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e’re excited to bring you our latest issue of AusMumpreneur magazine! There’s a lot going on in the world of mumpreneurs right now, and we’re having so much fun being a part of!
In this issue we chat with one of Australia’s most successful mumpreneurs Rachael Bermingham and we’re pretty excited to actually be meeting Rachael very soon as she AusMumpreneur joins us to celebrate magazine editor’s image by www.carolynb.com.au International Women’s Day on 9 Editors March in Brisbane at our AusMumpreneur Conference. This issue also features a whole host of inspirational stories about everyday mums following their dream of living the life of a successful mumprenuer! We also take a peek into the home offices of real mums and interior designer Joanna Ford shares her secrets on how to create the perfect home office for you! We have a host of articles on marketing your business online, setting up your online store, the best apps for mumpreneurs and we’ve featured some of our favourite tech gadgets out now, (the blackberry playbook is definitely on our wish list!) We hope you enjoy this issue,
Peace & Katy
e: connect2mums@gmail.com
The AusMumpreneur Network
Peace Mitchell & Katy Garner Advertising enquiries
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Contact us
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0431 615 107
Our Mission
Supporting, inspiring & celebrating mums in business.
Join us at
The AusMumpreneur Network
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contents
p 62
p6
Mumpreneur Style
Online Busines Guide
• Shopping carts What to • Create your dream look for p50 workspace p58 • Your online store options • Real Home Offices p62 p54 • Mumpreneur Style p74 • Tech gadgets to love p14 • Marketing your business online p32 • Facebook pages p40
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p 62
p 80 p 58
p 48 p 74 p 40
Mumpreneurs • Publishing Queen: Rachael Bermingham p6 • Meet the Mumpreneurs p80 • Apps for busy Mums p18 • Mind your mindset p48 • How to get seen in magazines p44
Business Reading • The business books you must read this year p66 • Author spotlight: Resselle Hrelja p70
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inspire:
rachael bermingham of Bermingham books 6
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This month we spoke to Rachael Bermingham about motherhood, publishing and her new business Bermingham Books. We’re really looking forward to having her as our very special guest presenter at our Brisbane AusMumpreneur Conference on 9 March at Rydges Southbank Brisbane. We think Rachael is truly an inspirational Mumpreneur. I am a proud work from home (solo) mum to 3 gorgeous little boys; Jaxson (6) and 20 month old twins Bowie and Casey. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast, where I dropped out of school and dropped into business (a hair salon) at the age of 19. I was always seeking adventure, so I followed my heart, sold my business and went on to be 1 of 3 women in Australia to professionally feed sharks at Underwater World. After 3 years of shark feeding I continued through my journey and this included; a state champion in martial arts a stuntwoman at Warner Brothers Movie World and Travel Agency Owner - before becoming an inspirational speaker, author, publisher and book distributor. My business is Bermingham Books Publishing - we provide mentoring, consulting, publishing and distribution services to authors wanting to write, produce and promote their own books.
At Bermingham Books you will find a continual updating shop for buying educational support and bestselling books.
“I feel really blessed – I wake up every day loving what I do and I don’t have to sacrifice not seeing my children in order to do it – happy days!” Since writing my first book ‘Read My Lips’ in 2005, I’ve had people ask me how to write, publish and market books. I learnt on the job and found out how to write, how to produce a book, how to sell books and how to distribute them too. It was almost like my future
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propelling them to international bestseller fame! PLUS my dream is to have every title we have on our list to be a bestseller AND (yes I have more goals!!!) - to build Bermingham Books into one of the TOP 3 leading Publishing Houses in the country.
How do writers submit and what genres do you accept?
direction was mapped out in front of me – I love helping people! I have immense knowledge after writing 8 bestsellers myself and it’s a business that allows me to work from home around my commitments with my children. I feel really blessed – I wake up every day loving what I do and I don’t have to sacrifice not seeing my children in order to do it – happy days!
At Bermingham Books we have a formal book submission process via our website - so it’s really easy and streamlined. If you would like your book or manuscript to be assessed for either Distribution or Publishing, authors complete the online form and post it back with their printed manuscript or book. It then takes about 4-6 weeks for us to process it and come back to you with an answer. We accept all genres of books and currently I am on the hunt for thrillers, children’s books and novels.
We've heard you have a new book coming out soon - are you able to give us the scoop?
for
I do have a new book releasing soon! It’s super exciting and I can’t wait! In fact the final edit went to print today! Wooohoooo!
My vision is to support budding authors wanting to write, produce and promote their own books. I picture a wide, international fan-base with an educational author center that is accessible from all corners of the globe, creating new heights for my authors,
‘Savvy – Ingredients for Success’ will be released next month (bookstores are taking preorders now) in the USA & Australia. I am about to embark on a much-publicized global tour including the USA and Australia, which will encompass all forms of media - TV,
What’s your vision Bermingham Books?
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radio, interviews and events! It is the start of another wonderful adventure! The content still remains a bit of a secret – however I will tell you – ‘Savvy’ includes some vital ingredients for the future Mumpreneurs of this world…
What do you find the most challenging about being a Mumpreneur? No matter who you are or what you do – all mothers are faced with the same pressures of life – including myself. We all have those struggles that come with the ‘guilt’ of being a mum who works, but if you find a job that you absolutely love, and one that puts your family first, then the rest comes easy! I LOVE everything about being a Mumpreneur – because I LOVE being a Mum and I enjoy my job too!!
What do you love about being a mum and having your own business? I LOVE everything about owning Bermingham Books Publishing! I LOVE the freedom of being able to decide my own schedule so that it works around my beautiful boys – this definitely is a big bonus! I can be doing an interview for Queensland one moment, and then I can be talking to New York via Skype the next – all whilst making business decisions, cooking dinner and having fun with the boys! It is hard work and I’ll admit I don’t get much sleep (it’s currently 11.40pm), but it’s SO worth it!
What advice you would give someone wanting to become an author? Ohh – there are SO many things that an author needs to know – and this is why I hold my Writers Workshops and Mentor Programs because quiet literally that’s a few weeks worth of information! But if I had to just give 3 tips – they would be; • Define your target market - one of the first things an author needs to do is define whom their target market is and how they intend to reach them through their book. • Make sure the book you are offering, is different to other titles that are available on the market. If there are similar titles littering the market – you need to find a different angle or idea – something that will stand out from the rest! • Put a timeline on when you want to have it done by; I can write a book now within 4 months if I write at least 4 days a week for at least an hour or 2 each day. You need to look at the book as a job rather than a hobby schedule the time in so you can finish it. Most people want to write a book, but most don’t because they don’t allocate the time. Finally, be sure to have fun while you’re writing your book – your reader will know if you have given it your all! For more information or to submit your bestselling book idea visit Rachael at her website:
www.berminghambooks.com 10
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REVIEW Dell XPS 14z
I loved this compact, sleek and stylish laptop from Dell. Firstly its just beautiful. Attractive lines and slick design make it instantly covetable. In addition, its super slim size and lightweight portability make it the perfect accessory for a professional client meeting, business travel or conferences. But don’t be fooled, this is not a just a cute looking gadget, it’s also incredibly powerful for such a small system and as a result really fast to work with. For the tech savvy amongst us it has “2nd Gen Intel® Core™ i7processors, delivering 8x faster high definition media performance than previous generations, and 78% faster everyday computing power... with up to 8GB of DDR3 memory.” As a busy mum I don’t have time to wait around for pages to load so I loved working with this speedy little laptop. I found the screen clarity really sharp too, fantastic for anyone, like me, who does design work, photo editing or layouts. I’d give it 41/2 out of 5 stars - a sleek, stylish and speedy system. You can find them online here: www.dell.com/au/p/xps-l412z/pd Review by Peace Mitchell
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REVIEW Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4 & 4S
First impressions were that it looked great. The sides of the case were in a brushed stainless steel giving it a quality look and feel. It is easy to put on and take off the phone, although you don’t really need to take it out, as you can charge the phone directly while in the case. It arrived charged and so I put it straight on the phone. When my battery went low I switched it on and it charged my phone right back up to 100%, very effective. The case is admittedly a bit heavier and bulkier than a normal iphone case, but this is inevitable given that there is a battery inside it, and the added weight is not particularly noticeable when the phone is carried around in your handbag. The Juice Pack Air gives me peace of mind when I am out that I will not run out of battery. As I run my own business and am frequently emailing and receiving phone calls when out and about, the Juice Pack Air has become invaluable, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a medium to heavy user of their iphone. You can find them here at: www.poweredlife.com.au Review by Stephanie Macintosh www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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Digital Life
Top 7 Apps
For Mumpreneurs In a busy world, mobile devices whether android or iPhone/iPad are being used in a daily context. Being a “Mumpreneur� requires apps that can help you manage all these different aspects. These suggestions are for both platforms (android & iphone/ipad) and the websites are listed to help you get started. I have used these apps in my business of consulting and often recommend these for people who need to manage both their time and money. The apps often integrate too which makes multi-tasking even easier.
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Here are some recommended app directories to find further apps to aid you in your “Mumpreneur business”: • http://www.appolicious.com/ (iPhone/iPad) • http://www.androidapps.com/ (Android)
1.
Dropbox
(Storage of Data Online) https://www.dropbox.com This app enables you to share data between your computers and mobile devices. It is a great way to work on documents away from your desk and to share with clients on the move. It allows you to hold up to 2GB of data. This app is available for both Android and iPhone/ iPad.
2. Evernote
(Note-taking Tools) http://evernote.com/ This app’s quote is “Remember everything”. The free app allows you to take photos, store pictures, write notes, and record voice memos. Like dropbox, it integrates between your computer and mobile devices. There is also “Twitter” integration so that you can tweet notes, ideas
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into Evernote for future reference. There are online “Notebooks” that can be made public where you can share your notes/ideas as PDF’s.
3. QuickOffice Pro
(Microsoft Office Suite) http://www.quickoffice.com It’s handy to be able to “create, edit and share” Microsoft Office documents whether at home or at meetings. Most of these apps have integration with programs like “Dropbox, Google Docs, and Evernote”. It also includes an advanced PDF viewer. Obviously, some features can’t be included because of being on a mobile device however it does enable you to do most tasks.
4. iPhone: Awesome Note
(+Todo) http://www.bridworks.com/anote/en/main/index.php
In managing your business you need to be able to mange notes in categories and folders and this app is perfect for this. It also has a “quick handwriting memo” where you can jot down a few ideas and save it. I really enjoy the ability to add tags to find your notes. This app also has the ability to have “passcode” protection for individual folders. Android: Easy Note https://market.android.com/details?id=notes.note.todo.android. easynote&hl=en Easy Note is very similar to “Awesome Note (+Todo) and can be integrated with Google Docs. It also has the handwriting memo feature within the app.
5. Business Card Reader
http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/business-card-reader/ id328175747?mt=8 It’s always handy to have a business card reader to read your new business cards and be able to store the details. These details are transferred to your contacts for future reference. The Android app does exactly the same thing. ABBYY Business Card Reader: https://market.android.com/ details?id=com.abbyy.mobile.bcr&hl=en
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6. iThoughts
(iPhone) and iThoughtsHD (iPad) http://ithoughts.co.uk Ever had an idea and just wanted to sketch it down (and have no paper available). This is a great app for creating sketches and flowcharts for ideas. Often, I take screen shots of these ideas and export them to email. Mindjet (Android) https://market.android.com/details?id=net. thinkingspace&feature=more_from_developer#?t=W251bGwsMSwxL DEwMiwibmV0LnRoaW5raW5nc3BhY2UiXQ.. Create visual thought maps that help organize and plan your activities and ideas. This is a great tool that includes (links, notes, colors, icons) to help brainstorm your ideas.
7. Expensify
both Android and iPhone
https://www.expensify.com/ The daily problem of keeping track of your expenses can be made easier with this app. This free apps allows you to log your mileage, file expense reports and upload all of your receipts by using your phone's/iPad's camera and photographing them. (The smart scanning system automatically extracts information like the date and amount of the receipt.) It is available on iPhone/iPad, Android and Blackberry devices.
Megan Iemma is an acclaimed Mobile Learning Specialist (ADE) bringing to life mobile learning concepts for educational, corporate and industry based organisations. Megan is a qualified Educator with skills including article authorship,resource development, conference presentations,workshops and training.
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The Lemon Tree Book Company fun personalised activity books you make at home $11 www.lemontreebookco.com
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Program
Book Tickets Online brisbanemumpreneurs.eventbrite.com.au
The Brisbane AusMumpreneur Conference is a very special conference for mums in business. The conference is specifically designed to help inspire Mums to reach their full potential, and includes workshops with leading business experts, including: • Rachael Bermingham - Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Publisher • Nick Bowditch - Social Media Sensation and Entrepreneur of The Bowditch Group and Clooee • Susan Pearse - Mindset Expert, Author of the Mind Gardener Series and Owner of Reinvention • Helen Butler - Professional Organiser and Owner of Clutter Rescue • Yvette Adams - Multi award winning business owner and Serial Entrepreneur Our Expert Speakers are holding interactive skill building workshops in Social Media, Organisation and Building an Online Business. As well as inspirational sessions on recognising why, as women and mums, we are in the best position to succeed in business. The amazing Rachael Bermingham will also share her story of life as a successful Mumpreneur and her journey to becoming one of Australia’s Number one Authors! AusMumpreneur events are all about connecting! We bring together talented mums from all around Australia, who understand each other’s unique challenges and triumphs in ways that other business owners don’t. Our attendees understand the work involved in being a successful business owner while raising a young family and the isolation felt by working from home and really benefit from the opportunity to connect with like-minded people. AusMumpreneur Conferences are friendly and inviting and our participants say they feel a strong sense of belonging and community at our events. Babies under 6 months are also welcome at our conferences. The conference also includes a special International Women’s Day celebratory lunch with entertainment and stories of amazing and inspirational women, prize giveaways and of course some bubbles and chocolate! Networking, a Mini Expo of exhibition stands from fellow mumpreneurs. Attendees can also bring their questions and get advice from our panel of “Mumpreneurs Who Have Made It!”
http://brisbanemumpreneurs.eventbrite.com.au www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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Friday 9th March Rydges, Southbank 8.30am Registration -Tea and Coffee 8.45am Welcome 9.00am Susan Pearse - The Power of the Mumpreneur – leveraging your strengths to succeed in business This session will explore the critical factors that are key to being an amazing entrepreneur and why, as women and mums, we are in the best position to succeed in business. You will learn how to build a great business through using strengths that you already have. You will gain a deeper insight into a woman’s mind and will learn which mindsets to cultivate and the stereotypical female traits that can hold you back! 10.00am Helen Butler - Controlling the Chaos! What are the three areas every Mumpreneur needs to manage to be in organisational bliss? This presentation by Expert Professional Organiser Helen Butler will give you practical strategies to implement straight away to control the chaos and bring calm and clarity to your home and business life. 11.00am Morning Tea 11.30am Yvette Adams - How to Succeed With Your Online Business Multi-award winning business woman and serial entrepreneur Yvette Adams who has consulted numerous businesses in New Zealand, the UK, the US and Australia on their websites and digital marketing strategies will share her top tips of how you too can succeed with your online business. 12.30pm Special Guest Speaker - Rachael Bermingham Rachael Bermingham is the bestselling author of 7 books, proud mum to 3 little boys & inspirational speaker. Rachael Bermingham’s talent for growing businesses from $0 to a multi-million dollar turnover from her home office using low cost marketing strategies while juggling family commitments is phenomenal. Her time management and effective goal setting strategies have lead her to become a popular trainer and mentor to women in six countries, as well as one of Australia’s most inspiring keynote speakers. We are very excited to have Rachael join us our very special guest. 1.30pm Lunch - Prizes and Entertainment 2.30pm Nick Bowditch - “What’s Possible. The Future of Online and Social Media Marketing” In this action-packed session, Nick Bowditch, the founder of Clooee, will show you what’s possible in the world of online and social media marketing for your business. Including: * how you can sell your products and services online - tips, tricks and what to avoid - even if you don’t have merchant facilities with a bank * how to use social media effectively and actually make money from it * how to outsource parts of your business and pay less than $5 per hour * how augmented reality can be used by even the smallest of businesses * how to get a FREE mobile app for your business 3.30pm Afternoon Tea & Mumpreneurs Showcase Mini Expo and Networking 4.00pm Mumpreneur Panel - Bring your questions and get advice from our panel of “Mumpreneurs Who Have Made It!”
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Conference Presenters Rachael Bermingham An energetic, dynamic and proud mum to 3 gorgeous little boys (including twins), Rachael has written 7 bestselling books in the last 4 years and is regarded as one of Australia’s#1 female self-published authors. Rachael co-wrote, self-published and self-funded her 1st book ‘Read My Lips’ in 2005 (a motivational book for women on how to achieve their goals) while breastfeeding her son Jaxson before being asked to utilise her book writing experience and marketing talent and embark on another exciting authoring venture with life long friend Kim McCosker to write what has become the phenomenally successful 4 Ingredients cookbook series. Rachael released her 5th and first solo title ‘How to write your own book and make it a bestseller’ which also became an overnight bestseller. A natural entrepreneur, Rachael’s talent for business shone early on when she succeeded in opening her first business at the tender age of 19 (a hair salon). In her 20 years in business she has become most renowned for her ability and natural flair in building multi-million dollar companies from a home base around family commitments with clever ‘no cost’ marketing and business tactics coupled with effective time management and goal setting strategies. Her passion for helping others to succeed and transform their goals into achievements eventually evolved in the form of authoring books, speaking, and mentoring women in six different countries. Most recently Rachael launched Bermingham Books a help and distribution centre for authors wanting to know how to write, produce and promote their own books. When Rachael’s not working on new books, mentoring, speaking or whipping up something fabulous in the kitchen she can be found enjoying what she loves most; ‘chillaxing’ at home with her fabulous friends and family soaking up the spectacular sun, surf and sand of Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast in Australia. http://www.rachaelbermingham.com
Yvette Adams Yvette Adams is a multi-award winning business owner as well as an experienced and inspiring speaker who shares her message with passion and enthusiasm. At only 34-years-old, Yvette is a serial entrepreneur, having started five businesses, three of which are purely online and two of which she has since sold. The first was a newspaper which she started at the age of just 17 years old which she sold to an American entrepreneur after the first issue! She has won numerous business awards including the Commonwealth Bank Business Owner of the Year Award at the Telstra Business Women’s Awards Queensland against a field of 4200, The Home Based Business Awards, as well as Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Queensland Small Business Awards. http://www.thecreativecollective.com.au/
http://brisbanemumpreneurs.eventbrite.com.au www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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Conference Presenters Susan Pearse Mind Gardener author Susan Pearse is evangelical about improving minds – and not just her own. It’s a fact that her husband and two young toddlers will attest to, having lived and breathed the advice that Susan has made her life’s work. The Brisbane-based author specialises in translating the theory behind how our minds change and adapt into simple, practical tools which can be applied to everyday situations – from parenting techniques to personal relationships and business. As a working mother and entrepreneur, Susan understands better than most the challenges of juggling a busy career while still maintaining a rewarding and fulfilling family life – and the importance of taking time out to reconnect with your partner, children and yourself on a daily basis. www.mindgardener.com.au
Helen Butler Helen Butler is an Expert Professional Organiser and Director of Clutter Rescue, Professional Organisers who specialise in organising working Mums. Whatever your organising challenge, Clutter Rescue work with you to find calm and clarity, helping you organise your space and time so that they are efficient, well designed and suit you and your organising style. www.clutterrescue.com.au
Nick Bowditch Nick Bowditch is a Social Futurist. He is also one of Australia’s online success stories.
Basically broke and with his young family expanding quickly, Nick took one of the bravest - and best - decisions of his life and chucked in his city job to start his own travel business, working from home. He built up that business from a customer database of just 4 when he started to more than 22,000 just 3 years later - all without staff, a shop front, and without any mainstream advertising in print, radio or television - instead opting to promote his new business using Social Media Marketing. In the last 3 years, he has now gone from having that one online business to three, his e-books and electronic products have been downloaded thousands of times, and he is now a sought-after keynote speaker, MC for conferences, professional blogger and author. has recently launched his fourth business, Clooee, which specialises in the creation of mobile applications, better customer engagement through mobile marketing and the exciting world of Augmented Reality.
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Here’s what some of last year’s conference attendees said: “Meeting other Mumpreneurs was so inspiring in itself. Everyone has an entirely different story but everyone had one thing in common. Have a dream and go for it. Being a mumpreneur is not always easy but it can be sooo rewarding. “ Jayne Day - Swish Lily Boutique “I learned to refocus, reassess my values, and prioritize. I came away from the weekend feeling supported, motivated, and cared for.” Nicole Grant - Gateway Therapies “I have been to lots of conferences over the years and this would have to have been one of the best. Yes there were great speakers and I have many strategies to now go and implement but the feelings of support, generosity and encouragement were palpable at this conference. I will definitely be back.” Dr Lucy Burns “Everything I do is for my family, nothing is for me…. I am so passionate about people and making others feel inspired and valued that I forget about myself. I think everyone in that room was just another version of me and I was astounded at the strength, honesty and passion that everyone had for what they were doing but also for each other. It is so common in day to day life that others feel insecure/petty/unnoticed and are ready and willing to shut you down but not one of the connect 2 mums girls made me feel that way and I LOVED IT.” Lana Purcell - Kale Kids “I enjoyed meeting everyone! There wasn’t a single person that I met at the conference that I didn’t learn from, and will probably continue to learn from as time passes. What did I enjoy most? The instant rapport, the wealth of knowledge, the amazing and humbling stories of overcoming adversity to achieve, the laughter, the openness, the warmth and acceptance, and the common bond that we all had of being mums and business people that seemed just make us all “gel”.” Tanya Love - Love Bytes Photography “I loved everything about the conference. All of the speakers were awesome and I have once again learnt so much that will help me and my business jump it to the next level.I am all fired up !! The love and hugs that I received from old and new friends made me feel so special. I felt validated, supported, nurtured, cared for, educated and the list goes on…….” Vicki Frittmann - Lunalei
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Join Us Friday 9th March 2012 Rooftop Room Rydges South Bank 9 Glenelg Street South Bank, Brisbane Book Tickets Online at
http://brisbanemumpreneurs.eventbrite.com.au/ AusMumpreneur Conferences are open to all mums in businesses or mums thinking about getting into business! Babies are also welcome This event will be held in the gorgeous Rooftop room at Rydges Southbank Brisbane overlooking the Brisbane River and Southbank Precinct as a full day event on March 9th. The Conference Day includes: • 5 Guest speakers • Interactive workshops • Practical business building strategies • Up to the minute social media information • Networking • Prize giveaways • Mumpreneurs Showcase Mini Expo • Morning and Afternoon Tea • Lunch We hope you can join us!
Book Online at http://brisbanemumpreneurs.eventbrite.com.au 30
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Do you need to improve your online marketing strategy? Do you need more visitors to your website? Do you need to convert more visitors to sales? We can help you get the most from your online marketing efforts Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Keyword Research Social Media Marketing Facebook Customised Welcome Pages Mini Website within Facebook Video Creation & Marketing WordPress & Blogging Contact Jayne today to find out how we can help your business. Email: jayne@webonize.com.au Phone: 0414 460270 www.webonize.com.au www.facebook.com/webonize
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7 ways to
market your business ONLINE If your company budget has no provisions for traditional advertising, online business marketing is your cost-efficient alternative. Online marketing is the process of using the power of internet marketing to reach a target audience. The real advantage of online marketing is its being able to quickly promote your business/ company. Remember that your ultimate goal is to drive traffic to your listings and services, and to develop relationships that mostly result to face-to-face contact. To do this, you would have to use of a number of ways to get your name and brand out to the most number of possible clients. Some of these are: A WEBSITE Let’s be honest‌ unless you are living under a rock for the past two decades, not having a website for you business is equivalent to not having telephone - you are
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not accessible to your market. The website is your online door into your business. It allows interaction also with your audience. Through a website, your potential clients can discover the personalities behind the monitor. This is when your reputation becomes premium. Somehow, a customer is assured of good service if the business owner has the confidence to let the viewer see the kind of person that runs the company. Websites can allow the visitor access into your products. You can describe in detail what type of service you offer, indicate if your product or service is appropriate for the requirements or needs of the viewer. If for example, you sell cosmetics,
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it is possible to state the ingredients of each product so as to avoid incidences of allergies or severe skin reactions, prior to purchase. In cases where customers want to visit a physical/actual store, the website can also provide details of how to get to the location. There are a number of things you must remember though when you put up your own company website. 1. Is it simple, yet creative? Or does your own homepage turn off your initial visitors? Having a clear, clean and user-friendly site is equivalent to having a neat and orderly physical office, with friendly staff to welcome them. 2.
Does
it
answer
all
expected questions from visitors. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the viewer. If you were an outsider looking in, are you compelled to stay, or forced to leave? Remember that you only have 10 seconds to convince a “clicker” to linger in your own world. He is your captive…make sure he stays. 3. Does your homepage have an option to find exactly what the visitor is looking for? Or do you crowd it with all sorts of visual design that your actual message gets lost in translation? Get rid of anything that shouldn’t be on it. You wouldn’t face your houseguests in a skindiving suit, would you? 4. Make sure it is easy to navigate. Have a search field present, because there is nothing more irritating than trying so
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hard to find something but being forced to click on too many buttons to get what you want. Also include a “contact us” button. 5. Make sure your site ranks high in the search engine pages. Include keywords and terms in the code, enabling it to appear higher in page number on Google (a search engine). 6. Don’t make it too complicated or don’t waste your efforts on pimping up your site. Be more concerned about content and its relevance. The best guideline is always to try to look at it as though you were the searcher, and not the site owner. START A BLOG A blog enables the writer to relay his thoughts and feelings, including his expert opinion about any topic. It’s a chance to sell your business without worrying too much about column-centimeter costs (of newspapers). You are able to write freely, share personal experiences, and impart knowledge without too much judgment. A blog is generally informal in form – unless it is an informative blog, and you are speaking to a group of middle-aged professionals, where the blog now becomes a source of information and guideline on how to go about interesting topics. To have an effective blog, you must have good and interesting content. Articles must not only be well-written, they must be well researched, too. An effective business blog imparts solid facts, and not mere opinions. Well, there
are other so-called blogs which are just mere online journals/diaries of teenagers and other angst-ridden people, but an effective business blog must: 1. Use keywords that relate to your business, community and products. They must be auxiliary doorways into your business. Actually, there are a number of websites that have blogs imbedded. It’s the site owner’s way of relating to the target market using plain and easy to understand and appreciate words and tone. 2. Include links to your resources, sites and other points of interest, just in case your viewer needs more information. Include a photo to make the blog post more enticing. 3. Include widgets that allow email sign-up, to encourage viewers to come back. This also allows you the opportunity to send emails into their private accounts, just to remind them to come back for a “visit.” USE THE SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS When media expert said suggested that you use online marketing when your advertising budget is almost inexistent, they must have the Social media networks in mind. There are a number of forms of social media, the more popular of which is Facebook, and Twitter. These two popular forms are interlinked…meaning, when you post something on Twitter, a truncated version of it appears on Facebook.
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Facebook allows a person to post a complete profile – a photo or more of the page owner, general area of residence and employment, civil status, religion, as well as interests and hobbies. Here, you are able to share bits of thought, post pictures and videos with other friends, as well as establish contact with people from the past and present. You are able to meet new people, and share ideas by chatting online. It’s as though you are talking face to face despite the constraints of time zones and distance. Facebook has since expanded from a mere personal social network into a possible business venue – through the development of the Facebook business page. Now, all the conveniences of a personal facebook page is offered to the business owner who is interested in expanding his network. The Facebook Business page allows the page owner to have a downscaled version of his website, plus the added benefits or searchability. All you need to know is the name of a company, type it into the search box, and voila, you are brought into an easy-to-access world of the business owner. The business facebook page may also contain a blog (with an additional fee), but design and maintenance is kept at a bare minimum. Probably the best benefit of a Facebook Business page is the
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ability of the visitor to converse with the actual business owner. This way, the owner can get feedback about his products and services asap, plus he can also address all problems instantly. All queries are answered in real time. A business owner may also make announcement about his new or discontinued or improved products and services. He can also ask his customers what they really want. The page owner can focus on his target market, and not have to worry that he is relaying his message to the wrong group. It is possible to also include links t the company website and blog, plus links to yet another type online marketing tool : YouTube OR ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING YouTube is a site where both individuals or businesses can market themselves. The main tool is video, which gets rid of the inconvenience of explaining word for word that is used in blogging, Facebooking, or maintaining a website. This is the platform used by most people who want to learn about something in the quickest time possible. While it may ake the average visitor 15 minutes to research thru the internet/ website, a video can explain in about 2.
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Since video is engaging – given that there are both visuals, background music or sound effect and vocals, the message is much easier to relay. The information is also absorbed by the brain easier. Studies show that the marriage of the senses that video brings makes it the most effective form of media. Marketing your business through YouTube or by posting informational videos in various internet sites is just like watching a television commercial – with the additional benefit or viewing and re-viewing for as long as you want. ONLINE MARKETING AND AUCTION SITES There are quite a number of fastgrowing websites which solely do what they aim to do – sell. These are sites visitors can enter and purchase anything they want in the convenience of their homes. Nowadays when people are busy with their personal lives and cannot be bothered by traffic and huge crowds of people, buying sites are heaven-sent. You no longer get tires, because you can just sit infront of the computer and click away with anything that catches your fancy. Buyers can pay with their credit cards, and have them shipped directly to their doorstep.
An example of an online marketing site is eBay, where customers bid and clamor to win an item – no matter what condition it is in, or no matter how queer the item may be. Sellers can now get rid of their “junk” – for as long as someone in the virtual world sees some use for it. GROUP BUYING SITES Another recent development in the online marketing scene are group-buying sites, which are websites that serve as platforms for retailers to sell their products at a huge discount to the buyer, if and when a certain required number of customers purchase the daily deals. This tactic quickly caught on with the public, since everyone wants a good bargain. Anybody who sees something interesting are forced into thinking that they “need” a product – even if they don’t. There is an element of excitement and urgency, because deals expire within a few hours… and after buying the item, there is also an expiration date as to the claiming of the product. Since you pay in advance, the seller is already assured of multiple sales (since you need to pay as soon as you click on “buy”). So whether the item is picked up of claimed from the retailer – it is already paid.
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Group buying is a great online marketing tool. It gets merchandise sold. It may not be for the price the seller was hoping for, but it does gets it sold. EMAIL CAMPAIGN MARKETING AND GOOGLE TOOLS Electronic mail or email is a virtual version of the traditional air mail or snail mail. There are a number of business owners who send out business-related emails to random people and email addresses (which they probably bought from a company selling its database of contacts, like a phone company that is folding up, or a bank), promoting their products and services. Although an email is a great way o inform people of who you are and what you do, sending too much unwanted email to non-contacts would qualify most as spammers – or individuals flooding the internet with impersonal and generic mail. Internet tools can be purchased to distinguish spam from legitimate letters, and thus get rid of the information way before it even reaches its intended audience. Google tools, on the other hand, are virtual tools a business owner can use to make his company more visible in the virtual scene. Search engine optimization is a key tool that gets your website on top of the search list – therefore increasing your possible number of visitors to your site. Other Google tools are: Google Profile – which helps get links into all your related sites, blogs and social networks; Google Reader - which can be used by people to stay abreast of company and industry news, innovations and other members of the community; and Google Alert which alerts on yourself, you company, your competition, and your community. Michael Griffiths is the CEO and Founder of My Small Business Marketing Guru, helping small business owners to generate more leads, sales and profits through relationship based marketing strategies. To get your free marketing tools please visit: www.mysmallbusinessmarketingguru.com.au
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“The one thing my pregnant friends and I discussed at length was stretch marks – once you’ve got them, they’re there for good! I used Bio-Oil throughout, morning, noon and night... in fact, I haven’t stopped using it since Liam’s birth. Now that I’m pregnant with twins, I’m going to be using it more than ever! What’s also nice is that it’s not oily – you can put it on and then get dressed immediately and it doesn’t stain your clothes. You’ve no idea how many friends and family I’ve told about Bio-Oil!” Tracy with Liam
*Colmar Brunton, 2010.
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getting my posts in the newsfeed Will My Facebook Posts Appear in Likers Newsfeeds? The short answer is there is NO GUARANTEE that the posts you put on your page wall will appear in the news feeds of those who like your page. There are lots of factors that come into play, which I have explained below. The best thing for you to do to figure out what works for you page is to experiment
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According to Social Media today: • People don’t visit Fanpages for free. It’s a value exchange whereby consumers exchange their attention for offers, information, entertainment, recognition.
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• The majority of a consumer’s Facebook experience is the wall... the stream/feed • 95% of Facebook users view their top news feed only • 35% of commercial wall posts hit top news feeds only (internal SSL study) • Net: At rough estimate, only 40% of page wall posts are viewable. T he Factors…… Top Stories vs. Recent Stories Depending on how the individual LIKER has their newsfeed set up they will either see top stories or most recent. Top stories are those that Facebook chooses to show that person based on - What they have commented on previously - What they have liked previously - Friends they interact with - Page walls they post on - The activity that their friends do on Facebook in terms of likes and comments With top stories page posts may not be shown if the person has never interacted with that page. Most recent basically lists all posts
in a chronological order (i.e. as they are posted), therefore the viewer has the potential to see everything that is posted, not just the most relevant. Hidden Page Posts When LIKERs see a page post in their newsfeed they have the option to hide that post, or to hide ALL posts by that page. If they choose to hide all posts that means that they still LIKE the page, but won’t see any posts unless they visit the page. LIKERs may hide page posts if - they feel that they are getting too many posts - the posts aren’t relevant to them - the posts feel like spam to them Timing You need to post when your LIKERs are going to be online so that they see your post. If you post at 10am and they don’t log on until 8pm it is very unlikely that they will see your post (depending on how many friends they have and how many pages they like) because the post may be buried underneath 50 others!
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Content If people are viewing their newsfeed in the top story view then Facebook ranks the actual content as well as the interaction the person has had (as per point 2) which affects whether it is shown or not. That is to say that whether you post text only, a link, a photo or upload a video will affect the likelihood of your post being seen. Facebook ranks them in this order (most important first) - Video uploads (note a link to a YouTube video is NOT a video upload) - Photo - Link - Text only But what about the Timeline feature? As you probably have seen Facebook has changed the look of personal profiles to Timeline, basically this has changed the look of personal profiles NOT the news feed. If I go and look at a personal profile on Facebook I will see their timeline, this has NOTHING to do with your page posts - page
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posts don’t appear on timelines. All that appears on Timelines is updates that the person has written or if their friends have written on their wall. Facebook may be bringing in the Timeline feature for pages, but it is not confirmed as yet. Now What? You may now be thinking OMG, but what am I supposed to do, there is not set rules/guidelines…. It is ALL about the CONTENT. What you post on your page is so so important. Facebook is like Google, it rewards pages that post good engaging regular content over those that don’t. It is that great content that posted at the right time will get your posts seen by your page LIKERs. If you need help on post ideas check out my new ebook, which will help your turn your Facebook page into your biggest lead generator.
Lara Solomon, winner in the NSW Telstra Micro Business Awards 2008, has struck gold since finding the motivation to leave her high-profile career to start a new business and launch an unknown product in to the market place … making a success of it (a million dollar success that is!) LaRoo is the brainchild of Lara Solomon and the company that brought Australia (and In January 2010, after HUGE success with her Mocks brand on Facebook (12,000 fans in under 3 months and doubling of online sales), Lara saw that other businesses needed help with their social media. She created Social Rabbit as a way to offer education and consulting advice to businesses large and small. Her vision is to help businesses achieve their goals through social media. www.SocialRabbit.net Lara also regularly speaks on social media, marketing and small business topics to networking groups, university students and companies. www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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Publicity & Promotion
How to get your brand in magzines FOR FREE
Nothing gives a brand a boost like editorial in a magazine – it says the item is trendy, new and, best of all, that someone loves it enough that they want to share it with the world. But how do you get your products into magazines without forking out for ad space? Here are some tips to help you on your way! 44
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Have great pictures
Magazines are a visual feast and the editorial team will jump at the chance to use gorgeous images for free. For this reason, it really does pay to use the services of a professional photographer, preferably one with experience in styling products like yours. Magazines use a variety of shots, but the most common for the “product news” style pages are deep-etched, single product shots. That means the product – for example, a bag – has been shot under studio lights and has then been professionally cut out so that all that remains in the shot is the product itself. These images are the easiest to work with and are by far the most popular with magazines. You can deep-etch models wearing clothing, furniture, toys, flat-lay clothing… the list goes on.
The most important thing to know is that images must be high resolution to print properly. If you send a product shot that is 10cm in height or width and 300dpi (dots per inch, also known as pixels), it will definitely be adequate. Make sure your photographer labels your images as “high res” so you know which ones are which. Use low-resolution images for websites and social media. One last point on pictures: be very selective about which images you send and how many. Five or six is about the maximum for one email. Send them a selection and make a note, “portrait shots available” or “other shades available”.
Give great information
Some products, especially fashion and homewares, lend themselves to what’s called a lifestyle shot. This is a styled image that shows your goods “in situ”. These pictures can become the holding image of a page, which is great coverage for you.
To get your products featured in magazines, you need an angle. Rarely does something make it into the editorial pages simply because it’s new – unless, of course, you have irresistible images. Ask yourself a question: what makes my product/range so fantastic? Have the answer in your mind when you approach any publication.
Here are some tips on lifestyle shots: Keep it simple – cluttered shots don’t work in a small space. Offer multiple colours – if your product is a cot set, supply the magazine with a selection of styled shots that show the different colours in the range. Provide both landscape and portrait options.
You don’t have to write a media release to approach magazine staff, sometimes a simple email will suffice. Either way, make sure the subject of your email is snappy – “Gorgeous gift bags that save the planet”, for example. If you do write a media release, don’t attach it, copy it into the email body instead – it’s a lot easier for the journalist.
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Here are the golden rules of writing (emails or media releases) for journalists: triple-check your spelling and punctuation; never tell them what to think or do (you will love this product, you’ll want to publish this one etc); and keep it short. Clearly state what makes your product stand out from the others, give a brief description and then a background to the company or yourself. If you have a particularly good “back story” (your product helps disabled children or was created by accident while baking brownies for a school fete, etc) you might want to use this as your hook, or angle. It is crucial to provide all the information the journalist might need because this could be your last communication with them. Make sure your email/media release has the product and brand name, the retail price, stockist information, a phone number and website. If it’s not all there at the journalist’s fingertips, it might go into the too-hard basket.
Deal with the right person
It may seem obvious, but it is so important to send your images and information to the right person. Study each magazine and think about which pages your products could fit into then phone the magazine to find out who looks after those pages (sometimes it is listed in the gutter credit towards www.fredandfrankkids.com.au the spine of the magazine). You might Frankie says Relax tee - $32.95 find that you’re working with the editor or deputy editor, a staff writer
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or contributor. Ask for their direct email address. When you email them, don’t go nuts with the pleasantries, although it can be nice to say, “I thought you might be interested in this for your Ideas/ Décor/Gifts pages…” This shows you have researched the magazine.
Make it easy
It’s often said that journalists are lazy. It’s not true – they’re just incredibly busy. If you provide everything they could possibly need in one simple package, your stand a much higher chance of getting your product featured in a magazine for free. Here are some tips on how you can make life easier for the editorial team: Be good to deal with – respond quickly and professionally to any requests for information. Make your high-res shots instantly accessible. Unless your images are huge (which they shouldn’t be), you should be able to send a selection of high-res shots with your email or press release. This saves the journalist from having to ask you for high-res versions. If you have a range rather than a specific product to promote, you’re better off sending an information pack with a media release and disc or jump drive filled with high-res images. Make sure these are well organised and easy to browse. Have a thorough, up-to-date website with more information. Name your images by product name – exactly as you would like to see them
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captioned. Say thank you – be sure to follow up and thank the person who ran your story. They’ll remember you next time! Good luck! A final thought – magazines need products to feature. They rely on people like you to fill their pages with gorgeous new things. Most journalists will open your email and look at your pictures, and if you present them with a good package, you have a really strong chance of getting some free editorial. So don’t be shy!
Article by Nicole McIver of Wholesale Baby, Australia’s largest wholesale agency specialising in baby goods. Many of the brands represented are owned by stayat-home or working mums, some are handmade, some are Australian designed, and all are top quality. Brands are sold into a wide range of online and traditional stores. www.wholesalebaby.com.au
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Mind your mindset by Susan Pearse
We know that successful people see opportunities in the obstacles that others run away from. They dream and pursue things that others see as impossible. They bounce back with positivity when others are defeated. In general, they seem to do things that “aren’t the way you do things” in popular opinion. Success does not come from your degree of intellect, beauty or luck for that matter. It comes down to the mindset you adopt. The most successful business person in the world wasn’t necessarily the dux from school. The most famous author isn’t necessarily an A grade in literature. But they have a common mindset and that is why minding your
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mindset is absolutely critical to leading a successful business and a having a happy life. Mindsets take various shapes and forms and become problems when they arise as limiting thoughts, mistaken beliefs, negative patterns of thinking and restrictive self defining ideas.
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Destructive mindsets lead to negative outcomes in all aspects of our life. Diets fail because of the All or Nothing thinking that causes a person who makes one small slip up to throw in the towel and eat a whole buffet. Relationships break down because of all the Should Statements that make a person feel constantly criticised. And business is no exception. “I’m not good enough”, “I will look like a self-promoter if I do that”, “that’s not the way things are done”, “I can’t be happy and make money”, “stress comes with running a business” are all mindsets that will hold you back. We all have mindsets we have wired up that are not necessarily in our own interests. You see your brain has no way of distinguishing what is good for you or bad for you. These pathways in your brain have become “ruts”. They are often unconscious mindsets or habits of mind that you have developed for various reasons. They may be assumptions that have served you well in the past, or preferences that you apply without thinking. Sometimes they are helpful shortcuts that make your life easier, but sometimes they become limiting mindsets that cloud your outlook, your actions, and therefore your results. The good news is that every single one of you is a mind gardener and you are shaping your mindsets on a daily basis. You are responsible for the mindsets you have formed. You have been cultivating your mind garden and forming your mindsets your whole life. I know this can be hard to accept particularly when you have mindsets that are hurting you or detracting from your success.
We all walk around carrying a multitude of mindsets that we are not even aware of and that impact on our lives significantly. Your thoughts and mindsets manifest themselves as emotions and ultimately actions. Emotions and behaviours can provide us insights into the mindsets that are standing in the way of our success. Don’t worry if you have some difficulty identifying mindsets. The best mindsets for you to explore and consider changing are the ones you already know are limiting you. So don’t go digging deep trying to find some, just work on the ones you already see. What is holding you back from the success you deserve? And what are you going to do about it in 2012? -----------------------------------------------Mind Gardener author Susan Pearse is evangelical about improving minds – and not just her own. It’s a fact that her husband and two young toddlers will attest to, having lived and breathed the advice that Susan has made her life’s work. The Brisbane-based author specialises in translating the theory behind how our minds change and adapt into simple, practical tools which can be applied to everyday situations – from parenting techniques to personal relationships. As a working mother and entrepreneur, Susan understands better than most the challenges of juggling a busy career while still maintaining a rewarding and fulfilling family life – and the importance of taking time out to reconnect with your partner, children and yourself on a daily basis.
www.mindgardener.com
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Digital life
Shopping Carts Selecting the right one for you Once you have acquired the services of a web designer to create your ecommerce site, it can be tempting to leave the decision of which shopping cart to use up to them. After all, they are being trusted to create the remainder of your site, so why not the e-commerce as well? If you have full faith in their abilities, you may wish to take this path however it can be beneficial to have a little more knowledge under your belt.
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It is your business and you’ll pay for it if the wrong decision is made.
Getting Ready
No-one knows your business better than you do. Sit down before meeting with your designer and write down a list of everything your site is going to need. Look at what your customers might need in a shopping cart: reviews, a
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preview of shipping costs, choice variations, to name a few. Examine how the customer will access your site and move through the e-store from entry to final payment. Can you make this passage as painless and as simple as possible? What do you, as the facilitator of the site, need? Do you want instant notification of orders? Stock summary pages? Options for shipping and handling? Can your e-commerce site import CSV files? This last point is vitally important if you have suppliers that can provide you with stock information on disk – it will save you hours of data entry! Looking back at your list, give each item a ranking of importance (1 = very important, 5 = not very important). Think of your own ecommerce experience as a customer and rank the items from that viewpoint as well as the viewpoint of the owner.
Taxes and Shipping
These two items can be the “sticking” point of any ecommerce decisions. By now, you should be aware of the taxable items that you want to sell in regards to GST and other Australian taxes. Your e-commerce software must be able to cater for federal government taxes. There is no point ordering your shopping cart solution from the US if it is only capable of handling their taxes. Most developers have demo sites established so that you can test them and determine what their capabilities are.
Shipping should be an automated process unless you have a standard policy that you want to use, for example, orders over $30 have free shipping. Check that your shopping cart software can “talk” directly to Australia Post or other local delivery companies. This way, shipping can be automatically added to the checkout of your site without extra work for you.
Order Processing
How will your customers pay for the goods purchased on your site? Most will prefer to use a credit card but a small percentage will want to pay via an alternative method. To process credit card payment you will need to establish a merchant account with your bank and ensure that your site is housed on a secure server also known as an SSL server. This can be costly but it is vitally important to protect your customer’s information as it is processed. Another choice is to use PayPal. PayPal can be integrated with most shopping cards as part of the checkout process. All calculations take place on your site then the customer is taken to the PayPal server where the credit card transaction takes place before returning to your site. In most cases, this transition is seamless and smooth. Using this method, your client’s details are very secure as the onus has been passed onto PayPal. For those customers without a credit
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Home of the AusMumpreneur Awards AusMumpreneur Conferences “Success is by association. Being a part of Ausmumreneur Network has put me in contact with some amazing successful women in business. Women I learn from, get inspired by and work together and build strong lasting relationships to help eachother grow our businesses. I have had great support from Peace, Katy, Jayne Day and many more mums in the network. It’s the network to be part of if you want your business to succeed!” Melissa Groom - Host/Producer Toddlers To Teens Parent TV Show “I love being a member of the AMN. I have found the connection and supportiveness of Peace and Katy and all the members to be amazing. There is a real sense of community and nurturing among the members who are always there to bounce ideas off, offer suggestions, and advice. The information and resources at the AMN are invaluable and provide a great source of information for all areas of business and beyond. I have no hesitations in recommending the AMN to any budding Mumpreneur, it will be the best decision you make!” Jodi Gibson - Authour “Mum to Mumpreneur” “What a fantastic resource and lovely group of like-minded mumpreneurs. So rich in empathy and a wealth of information and knowledge sharing, I recommend anyone who is in business to join.” Michelle Stapleton - Modern Cloth Nappies at SHP *A study conducted at the Queensland University of Technology in 2010 found that just under half of all smallscale business start-ups in Australia were founded by women. When it comes to starting up their own ventures, women do so at twice the rate of men, according to BankWest research released last June. 2011 Huggies Australia research found that 75% of new mothers had considered starting their own business.
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card, you can use a direct deposit option where money is transacted into your bank account. This method involves more work for you as you have to monitor the money entering your account.
Can your server handle a Shopping Cart?
PERL, PHP, ASP are just a few of the scripting languages used to create Shopping Carts. Before purchasing an e-commerce solution, check with your server host to ensure that their setup can cater for these languages.
In for the long-haul
Although you can automate the process of running an e-commerce store, you will rarely get the chance to sit back and watch the money rolling in. You will
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need to put in a great deal of effort and a lot of promotion to get the store functioning and doing business. But by choosing a good e-commerce solution ( and a good web designer to work with ), you can make the process a lot simpler in the long run. Liz Provians and her husband, Greg, run Rusty Mango Design, a graphic design business specialising in Content Management Systems, web sites of all types, logo creation and corporate identity development. www.rustymangodesign.com.au
www.huglees.com.au
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Digital life 4 ways to create your own online store Setting up a professional online shop is now easier than ever. This article goes over four ways of getting your business ready for that first online sale, starting with the easiest first and working up to the more involved and technically challenging.
A Stall in an Online Marketplace
Online marketplaces like eBay, Etsy.com and MadeIt.com.au, allow you to setup a stall and reach a market of buyers quickly and cheaply. This is for the new entrepreneur that wants to dip her toe in the water or for the entrepreneur with a very niche product. Marketplace stalls are very easy to use, handle multiple currencies, provide access to interested buyers and often include simple inventory management. From sign-up to being ready for your first order takes only a few minutes. Typically marketplaces charge a fee per transaction or listing and tend not to have setup fees or on-going fees. Marketplaces also have more restrictions on what you can and can’t do, including how you want your website to look. You also don’t get your own domain name like myshop.com.au and instead get something like http://stores.ebay.com.au/Ardor-Designer Carefully consider whether the marketplace matches your products (e.g. Etsy is best suited to handicrafts and arty things), whether the marketplace suits your brand and remember that being in a marketplace doesn’t mean the virtual cash register will always be ringing; you still need to market your business.
Renting a Virtual Shop Front
Sites like Shopify.com or BigCommerce.com let you rent a virtual shop front. This is ideal for almost every small business owner. You just tell them what to call your online shop, describe it, enter the products you have, choose from one of the many design templates, upload your logo, choose how you want to be paid and then you are away. No web developers needed and it can take less than 30 minutes. If you want your theme to really reflect your style and brand then you a web developer can restyle your site or tweak your theme at a fraction of the cost of building it from scratch.
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Your virtual shop front will have everything you need: blogs, content management, customer management, order tracking, accepting payments, inventory management and more. The better ones are quite flexible, SEO friendly and, when it comes to security, will be far more secure than anything you can setup within a reasonable price range. There is usually no upfront cost and no fixed term contract, just a monthly fee and a transaction fee. The limitations on this type of shopping cart are shrinking by the month. Shopify, for example, has created an App Market place where new apps are regularly added by third parties for you to buy and install to extend the functionality of your shop. However, you may find this option constraining if you have some unusual requirements.
Off-the-shelf Shopping Carts
Off-the-shelf shopping carts can be downloaded and installed on your web server. These are ideal for people that like the idea of having full control or have unusual requirements that just won’t work the options discussed above. Getting your shopping cart installed will require making sure you’ve bought the right web hosting for your package (not all web hosting fits all packages), uploading your chosen package, configuring it and connecting it to a database. A good package, like Opencart or WordPress with an e-commerce plugin, will come with all the features you need to run an online shop. A web developer will be able to add features to the package and tailor existing features to your needs.
Custom built from the ground up
If you are considering a completely custom built online shop then I strongly encourage you to reconsider all of the above options again and again... and again. Building from the ground up means recreating inventory management systems, order tracking systems, systems to handle payments and more. It also means maintaining that system. If you have unusual requirements you will almost always be better off customising an off-the-shelf shopping cart. Scott Middleton is the Business Development Director of Terem Technologies (www.terem.com.au). Terem creates custom software, websites and mobile applications. Terem also provides high-tech business development, internet marketing and implementation advice. Terem is an online sales channel manager for Lalisse, an international cosmetics manufacturer with offices in Melbourne, Hong Kong and China (see www.lalisseonline.com).
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Amanda Healy Amanda Rees Amy Lutterell Alison Wilson Bree Mort Caroline McGann Doan Vo Fiona Neumann Jody Allen Jodi Godfrey Kerry Rushton Kelly Brough Kylie Racz Nicole Leedham Sally-Ann Charles Sheree Wright
Diary of a Mumpreneur
Follow the journey of 16 ambitious mums in their first 12 months of life as a new mumpreneur!
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FREE Parenting advice for you. Monday nights at 7.30pm
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inspire: Create your dream home office
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We chatted with mumpreneur and professional interior designer Joanna Ford about how to create your dream home office. Here are her top tips on how to make it happen. 1) Find a nook/space/room within your home that has some natural light. Natural light makes you feel alive, awakens the brain, allows you to be more productive, (in saying that, ensure you supplement this with task lighting (lamps etc.) for the evening). 2) If like me, you find your children gravitating to where you are in your home, look to incorporate them into the home office/study area, whether it be via a large communal table or even a small table and chair set, or a corner of your desk that you can ear mark as their space. They will then be more likely to want to work with you, not against you. 3) A home office should not be too clinical, treat it just as you would any other room in your home, make sure it is comfortable, filled with things you love/enjoy (photos, books, artwork, etc) as this personalises the space making it an area that is reflective of who you are/your business etc. and is inviting for you and others to be in. 4) Work colour/style of furniture into the work space, that is in keeping
with the rest of your home, so it is an extension of the home rather than a stand-alone space which screams WORK‌. This will make it a more relaxing and productive work place for yourself.
“If like me, you find your children gravitating to where you are incorporate them into the home office area.� 5) Look at clean/linear storage options, so all things have a home. There are many off-the-shelf products on the market which can fit into even the tiniest of corners. Be clever about it, measure from floor to ceiling and use every bit of the space you have well.
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Calendar block Compact & stylish this calendar block is a unique way to display the date on a desk. $34.95 www.giftsforblokes.com.au
Penelope Office Chair $199 www.freedom.com.au
home/
Textur table la www.ikea.com
Union Jack Manilla Folder $14.95 (pack of 12) http://shop.cottonon.com
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Red Morroccan Pouffe $199 www.tabletonic.com.au
/work
amp $69.00 m.au Canvas wall art From $156 www.artlounge.com.au
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real home offices
Cath Connell: Leaf Leaf is a paper communications business focussing on journals and personal story telling products, although I do create greeting cards and other stationery products too. I’m really trying to build a brand that helps people connect with their own stories and with others, is environmentally and socially responsible, and most of all – lots of fun. I live on the edge of the beautiful Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne with my bright, active and exhausting 5 year son and my wonderful husband. It’s such a beautiful spot, although the size and steepness of the property, and the occasional fire danger days, can be challenging. Some days it feels like we’re mountain goats or the Swiss Family Robinson! What was your inspiration in creating your home office style? Basically, I was sick of working at the dining table! My mum built a basic cedar shed in her backyard as a “retreat” from her cold, dark house. When I saw it, the penny dropped instantly. Building a shed is much cheaper and faster than extending the house, although we still needed permits due to its size (2.6 x 4.7m). It also doubles as guest room. I was keen to make it MY space – full of light and beautifully designed things. I put in as many windows as I could, so I have an all round garden view – except towards the house. White walls, bamboo flooring, basic Ikea furniture and Kikki K storage boxes provide a light neutral background for the artwork on the Wonder Wall and my brightly
coloured products. The designer in me would have preferred a white desk, but we already had the other one. What advice do you have for other mumpreneurs wanting to make a home office work for them? • Have a door on your workspace and use it! • Make it as beautiful as you can – it should make you smile just to enter the space and be a joy to work there. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it can be work in progress while you collect the things you really want. • A big magnet/whiteboard is great for planning and inspiration. I’m still getting used to working with mine, but it definitely helps keep me focused. What do you love most about this space? Two things – my Wonder Wall and the view. The Wonder Wall captures the energy and creativity of some of the amazing women I have met and been inspired by in the two years I have been running Leaf. Being surrounded by such talent is a great reminder of what can be achieved. Plus, the works are so gorgeous. We back onto native forest, so the view across the garden and into the forest is a big daily dose of Vitamin N. It’s really energising, just looking at the trees and watching the birds. While most of my work time is spent staring at a computer screen, it’s lovely to just look up occasionally and take it all in.
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real home offices
WendyBlume: Vegie Smugglers I run Vegie Smugglers, a small mumpreneur business that produces cookbooks and e-books that help parents get healthier food into their families. There’s a blog and online shop and I’m just launching my 2012 fundraising program where people can sell the books and keep $10 from each sale for their cause. It’s a great way to empower parents, raise healthier (and happier) children and collect money for community organisations. So I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but when I’m not cooking, I’m here, in my newly renovated home office. What was your inspiration in creating your home office style? I love the idea of a ‘family office’, a workspace where everyone can come to concentrate on their own projects yet still be together. On a practical level, my kids have small bedrooms, so we needed to find them deskspace somewhere other than the dinner table.
What advice do you have for other mumpreneurs wanting to make a home office work for them? Getting the work/life balance right when working from home is extremely tricky. I know you’re supposed to shut the door at the end of the day, but I love what I do and love my office space and find myself sneaking off there at all hours. That said, when I’m there I’m working, when we’re elsewhere in the house I give my kids my full attention. What do you love most about this space? I’ve only just revamped it - I painted it white and we did a big IKEA mission and I’m thrilled with what we achieved with a limited budget. I love being surrounded by creative and inspiring things and I love that the kids have a study spot that they can ‘own’. Funny how their stuff spreads out! Although I like looking up from a spread sheet to see a papertoy monster staring at me – keeps it all real and reminds me of exactly why I’ve chosen to be a mumpreneur.
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Business reading
5 business books You should read this year
I am a lover of books. I have an iPad and love it, but nothing beats a good business book that I can read, highlight, draw in and write notes down the side. A book that looks dishevelled when I have finished is one that was certainly worth the read. Here are my top 5 from last year. They’re not necessarily the best sellers, but for women in business, they give an insight and practical information because let’s face it, if you want pure entertainment, there’s Jackie Collins.
Number One: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs was a leader that inspired and changed the world. He completely transformed any industry that he touched. As an Apple lover, I always read his blogs and watched his presentations on YouTube but this book really explored how he thought and what he did that made him so unique and such a brilliant entrepreneur, family man and philanthropist. Number Two: Drive by Daniel H. Pink In a time where our opportunities to explore the world are abundant and we begrudge being chained 9-5 to a desk like the rest of the rat race, this book is a modern way to explore motivation and drive. Whether you’re looking to motivate yourself or your employees, get ready to throw out the old extrinsic reward way of thinking and open your mind. This is a brilliant book for both business owners and employees. Off to a slow start, the first half of drive goes through the theory of what motivates people and blows out of the water the conventional theories of work and reward. It explains the gap between what science now knows and what most businesses are doing to get the most out of their team and increase productivity. It explains that what most businesses are currently doing – offering rewards and incentives doesn’t actually improve productivity and individual motivation, but kill it. It left me with a difficult question of what now? How do I encourage my team to be more involved intrinsically and have the same passion for my business as I do. The second half of the book does just that. Certainly my favourite part www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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for motivating my team and also to identify my motivation. It goes through 3 main elements: Autonomy (the desire to direct our own lives), Mastery (the urge to get better and better at something that matters) and Purpose (the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves). Number Three: The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen This is a book I read every year and every time I get something new. It is written differently to most books to appeal to your learning style. On the left hand pages is a fictional story about a mother who must raise $1 million in order to keep custody of her children after her husband dies. On the right hand side is the business methodology that she uses to do it. Great read for entertainment and for lessons to be learnt. Along the way it forces you to question what potential you have and whether or not you could be achieving more if you worked harder (insert, smarter). Number Four: Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Something that bothered me greatly at the start of my business life was that old “business isn’t personal� saying. So being mindful of people and wanting to create a great place to work and be a great company has always been something I try to pursue. Emotional intelligence is all about how we react to situations and handle ourselves. It also goes through how to be mindful of people you work with and create a powerful cohesive group. Extremely interested if you like to know what makes you tick and how to deal more effectively with others. Number Five: Shemarketing by Amanda Stevens I was lucky to see Amanda speak a year ago and she knocked my socks off with her researched observations of the female mind and the science of marketing to women. Women make up most of the buying decisions and so for nearly everyone in business it is imperative to make your products and services appealing to women. This book gives a broad overview of the research behind how women think and also offers up practical advice to grow your loyal female customer base.
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Tina Tower is the Director of Begin Bright Learning Programs. Tina started her first business at the age of 20 and began developing the Begin Bright program. To fit around having a family, Tina began licensing the Begin Bright program in 2009 and has now entered the franchise industry. Tina’s mission in life is to run a fantastic company that makes children happy and confident, keep a happy husband, be a wonderful mother to two gorgeous boys and travel the world and experience the best life possible. www.beginbright.com.au
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Author spotlight
Resselle Hrelja The Porch We chat with mumpreneur and newly published author Resselle Hrelja, about her debut publication, The Porch and why it meant so much to share her story. I’m a mother of two, a wife, a friend, a neighbour, an aspiring writer, a business owner who also works in the corporate world of IT. I’m short with olive-complexion, average beauty and with gray hair strands masked in copper coloured chemical. I’m size 10 on good days and size 12 on not-so-good days. I can be facetious at times and horribly melancholy at least once a month. I love shoes and classic designed clothes. Would love to be a C-cup, but recently learned…oh, no wait, still learning…to be thankful for what I have or rather for what I lack (Thank goodness for padded bras, though. Best invention for women like me). Overall, I’m perfectly flawed and I’m good with that.
Why did you feel it was so important to write this book? This book was a dream since I was a child after Dad passed away. I was fifteen then. It took this long to write it. Timing was of the essence, I think. I had to grow up and learn a few things first. Why did I feel writing this book was important? The only way I can answer that question is with another. Why do some people have the desire to climb Mt Everest?
There’s a chapter in my book – Riza. She’s one of my dearest and oldest friends. She is heavily involved in triathlons and marathons. She was never a runner back in high school. She was not a sports person, full stop. And yet these days, after having two children of her own and a successful career, she takes up running. Why? What for, as some would ask. Because it’s what she desired the most. Dreams are not meant to be explained why. They are meant to be followed; pursued with vigour and courage. They are meant to be fulfilled (or at least try to) and if nothing else, they give us meaning and purpose. This book – The Porch – was my Mt Everest, my triathlon, my desire, my personal pursuit of happiness. www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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This story talks about your father and how getting to know him has influenced your life, what are the three most important things your father taught you?
The Porch is all about the lessons Dad taught me. And the one that stands out the most is ‘tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are’. The Porch is exactly that – six friends who made a difference, six friendships that stood the test of time, six friendships that endured life’s journey (and continues to endure). Dad also said to ‘work hard…never take the easy way out…nothing wrong with dreaming big’. Sometimes though, I wish I knew a short cut. Hard work is exactly that – bloody hard especially when you do dream big. The bigger the dream the harder the work. And I guess the third lesson is ‘love well’. And that to me, means not just loving your partner, or your children, family or friends. It encompasses everything including loving one’s self. It is so important to love ourselves with grace, humility and a little humour; the only way we can love others well.
Why do you love writing and are there any plans for more books down the track? I have always had the desire to write, but English is my second language. Learning to articulate my thoughts in English was always a challenge. I remember my English teacher in Year 11 making a comment in my report card – “Resselle has great ideas but has trouble writing them down”.
I don’t think anyone expected me to be a writer, let alone publish a book. And that’s because I’ve been a closet writer for a very long time. I started writing a column in our local newspaper in 2009. I figured it was time to come out of the closet. I’ve been scribbling in my personal journals long enough. And I am so glad that my editor and the town’s people are enjoying reading my articles. Well, that is to say that I haven’t received any complaint letter yet. A couple of my articles have been published in Parenting Express blog and another one in My Child magazine last year. So I guess that’s a good sign. I would love to write another book. I actually started one already but my challenge at the moment is finding the time to write. Hopefully, I’ll get back to it soon. I love to write. I love words. I have fallen in love with the English language. And I am enjoying the romance, the dance with writing. Every time I write, I am dancing to the tune of the English language, learning to Tango; a sensual ballroom dance where every glide is an adventure and every pause is a discovery.
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Toga Tunic $69.90 www.BellaBWear.com
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keep it casual
Capri clutch purse $39.95 www.escapetoparadise.com.au Dresses from $100 www.katieperry.com.au Lyric Black $139.95 www.naturalizer.com.au
Bamboo Watch $198.00 www.purebamboo.com.au www.connect2mums.com.au
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Chic Mama Birthing gown $99.95 www.designermamas.com.au
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Expe
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Positano top $110 www.katieperry.com.au
Stroller Bag $199 www.stylishlittleme.com.au
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Drop Shell Pearl Earrings $69.95 www.luluandi.com.au
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Kenya $165 www.willowblu.com.au
Napoli Black $139.95 www.naturalizer.com.au
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minine
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Renaissance Shirt $199.90 www.minaandkatusha.com.au
Madame Claudia - Nude $249.00 www.belanci.com
Cashmere Scarf with graduated colour $199.95 www.luluandi.com www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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MEET THE MUMS FOLLOW BEING SUCCESSFUL MUM
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WING THEIR DREAM OF MPRENEURS
Alison:
Mums Who Make My name is Alison, wife, mum of 3 and own 2 businesses. I own Alisons Soy Candles & Melts - a small business I started in my tiny kitchen 3 years ago. We know have stockists across Australia & just launched our Party Plan & have 2 consultants on board already. My other business is Mums Who Make - An Australian Handmade Directory, which I began on FB almost 2 years ago and our website launched in March 2011. I have created my entire life - my early memories are when I was about 7 hand sewing washers together to make cushions then threading wool as tassles all around it! I have sold at markets since I was 14, selling lots of different hand made creations & so after our 2nd child was born I was determined to really turn my passions into a successful business! I have found working for myself much harder then leaving the home to work BUT I would not change it for a second!
“If you are thinking of starting your own business my advice is do your research, be innovative & don’t be afraid to ask for help!” I truly love watching my hard work bloom into my dreams & being able to provide a steady income to support us whilst being able to enjoy those special times with my children. If you are thinking of starting your own business my advice is do your research, be innovative, don’t be afraid to ask for help & the biggest hurdle for me was / is time management so really try and stick to a “working” timetable & dont forget to have a little me time!
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TAra:
Life coach my own ‘products’ with the focus to help others live their life joyfully & positively and creating their own success from their passions. From then I ‘lost’ my drive, got married, had kids (sounds awful i know LOL), then realised not to long ago about what my passions are - to help others live their dream life. From there was born the ‘new’ me willing to step out of my confort zone and stand for what I believe in - LIFE!
I’m a ‘work anywhere’ (we travel AUstralia full-time) Mumpreneur & life coach creating success for myself & my clients. I run 2 business’ which really roll into one mission: to help guide Mumma’s & families to create an alternative approach to their challenging situations that they face. I create dynamic programs to help people move towards their goals & dreams in the quickest way possible while remaining a dedicated mum, partner, etc and living out their passions & purpose each & everyday From the age of 15 I wanted to be a self made entreneruper creating
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Golly, EVERYTHING! seriously I love the challenges, the successes, getting e-mails from clients saying how much I have helped them, having my kids sit on my lap while I work, kissing hubby whenever I like, doing ‘happy’ dances with my kids. I love my life and wouldn’t have it any other way. DO IT!!!!! Find what makes your heart sing, find how the world can benefit from this, then GO AND DO IT and make sure you have good support and honest supportive people to noticed the things that you don’t so you can move forward in the quickest way possible (as you don’t waste so much time ‘wondering’ )
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Jess:
Allzzz
My name is Jess and first and foremost I am a Mum to a beautiful 15 month old little girl, Maigen! I have also just started a new business. Allzzz is an adult all-inone sleepware line designed with comfort, practicality and style in mind. We use 100% Australian made materials, and our Melbourne based manufacturer even has Ethical Clothing Accreditation. Allzzz is an online business (www. allzzz.com.au), it is still in the early stages but things are looking positive!
to spend with my daughter. To any future Mumpreneurs, do lots of research, ask questions (no matter how silly them seem!), give it a go and have faith in yourself and your idea! Enjoy what you do and love the time with your kids.
I love my baby more then anything, but to be honest, it was pure jealously that I decided to start my business. Seeing her in the cosy terry towelling one piece, well, I just wanted to squeeze into one myself and cuddle on the couch with her. So after trying unsuccessfully to fit into many of my daughters, I decided it may be best to make my own! Allzzz was born! I love everything about being a Mumpreneur. The challenges it provides, the mental stimulation it creates, the satisfaction I receive, but best of all, the time it gives me www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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renee
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& Megan: stylish little me
When we became mothers, we not only gained a beautiful new baby, but we also created a lifelong friendship. Myself and Megan met at Mothers Group and our lives changed instantly. We are style conscience mums who didn’t want to lose their lust for fashion and looking fabulous while taking care of our tiny treasures and so Stylish Little Me was born from the love of motherhood – stylish motherhood! Launched in November 2011, The Stroller Bag by Stylish Little Me is our signature baby bag. It provides a practical, innovative and stylish design that we know you’re going to love. Our website www. StylishLittleMe.com.au is tailored for stylish families and highly organised parents, providing tips and information on how to make motherhood look a breeze! We were inspired by the fact that new and experienced mothers alike are all looking for the perfect baby bag…the search is endless for a stylish and practical baby bag. Most are too small, too heavy, have too many pockets, are a struggle
to clean, and without a doubt,lack tasteful colours and patterns. We felt the only solution was to create our own ultimate stylish baby bag. The Stroller Bag is proving to be a hit with reviewers and mothers, and we are now working on complimentary products to add to our boutique. We love the flexibility to choose our own work times around our families needs. Some days the little ones are happy to play together, other days they require more one on one attention. The way our business is set up, we can work from anywhere at any time. Our advice in starting your own business, would be to choose a product or service you love, it makes it easier to incorporate the business into your family life and that’s what being a mumpreneur is all about. It’s busy and it’s fun, but you have to stay organised and be able to juggle it all well!
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Gaille:
creative incentives
My name is Gaille Smith and I am a stay at home mum and I think I will be even when my kids are in their 30’s...I love my House it is MY HOME!!!! I run my own incentive and event business where I thrive on providing themes, by lines and deliver unique proposals for small business who want to expand their clientele. Marketing concepts are well though of and personally delivered and have resulted in 100% success rate. A rate I am extremely proud of. I started my business having offered my services on a volunteer basis to the local comity with fun raising initiatives for schools/ groups and local community friends in need of some extra funds to help when times are tough. I have since developed a love for social media and online marketing and my best friend is Google. Gosh how we have bonded.... The best thing about being a mumpreneur is the flexibility to stay a mum whilst fulfilling the passion of a dream. Advice for up and coming mumpreneurs....Don’t just dream DO ET!!!!
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carlie:
bubalina
Hi my name is Carlie and I am a stay at home mum to 2 beautiful children, a 2.5 year old little girl and a 4 month old little boy. My husband and I started Body Wash Supplies around 12 months ago and have been selling a natural and organic body care range called Bubalina online. In July last year we became the Australian Distributor for this gorgeous range. We now have 3 businesses stocking the brand and a Doula selling the brand at the markets. My goal is to make Bubalina the number 1 Body care brand in Australia. Even before I had our kids, I knew that I wanted to be a stay at home mum, there was nothing more important to me or my husband. Having a home based business meant that I could spend quality time with our kids and also keep my brain active. I also wanted to give our kids the best possible life we could through trying to create and run a successful business. I absolutely adore meeting new customers and when they give good feedback about our range. I also love the fact that I am doing something that I love. I am very passionate about this range and the benefits it has for your skin.
I love the mental stimulation I get from all parts of the business from the inventory taking to writing reports to interacting with customers. I love the challenges it presents and running a business has really pushed me to learn new skills especially learning programs like MYOB. I get to see my kids everyday. My advice would be to never give up, believe in yourself and keep going at it. As my husband always says measure everything you do and if it doesn’t work try something else. Work out what you really love doing and set goals for where you want to go. Don’t think “Can’t”, always think “How can I do this”. You will find that you will work longer and harder in your own business, but it is so worth it at the end of the day, as you can say this is mine and look at what I have achieved.
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natania:
urban alphabet
Urban Alphabet is the collection of over 550 high quality photographic images from one of the most spectacular and picturesque urban landscapes in the world Sydney, Australia. After looking closer at the harbour city, the beautiful architecture and natural surroundings you find a hidden treasure of lines and shapes that represent letters of the English alphabet. It is with these images that unique custom framed words are created. Popular keepsakes include the name of your newborn baby, the surname of a newlywed couple, words to inspire, words to welcome you home and of course the name of an individual person or company. After the birth of my son Phoenix, I really wanted to have the opportunity to stay at home as long as possible to experience this amazing time with him. While out walking with Phoenix to remain active, I began a photographic project which involved capturing each letter of the English alphabet in the urban landscape that surrounded me. This simple photographic project of capturing one image of each letter of the alphabet evolved into a business idea and over 8 months of exploring Sydney’s iconic sites and
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hidden alleyways to capture my photographic library of over 550 original and high quality images. I really love the balance of being able to express myself creatively and intellectually in an adult world while still giving my son a very present and engaged mum that can have as much fun as a child. It is also extremely rewarding knowing that I have created something for myself not only career wise, but something that I love to do, with the added benefit of raising a family. It really is the best of both worlds for me. Being a mumpreneur involves having a clear direction and balance on what you want to achieve as a business and as a stay at home mum. Creating a business requires a lot of time and energy. If the reason you have created a home based business is to spend more time with your child/ren then remember to keep this in focus. It is really easy to get wrapped up in the business resulting in working more hours than a regular job. There are many free support networks to provide help and advice; research and tap into these! www.urbanalphabet.com.au
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Lisa:
signed sealed delivered Hi, I am a mamma to 3 little munchkins, Marquise (8) Indiana (5) and Capri (2) and I started my little biz approx 4 years ago. I knew the Internet was the way to go in creating a biz that I could run from home and still play a huge part in my kiddies day. I constantly battle with the whole work/life balance thing but nothing gives me more joy than being able to combine the two -being there for my family and creating my own sucess.
Signed Sealed Delivered incorprates local and modern brands into each gift hamper, our range includes gifts for new babies, his, her, birthdays, Christmas, Easter and Corporate (and many more) We deliver Australia wide and are always on the lookout for new and exciting products to add to our range. My family and my creativity inspired me to start my own business, they the will continue to do so. I learn something new every day and I’m constantly challenged and pushed out side my comfort zone, which I really enjoy (never thought I would say that!). Some advice that I could pass on to another wahm would be to Do your research on everything, the more information you have the easier it will be to know exactly what your customers want! And to have your goals and ideas written down on paper where you can see them EVERY DAY! Your head spins with all the information you take in and when you can see it clearly in front of you, you can think a whole lot clearer!
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www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
Justine: Just creative
I run 2 businesses from home - Just Creative (Graphic Design services)& The Rocking Horse Studio - Photography. I am 22 years old and am a full time mum. I have always been a passionate and creative person and love doing what i do for the fun of it. During my pregnancy and having a small baby I always felt the itch to design and create. My daughter also became my world and leaving her was never a option.
at home. It has been such a joy and I can always work around my baby girl. working for myself and learning about running a business has made me become aware of what I am capable of. I think i would be an inspiration to other young mums out there and show them that they do not have to leave their children at childcare at a young age or be pushed around by bosses who do not care about their home life. If I can do this, anyone can.
I overcame my urge to get back into the industry by starting up www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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Hollie:
bumcheeks modern cloth nappies I am the owner and designer of Bumcheeks modern cloth nappies wich has now been running for almost 3 years. I run an Ecommerce website here in Australia and send stock to the US and UK for distribution. I am also the CEO and Director of Daily Baby Buys, a daily deal site featuring baby products at a discount. We currently have 5 staff members that are all work at home mums! I work from home with my two children, Jhet who is 4 and Charleigh 3. In my spare time I love going to the Gym and riding my horse. I have a background in Sales & Human Recourses. I wanted to own and run my own business so that I could be at home with my kids and work around their schedules not the other way around! I wanted freedom with my time and my income, the sky is the limit! I Love being a Mumpreneur because it gives me the freedom to have my own ideas and grow my own business, nothing is more satisfying than that! I hope to pass my businesses onto my children one day. I love that I am always available for my kids when they need me. My kids inspire me in everything that I do.
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www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
dy:
willowblu I am just about to turn 38 (yikes), with a gorgeous husband, two amazing kids, an adorable dog = very happy life! My business is called WillowBlu which is a combination of our children’s names & we are a direct selling company offering today’s hottest trend handbags, purses, clutches, overnight bags etc in full luxurious leather, WITHOUT the designer price tag. The inspiration behind Willowblu was my desire to contribute to the household finances without compromising the quality time I wanted to spend with my family. Also, as a woman, I like to have nice things, especially handbags but found good quality full leather handbags were not affordable to the average family. So, I decided to design & bring gorgeous full leather handbags to us, that everyday women can afford!! And as such, created WillowBlu!
family, which means I can still attend all those important school events, after school activities, sporting events etc. It has also allowed us to travel the world with our kids. My advice to others would be to do your research & have an original idea! If your idea or product is original, then go for it!! There are some wonderful resources available to Mumprenuers these days, which make it even easier for women to create their own business. Use these resources to your advantage & have a go!
I love that I am able to run a successful business from home & come 3pm when my children arrive home from school – I am mum!! I am also lucky enough to be able to work my own hours around my www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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Danielle:
inkspot
I am a mother of two children a girl 4 years and a boy 7 months old. I bought an Inkspot Franchise in the Bayside Shopping centre in Frankston. We provide Printer Ink and toner. Ink refill service and our own Inkspot compatible brand cartridges. I have a 4 year old and had a baby on the way and wanted to have some kind of work or business that I could manage with a young family. We have just reached our 1st year of trading anniversary. I love seeing the familiar faces and getting to know the local people. I am also a firm believer in supporting small business. So getting to know other local business owners and their staff has been great.
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My advice would be to expect that you will be working hard if you want to run your own business. Don’t think it is easy. Juggling everything takes a lot of good planning and you need back up support. Have a home office set up where you can shut the door or leave the room. Having your computer in view all day and night means you will be working just that. You need to have time for your kids and partner. It is too easy to be distracted by the work all the time. Do whatever it takes to get great staff. It is a massive plus. Do your homework before starting in a business. Speak with suppliers, customers and potential competitors about their experience.
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janene:
gametag
I am a mother of 4 and have been a foster mother to 18 other children, I accidently invented Gametag while trying to stop my children/foster children losing their expensive Nintendo DS games. Christmas 2008 my children received new DS games, Boxing day less than 24 hours later they were all on our lounge room floor “ground hog day again!” that is when I decided enough was enough and before I go to bed tonight I will come up with a secure storage system! And I did. There are 2 great things about
being a Mumpreneur first is working around the family and all those commitments that pop up. The second, in my case is the feedback that I regularly receive from other mothers about Gametag. I have to pinch myself when I read some of them, to remind myself that they are talking about me and something I have made. It WOW’s me everytime. To borrow words from Sir Richard Branson “get out there” it’s the best advice. “Out there” for me has been markets, shows and festivals if you have a great product mums will tell other mums.
www.ausmumpreneursnetwork.ning.com
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cassie:
rainbow beach hire
stimulating activities and can be real kids. Having a teenager wanting pocket money but not willing to make his own bed also lead me to start a business that could involve all the family. It also fitted in with Mummy duties and school hours. So son now makes other peoples beds and we have made camping accessible to more people! Hi I’m Cassandra Head Campingologist and Creative Media Artist. Rainbow Beach Hire-acamp is my home based business where you can hire an already set up camp or camping equipment. I am a mother of two boys, Dan (15) and Tom (8) and wife of Ashley, a Commercial Fisherman. I was never a camper but married into a camping family. In order to get me camping Hubby would do everything to make his Princess comfortable! All I had to do was sit with a glass of champagne & smile (even that was hard at times!) I soon saw what a fantastic experience camping was, particularly for kids & blokes! It is total break away from the everyday routines and demands. The kids experience a real freedom from structured play and intensely
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I love being an Mumpreneur because I can still participate in the workforce, be a stay at home Mum, have some flexibility and even take my kids to work in the field with me. I love what the internet and social media have done to bring the big wide world into my home and connect me with other inspirational women. Mothers are very creative and resourceful and being a Mumpreneur is extremely rewarding. If you are thinking of becoming a Mumpreneur, I say, GO FOR IT GIRL. Your children will thank you for being there for them and you will enjoy being able to combine Motherhood and work. Get yourself set up with Social Media and away you go. Have faith in yourself and have a crack. No harm in trying.
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Quinta:
Emporio Bambini I’m the doting Mummy of two beautiful children, Delilah 21 months and Kynan 19 weeks. Motherhood has changed me more than I could have expected - but some things never change; like a desire to be in business and doing something I adore! I’m always looking for a creative outlet, which some of my handmade products allow, and find my experience in retail/customer service has given me the knowledge I needed to take the plunge and start my own online retail store - or boutique as I prefer. My desire to be in the home left being a working Mum out of the question for us. My husband is ever supportive of having me at home with our children, even if it means missing out on some of life’s little luxuries - though I must say nothing can top the quality time I am blessed to spend with my kids. Emporio Bambini is an outlet for me to express myself and do something I enjoy, all while being in the home...and an escape from the nappies, and the dishes, and the laundry etc. Running Emporio Bambini from home means I work when I choose to, and can develop the business at my own pace. I love that I can
spend my days with my kids, and not miss anything in their development. Every little milestone is a joy, every laugh and smile is a treasure and I’m storing them up! Nap time and evenings are the perfect time for me to get some work done, and we all enjoy trips to the post office to send orders, it’s a good reason to get out of the house! If you have a passion that you can turn into a business, go for it! Love what you do and you never work a day in your life! The freedom and flexibility of working from home far outweighs any reservations or fears you may have of just taking the plunge and doing it! Always live within your means, don’t overborrow and don’t over-spend. Network and make friends with your competition, don’t create enemies or burn bridges - there’s no reason we mumpreneurs can’t all co-exist and get along!
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amanda:
bright buttons toys I am a mum of two beautiful little girls, aged 5 and 3 years. I am the owner and director of Bright Buttons Toys (www.brightbuttonstoys.com. au). Bright Buttons Toys is an online store that specialises in educational and developmental toys for kids from birth through to preteens. What makes my business different is that I am an Educational and Developmental Psychologist and use my professional skills to provide support to parents and caregiver on child development, how to foster learning and skill development such as fine and gross motor skills, cognitive skills, learning strategies and more. This knowledge allows me to assist parents and caregivers to identify the right products and toys for their child. Not only do we sell products, we have a monthly article on child development, a regular blog with various tips and advice, as well as customers have the ability to contact me and ask questions pertaining to their child's needs and skill development. I truly love owning Bright Buttons Toys and using my professional
background and knowledge in a way that is useful for the wider community, not just individual family's. Working from my homeoffice allows me the flexibility that is needed in a young family and I get to see my kids so much more for quality time together. My husband is incredibly supportive of my business and ideas and he loves the fact that the kids are a priority as well. I was inspired to start Bright Buttons Toys when I was pregnant with my eldest daughter. I knew what skills I was wanting to encourage for her development and I was on the hunt for great products, that were of high quality and a reasonable price to help me assist her. I love wooden and unique toys that I want my own grandchildren to play with one day. Advice for those becoming a Mumpreneur... go for it. Yes there are hard times, late nights and in my case tears, but the positives of spending time doing what I love and am passionate about and spending time at home with the kids, far outweighs the cons.
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dyna:
adoorabear
Dyna, a mum of 3 energetic boys + a Graphic Designer + inventor = Mumpreneur. I have been a Graphic Designer for over 20 years, and opened my own Design Service Business when I was 22yrs old. Moving into motherhood bought many interesting lessons, and one particular parenting issue led me to the invention of the Adoorabear and Adoordecor concept. After years of going through patenting, trademarking and the manufacturing process I joined forces with a close friend of mine to establish Adoorable Toy Company and launched Adoorabear to the marketplace last year. As a first time mum, I would check
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on my sleeping baby almost every half hour. With the problem of trying to find a way to keep the door slightly ajar but not fully open I came up with many ideas but that ‘one idea’ just seemed to feel right, and “Adoorabear - a bear with a job” was born. This teddy bear not only had a job to do but he was specifically designed to perform this duty of care. A friend once said to me “You never know what the outcome of investing your time, money, heart and self esteem will be when you start a project, yet the only failure is giving up on yourself “. Despite many challenges of bringing Adoorabear to life, I persevered. There will be that one thought, that one special idea in your life where that ‘light bulb’ moment happens. Embrace it. You never know where it will take you. Adoorabear began with a gut feeling for me. It just felt right. Who knew it would take me on this most exciting journey!
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Amy:
Mama chic I am 27 years old, based in Canberra and had my first baby in March 2011; a girl – Mackenzie Rose. I have been married to my darling husband for 6 years and with our latest addition we now have a family of 5 – us, baby Mackenzie, a cat called Leeta (our second child) and an Oscar fish called G’Kar. I am in the process of setting up a business called Mama Chic. I (along with my brilliant mother) have designed and made a universal fitting pram sleep cover. These covers have been designed to substitute having to put a blanket over the hood of the pram for baby to sleep. The sleep covers create a dark sleeping environment for when you are out and about with baby while looking stylish on your pram. We are constantly evolving and are now making matching accessories to go with the covers, including pram blankets and change clutches (my take on a nappy wallet). When my baby was born and I first took her out in the pram, I placed a blanket over the hood of the pram for her to sleep.I had the problem of the blanket either being blown off by the wind which left an exposed baby to the elements and a dirty blanket. Or the blanket would hang
down and drag along the floor.Then I came across the problem of wellintentioned passes by tearing off the blanket to "goo" and "gaa" over my newborn, allowing a flood of light to go cascading into the pram and waking up my baby.So my quest began for a specially designed pram cover that as well as being practical was also modern and trendy. After all - I had spent all this money on a nice pram - I didn't want just ANYTHING covering it! Needless to say I did not find what I was looking for. And thus Mama Chic was born. I love that I don't have to go back to my secular job, but can stay home and enjoy my baby. I also love that I have been able to come up with a product that is so unique and that I know will help other mums out there as much as it has me. Do it! But you have to want it as it is hard work. So make sure you believe in what you do, love what you do and then just go for it!
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