treat people better. Here are some ideas:

Wave at a neighbor as you drive through the neighborhood, especially if you do not know him/her.
Buy a coffee for the person in line behind you at the coffee shop.
Give a stranger a compliment.
Hold the door open for someone, especially if it's a mom with a stroller!
Smile at the cashier after you pay for your items.

I'd love to read your comments, suggestions, or pay it forward accomplishments this next week!

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6 Summer Things Kids Love & Moms Don't

Lately I've heard other moms comment on activities or things their kids love, but they do not. In fact, mom's feelings range from slight dislike to downright loathing. Here are 6 of them:

Merry go rounds. I get dizzy very easily. Recently I went on a merry go round with my kids and some friends. Both my friend and I commented on how we hate them and cannot wait until they end! Our kids were smiling, having a grand ole time. We each picked a focal point, and held our eyes there until the nightmarish ride ended. Okay, that's a slight exaggeration. I can do it because they only last a couple of minutes and I love my kids...but if I was forced to stay on it all day (which would be an odd thing to have happen), I would definitely get sick.
Swings. I have no problem with swings. However, a friend stated her stomach can't take them....they are akin to her being on a roller coaster. Sounds crazy, yes, but you my have your own odd issue with an everyday activity too....
Sand. I love sand in a sand box. I do not like it on my kids' legs, in their clothes, on my patio, in my house, in the car, etc, etc, etc. When we have a party with lots of kids, I hope they do not notice the green turtle sand box with big eyes, begging them to play.
Squirt guns. Problem a) the word "gun." We called them "squirters" until recently. Now that my son is 5, it's kind of unavoidable (especially if you've seen Cars 2!). Problem b) kids are bound to "shoot" (another undesirable word) someone who doesn't want to be shot...and usually mom is one of them.
Popsicles. Lately I've been giving these to my kids outside when they have their swimsuits on. They are sticky, they drip, they stain. What good are they?
Getting their hair wet at the pool. I do not concur with this one. If one goes to a swimming pool or water park, one should expect she may get wet. I do. Now, I don't want some kid splashing me intentionally, but if my hair gets wet, or soaked, it's all good. However, I overheard a mom at a water park this week tell her daughter "you know mommies don't want their hair getting wet at the pool." To each his own...I thought this was a little unrealistic, but it made my list nonetheless.

Did I miss anything? Please comment and share something your kids love & you don't!

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10 Famous Quotes for the 4th of July

In celebration of our nation's independence, I've compiled a list of 10 famous quotes inspired by our wonderful country:

Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. Benjamin Franklin
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom. Albert Einstein
The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object. Thomas Jefferson
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Martin Luther King, Jr.
You can protect your liberties in this world only by protecting the other man's freedom. You can be free only if I am free. Clarence Darrow
The greatest lesson we can learn from the past is that freedom is at the core of every successful nation. Anon
Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. Abraham Lincoln
It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. Anon
All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. Winston Churchill
Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living? Gandhi