AusMumpreneur australia & new zealand
Issue 1
magazine
Which to choose?
ipad vs notebook Gorgeous mumpreneur fashion and accessories How to keep your website FRESH Meet mumpreneurs living in Rural Australia
Nom inate for the 2 011 AusM ump Awar reneur d
s
Be BOLD & Set
BIG
Goals in 2011
Home Offices you’ll
LOVE
www.
Handmade Mumpreneurs of the Year
L isa & Stacey koolaman designs
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Contents
p8
p 54 p 90
Mumpreneurs
Business Articles
Life on the Land p 8
Sisters Lisa and Stacey share their story
Rural Mumpreneurs p 17
We talk to mumpreneurs running their businesses in rural Australia
What I wish I Knew p102
4 Mumpreneurs tell us what they wish they knew when they started out in business
Awards & Accolades p 36 Mapping Your PR for 2011 p66 Be Bold and Set Big Goals p 68 New Consumer Laws & how they will affect you p 72 Keeping it Fresh p 74 Using Web 2.0 tools, Social Media and Mobile Learning p88 Organising 101 p90 Maintaining a Healthy Business p94 Networking p 98
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p76
p 66
p 98
Features
Ipad vs notebook p42
The Expert and Mumpreneur share their perspectives
The Essentinal Business Services Directory p106
Directory to all the services you need in Business
Inspiration Home Office Inspiration p76
Gorgeous real Mumpreneur Offices you’ll love
Mumpreneur Style p54
Fashion to take you from the kindy run to networking drinks
p 54
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elcome to our first issue of AusMumpreneur magazine! We are so excited to be finally launching this new magazine after months of planning and a few setbacks courtesy of Mother Nature aka Cyclone Yasi! We wanted to create a new style of business magazine, one which contained lots of helpful and interesting business articles and information but was stylish, beautiful and inviting too!
Editor’s image by Carolyn Bofinger
www.carolynb.com.au
We also wanted to hear from a cross section of different Mumpreneurs in different industries and with different levels of experience.
We’ve included fashion spreads to provide mumpreneur style inspiration as well as some real-life home offices of mumpreneurs from around Australasia. We also chatted with Mumpreneurs in rural and remote areas about why they prefer life on the land and the challenges this brings.
AusMumpreneur magazine Editorial Peace Mitchell & Katy Garner Contributors Alycia Edgar Danielle Story Stephan Lang Greg Provians Helen Butler Johanna Baker-Dowdell Larissa Glubb Megan Iemma Peace Mitchell Simone Outteridge Susan Pearse Advertising enquiries connect2mums@gmail.com Contact us: connect2mums@gmail.com 0422 624 100 connect2mums.com.au
Australasia’s #1 Mumpreneur Community
www.connect2mums.com.au
As busy mumpreneurs we’ve realised that it would be really handy to invest in a netbook or a tablet to help us stay connected while we’re away or out and about, we know a lot of business mums are wondering which is best suited for them too so our feature on ipad vs netbook is an article we really hope you’ll enjoy. Our experts have also provided great business articles on everything from setting big ambitious goals to understanding your legal responsibilities. And don’t miss our article on Awards and accolades you’ll find all the details on this year’s AusMumpreneur Awards there too! We hope you enjoy our very first issue, and would love to hear what you think! Enjoy
Peace & Katy xx www.connect2mums.com.au
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Rural Mumpreneurs Feature
Life on the land During the 2010 Ausmumpreneur Awards 2 women we were really inspired by were our Handmade Mumpreneur Winners and gorgeous sisters Lisa O’Keefe and Stacey Clayton of Koolaman Design. We sat down to ask them how they got started and what it was like being a rural mumpreneur. Koolaman Design story started as one of those ‘light bulb moments’ – where you see a product you like, can’t find anyone to provide it and think...... there’s our opportunity’
pendants, bracelets, cufflinks, earrings and bead necklaces. Each of their designs comes in an assortment of shapes and sizes, and is hand-stamped with special words, names, birthdays of children, grand children, special family members of friends. Our products are the ideal gifts for children, mothers, fathers and grandparents. They are perfect for celebrating the birth of a child, special birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day or Christmas.
From our humble beginning 4 years ago, we are proud that Koolaman Designs is now a highly reputed and respected, online boutique jewellery business owned and operated by my sister Stacey and myself. Despite the tyranny of distance between us (450km to be precise) and having six children between us, we manage this business as if we are in the ‘same office. Effective communication between each other and delivering exceptional customer service is a key to our ongoing success. Our product range: The Koolaman Design range is a collective of both silver and gold and includes a range of www.connect2mums.com.au
Lisa and Stacey’s children: Leonard, Chloe, Eliza, Edward, Augustus & Isobel
Why do you love living where you have to ‘escort them for fear of them live? being ran over by traffic - they are more likely to come across a snake than a car! Koolaman Station is 450kms away from where I grew up and where Stacey still To our children, Koolaman’s farm lives with her family. provides a ‘treasure trove of activities’, and they love nothing more than building Located smack bang in the middle of cubbies and playing shops with all the nowhere, Koolaman Station is located ‘bits and pieces’ they find about the 70km from the closest town and is place. surrounded by dirt roads and endless paddocks. It is the little things that are important like, the kids understanding where the wool But to my family: my husband Christian in their jumpers comes from. They’ve and our three children, there is nowhere seen the sheep in the paddocks, they’ve else we would want to be! With the helped with the shearing, and they’ve children’s grandparents living only seen the wool packs be collected by the 300metres away, there are regular daily trucks! commutes on their bicycles. We don’t
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Rural Mumpreneurs Feature When you live remotely like we do there is a real sense of community that is hard to describe...but is something that we love being part of. Whether you are old and young, a shearer, a truck driver or a mailman, everyone respects each other and all happy to call in and see the kids and have a cuppa and share a yarn!
join in on, but it is not always possible.
The beauty of a business like Koolaman Designs is that it doesn’t matter where you live, technology allows you to run a professional business from the remotest of locations, without it impeding on its success.
Formal Day Care is great for 1 day a week: it helps with the children’s socialisation skills and allows me to ‘get non child friendly jobs’ done. They day the children are in care I use an office in town as the return trip home is too far.
Sometimes being a work from home Mum works and sometimes it just doesn’t. You try to make the important business calls without the children around, however I find that it is always these calls when they come in wanting you to play or to use the bathroom...
I still work nights when necessary What are the challenges of living while the children are sleeping, but I here? How have you overcome this? am working hard to achieve a better work life balance and avoid doing so There will always be challenges with wherever possible. remoteness, but ‘that is just the way it Coordinating our attendance at travel is when you live where we do’ shows is another challenge. We are As our children have started school, 1000km from Sydney and 500kms you notice it a little more...It’s a long from Adelaide and Melbourne. To us day when you are 6 and catch the bus a 3 day show means being away from at 7.25am and get home just before our families for 5 days and we would 5pm...Our little Gus is a trooper: he’s be lost without the nurturing love and first on and last off the bus and often support from our partners, parents and needs a little ‘nap’ on the trip home! in-laws. Whilst we have had to find solutions to the mailman only coming twice a week to Koolaman and initially difficulty with internet connection, there doesn’t seem to be anything that we haven’t We make every effort to get to all the been able to overcome. extra curricula activities that kids like to If we were anymore remote, our children would be completing their education through ‘school of the air’ – not sure if this is true Lisa?
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What was the motivation to start your business? Our initial aim for the business was to pay for our groceries each week, You Never in our wildest dreams did we should have seen how excited we were think that our ‘initial idea’ could develop we could pay for both our groceries into a ‘real’ source of income. We and our utilities bills! often laugh when we hear ‘diamonds are a girls’ best friend’ – because it is With all our success it is important to silver that has helped us build dreams. reflect on why we started and how far It has helped sustain another income we have come . . . . to support the financial challenges that prolonged droughts bring, but almost Tell us about your work with other MORE importantly it allowed us to rural women in the area? build a career that has afforded us the We know all too well the pain of wanting luxury to be stay at home successful and needing to work, of being a wife, business Mums. and mother, of living remotely and We were so cautious when we started four years ago. We had used our entire baby bonus and the limit on our credit card to get started, and made sure we had a plan to ‘off load’ our packaging and our product if it didn’t work.
the difficulty of finding and affording childcare.
What we did was put these ‘pains’ into a workable solution and recruit Mum’s to work with us who were in similar predicaments to Stacey and I.
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At Koolaman Designs we employ Mums from remote and rural locations who want to work, have exceptional work ethics, are committed to working but can’t access formal childcare due to their rural/remote location.
If you have a business idea – just do it. There is no such thing as I can’t – change those words around and say how can I do this?
Use living remotely to your advantage. It is not always about location. Location. We ensure that there is face to face Location. ‘catch-ups’ throughout the year to discuss future growth strategies and Never compromise on your values and look at our strengths and weaknesses. your morals and never stop believing in your self or your dream! We are extremely proud of the culture we have established as Koolaman And most importantly don’t let people Designs and of the fact that despite us around you bring you down. Work on each working autonomously we have your business plan and keep revising a cohesive, proactive, productive team until you get it right. spirit. What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business?
“Don’t start tomorrow – start today!”
www.koolamandesigns.com.au
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Rural Mumpreneurs Mumpreneurs share why they love where they live and how they combine business, motherhood and living on the land
Why do you love where you live? Our rural town of St Helens on Tasmania’s East Coast is simply the best place to raise a family with beautiful beaches, wonderful friends and always a smile from people in the street. What was The inspiration behind your business? Falling pregnant with our first son last year and thinking that I would need something to do whilst I watched our new baby sleep and grow - how I was so wrong (on the sleep part anyway). What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? You can never have enough cash flow but don’t underestimate how difficult it is to compete on transport and postal services with your competitors both Owner of Machiko when receiving goods and sending them, Baby some times with the delays in freight you I’m Melinda Smylie from Machiko Baby would think we are on the moon. where we have funky clothes for kids from Newborn to Size 7.
Melinda Smylie
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Castaly Lombe Anti-Chaos System I am 47 years old and I live in Michelago, NSW Snowy Mountains where my 2 boys went to the 2 teacher local school. I work from the farm most days. We have a 200 acre farm, where we conserve endangered yellow box woodlands, native grasslands and once thought extinct orchids. We live in a solar/wind powered house and ride horses and swim in the river with the local platypus. Hubby and I own and run 2 businesses developing software. Myco Systems provides SaleG8 (gate) software to
auctioning businesses like livestock agents, art auctioning and saleyards and each year billions of dollars worth of transactions are processed through this software in Aus. and NZ. Recently we started another company Anti- Chaos System and created 4me2realize, a online, integrated, interactive virtual life coach. Why do you love where you live? We decided to live here because we loved the remoteness, the Snowy Mountain climate (cold), the river in the backyard, the wildlife and wilderness abounding with native plants, the panoramic views over Snow capped
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Rural Mumpreneurs Feature
mountains, the lifestyle it allowed for our boys, freedom and responsibility in wide open spaces, the animals (both wild and tame), the strong sense of community, the caring small school, the ability to build a sustainable lifestyle, the stars at night that blow you away (no light pollution..... or any other pollution), canoeing in the river, the ability to raise our boys away from fast food and consumerism. We are 60 km from Cooma NSW and Canberra ACT and have the best of both living inbetween a rural community and a small and still beautiful civilised city which Canberra is with it’s desgned roads and suburbs. What was the inspiration behind your business? Myco Systems started because we wanted to offer fantastic software and service to auctioning businesses in rural communities and we felt - when we started, that they were not being looked after. We have just rewritten and released a brand new system to all our clients to make sure they never get lumped with old software. That was a huge committment and risk, no one likes change! But our customers trusted us and we’re about half way through providing them with the new software and they love it. It is fantastic working with country people. They keep you honest and when you deliver, its very satisfying.
We started 4me2realize because we could see a real need for a system that would help people create the life of their dreams in a very practical effective way and we knew we had the skills to do it. We wanted to offer it to the world. We also saw it marry our passion for continual improvement with our global system development skills. We can work from anywhere, and I work most days from the farm, using the internet and cloud computing. Bring on the National Broadband Network, faster internet would really help. What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? Do IT. Rural women, because we live “without” a lot of commonplace conveniences, tend to be resourceful and determined, exactly the skills needed to develop a business. Embrace technology, which is opening up global possibilities and making life easier, from banking to marketing to the world.... our tenacity and creativity make us interesting and innovative and the world wide web appreciates our authenticity. The web also allows us to learn from the best, and bring it back into our businesses. Starting a business also allows flexibility for farm and family and you can organise it at your pace. Finally, do something that you are passionate about, that is the key to success, where ever your life may be.
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own backyard”. Life here is positive, simple and fun and the community spirit is truly amazing. We make the most of everything around us and spend our spare time outdoors swimming, fishing, riding bikes, doing “farm checks” and spending time together as a family, which is something we cherish immensely.
Prue Longstaff Director of Signature Skin, Health food for the skin Tell us about yourself and your business I’m a proud Mumpreneur living in Mansfield Victoria with my husband Jamie and two little boys Kai (4) and Nate (3). Life BC (before children) was vastly different to the one I live now, but has led me to where I am now. My background in Business Management and qualifications as a Trainer and Assessor motivated me to challenge the way things were done and I always strived to find a better way of doing things. These same principals and the desire to provide a healthier environment for my children are what gave me the passion and inspiration to create Signature Skin. Why do you love where you live? We live in Mansfield in the legendary high country of north east Victoria surrounded by 2,500 acres, so have a sincere appreciation of what nature has to offer; and it is a lot. Our family mantra is “never take for granted what we have in our
What was the inspiration behind your business? Kai was born in 2006 with sensitive skin and I like a lot of parents had a constant struggle keeping his skin from becoming irritated and developing eczema. I tried several lotions and creams, but none worked effectively. Of more concern were the toxic chemicals found in them. A friend suggested using eucalyptus oil in the washing machine instead of washing powder to remove some irritation. It worked! The clothes were clean and Kai’s eczema cleared up within a week. This success thanks to Mother Nature inspired me to start a journey to find healthier and more natural solutions for every aspect of our lives. What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? When we moved to Mansfield a wonderful friend Sujayne told me to “put myself out there” so I did, and it worked. I’ve been graced with a wonderful group of friends and associates who are socially aware and through them have built a network which is supportive and positive. Be passionate about your pursuits and never say no to an opportunity to meet new people as you just never know where the path will lead.
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in two categories, Unique and Hosted Accommodation and have also extended the business into licensed catering, onfarm activities and our newly built 4 star self contained cabins.
Sophie Wakefield Owner of Turlee Station Stay
I am a work from home mum with two little girls aged 3 and 1 and another bub on the way. My husband, our girls and I live next door to the world heritage listed Mungo National Park in outback NSW and own and operate a sheep, cattle and cropping property. In 2007 my husband and I set out to open an on-farm tourism business providing accommodation and camping for travellers passing through the Mungo region. We started the business for a couple of different reasons, the first being that I needed/wanted an outlet to channel some energy and contribute to the family income whilst being able to work from home with babies and the second as we could see a major gap in the local accommodation market and felt that we could fill this gap well. Never having any experience in the tourism industry we dove in head first and have not looked back! We have now been operating for 3.5 years and have doubled our turn over with each passing financial year, something we never deemed feasible or realistic and are growing as a business beyond belief. We were recently finalists at the Inland Tourism Awards
Why do you love where you live? I love where we live for many reasons. I love the fact that we are only 1 hour from beautiful Mildura, yet far enough away to enjoy the peace and quiet of no neighbours for at least 8 km! I also love the fact that we can raise our children the way we see fit with our girls doing school of the air (home schooling for remote kids) and that they have the freedom to run and play at their own will. What was The inspiration behind your business? We are our own bosses and (to a certain extent) can decided what hours we work and revolve those hours around family time. What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? I would tell any woman out there considering starting their own small business, DO IT! I doesn’t matter how much or how little experience you have in your given field as long as you have done your research, identified a gap in the market and written a sound business plan identifying your point of difference as a small business, you have nothing to lose! Take things one step at a time, set realistic goals and achieve them and don’t forget to reward yourself when you do. There is a LOT of hard work involved in owning and operating a small business, particularly in the start up years, but the rewards are immeasurable. You don’t necessarily need great finances to get you off the ground, think outside the square and get yourself a mentor of some kind to help you lift back up when everything seems to be going backwards.
www.connect2mums.com.au
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town with a strong community spirit and absolutley stunning to boot. It’s a great place to raise the kids because it is a small town and most of us know each other in some way but because it is a tourist town we have a lot of the shops that the big cities have and it’s more culturely diverse than a normal rural small town.
Kelli Medford
Evoke Social Media
Tell us about yourself and your business - My name is Kelli Medford and I am a 40 year old mother of two children aged 8 & 11. I own the Management Rights of a resort in the Whitsundays and have been in the hotel industry for 20 years. I have always specialised in marketing and a few years ago started to understand the potential of digital marketing or what is commonly refered to as Social Media. So I trained myself, did tons of research, and lot’s of trial and error of products with my own businesses to find out how to best utilise the Social Media platforms for business. I started receiveing lots of request for assistance, won a regional tourism marketing award for my Social Media campaign for my resort, and decided to start another business, Evoke Social Media.
What was the inspiration behind your business? I used to run hotels in New York and took it for granite that all the tools and supplies I needed were at my fingertips. Moving to a rural community was an eye opener when I realised the lack of access to knowledge and training for ourselves and our staff. After 12 years of living rural I still get frustrated with the lack of options we have at our disposal to keep up with our city counterparts. So when Social Media came into light I had access to information from my American contacts before it even hit Australia and our business was experiencing growth by having this marketing information. Other local business people noticed our positive growth and started asking why & how. I though how cool it would be to have a small town that together was more Social Media savvy than our big cities and I started offering free seminars. It has just progressed from there.
What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? - Follow your gut and find a great mentor to bounce ideas off of. Set up procedures from the begining, get it out of your head and on to paper so you don’t always have to be the person who Why do you love where you live? does everything or you will surely fail. - What’s not to love about living in the Whitsundays? It is an amazing small
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so friendly, and it just feels like home. I think small rural towns are ideal for small businesses to start up (as long as your fulfilling a gap in the market, and not trying to compete with other businesses) as there is only a small shopping community.
Rebecca McMahon Baby For Life
Tell us about yourself and your business Rebecca McMahon, 28, Mum to Awesome son Memphis who just turned 2. Married to my Spunky Husband Matt. Owns & runs Baby for life in Swan hill Vic. Why do you love where you live? Tough question. It took me a few years to love it here. Born in Ballarat, and never going to leave it was hard to start in a new town. But now that I’m settled in Swan Hill, have made Amazing friends, have my husband and son here I cant imagine being anywhere else. What’s so great about Swan Hill? You mean aside from the Beautiful weather, the gorgeous river & the calmness of the town?The Business owners here take pride in their shops. The people here are
What was the inspiration behind your business? I’ve been in retail since I finished high school 12 years ago. It was always my goal to eventually own my own business. When I moved to swan Hill 4 & a half years ago, I noticed a lack of baby stores/ products and range. It took a few years, then when I fell pregnant with my son I really know I had to do something. So I opened Baby for Life. I wanted to offer products that would make parents lives easier as we’re all getting busier all the time.. I wanted the store to be fresh & funky & unique (getting the unique part is actually the hardest) What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? It is actually really easy to open and start a business.. But I liken it to having a baby. Too many people focus on the pregnancy & then the Labour & birth of their child without giving enough in-depth thought for the future & everyday life.. That’s really the hard part. Marketing your business, getting your branding right, getting constant & repeat Business. A lot of this will be easier if you’ve done a thorough Business Plan. If you have the funds, time & willingness I’d say to even do a marketing & advertising course. I certainly underestimated how important knowledge on this is. If you think you’re organised & prepared well I say do more research, ask more
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questions. You can never know enough. Research the town and products properly first. Just because you love it, & think it will do well it doesn’t mean it will be an Instant success. Yes walking the streets handing out questionnaires is embarrassing, but will save you heaps of hassle later on. Never take your customers for granted. And not for one day should you sit in store and be complacent. Continue to let your customers know what you do- for example Services you offer, new products you now stock, don’t get boxed in. If you are loyal to your customers they will return, and not go out of town for shopping.
www.inspiredbusinessdesign.com.au
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buyer and VIP customer liaison for a large jewellery firm in Sydney. I learned invaluable knowledge from the jewellers I worked with and gained an appreciation for the finest quality jewels. After moving to the farm and having three children (a boy and twin girls) I felt the need to assert my creative side and found myself dabbling with jewels - this time on the designing side of the counter. Eight years later and I’m still doing it - my client base continues to grow and I love getting out there, meeting people and introducing them to the world of handmade gemstone and pearl jewellery. Of course, I still have to help out on the farm which causes me all sorts of angst, particularly when I’m left in charge. I find my gems and pearls are far easier to work with than a contrary bull or a herd of flirting heifers!
Annette Piper Annette Piper Dip. Gem. Handcrafted Jewellery I live on the Great Dividing Range in NSW, where my husband and I raise beef cattle and do a little cropping. Pre-marriage I managed two jewellery stores, set up a specialised section in a large chain jewellers and after qualifying as a gemmologist (the science of identifying gemstones) worked as a
Why do you love where you live? I love living out here - I’m constantly fulfilled by the peace and solitude (OK, its not always peace and solitude, but it often is!) and magnificent views over the surrounding hills. Everything is at a more relaxed pace, everyone says hello or smiles when you go to town and I’m dealing with genuine people who want a good product at a good price. What was the inspiration behind your business? I like jewellery that is elegant, well made, has a guarantee of craftmanship, will last and still be affordable. I also wanted to share my love of gemstones and pearls and show people how beautiful they are. They
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Rural Mumpreneurs Feature say you should be your target market, so I started to sell locally to ladies who wanted the same sort of thing from their jewellery as I did. I soon converted them and many of their daughters into loving real gemstones and pearls and to want to make a statement in a one of a kind piece of jewellery.
you are your own model customer and this makes stocking suitable products and marketing easier.
What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? If you are passionate about something that you make, share that passion. Rural people are genuine and whilst not everyone will be interested, a lot will love your passion and want a piece of it for themselves. Note, though, that they won’t want it at ANY cost.
A lot of rural people are NOT online. There is no equal for actually getting out there in person with your goods. As you gain clients and they know your product, they will be happier to buy online from you, but many will still prefer to do so in person, so don’t be disheartened if online sales are slow.
Be content in the knowledge that not everyone will love your product some people are only motivated by price (no matter where they live!) and will prefer to buy a cheap import over a quality item. Keep being nice to them, happily show them your wares and one day they may come around and buy from you!
Rural people want value for money - keep your prices reasonable and affordable - the amount of disposable income is less than their city counterparts.
Once you gain a satisfied rural customer they will be your customer for years. Cultivate the relationship with them - remember their name and what they’ve bought, details about their family - this will foster loyality and friendship - and they love supporting their friends.
Bad press is still bad press - it spreads faster than good press and rural people have long memories! Be nice all the time - even to customers who you would rather never see again! There is a lot less choice in the rural market - if you are trying to find something that you want to buy and not being able to find it anywhere, then chances are other people are looking for it, too. The bonus with this is that 29 www.connect2mums.com.au
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Samantha Molineux
Rural Mumpreneurs Feature
‘Lily loves Pearl’
My name is Samantha Molineux, I am a loving mum to two boys, 3yr old Jet and 6 week old Elijah. I have a certified organic boutique skincare business ‘Lily loves Pearl’. The business has been operating for 5 years. Two years ago my family and I moved to the country, about one and a half hours from melbourne city to a lovely quaint town called Daylesford. We have a small farm, 3.6 acres, an orchard of fruit trees, three massive vege gardens, chooks and sheep. Why do you love where you live? I love the fresh air and the pure rain water. I love that my boys will grow up climbing trees, running in the orchard and enjoying the simple country life. There is nothing like having my home office overlooking our beautiful paddocks. What was the inspiration behind your business? Growing up it wasn’t unusual for me to be sitting around the kitchen table with her Gran Janet (Aka) Pearl and Aunt Lil, who would be cooking up their own skincare products in the kitchen using natural and effective ingredients. After studying as a naturopath and working at the beauty counter in a large department store I wasn’t able to find pure products that worked. The range was created with a passion and commitment to provide the purest and most effective Certified organic skincare range. What would What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business?Get to know your community, it can often be isolating living on a rural property, community is so important and supportive. www.connect2mums.com.au
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In 2008 Spirits High spa dreaming mansfield was launched and subsequently won the 2009 Melbourne Airport Victorian Tourism Awards – New Tourism Development. Spirits High is proof that dreams do come true! What was the inspiration behind your business? The aim was to create a beautiful place ‘be’ and reconnect with self. In order to be the best we can be for others, first we must nurture ourselves. There are four themes that clearly distinguished Spirits High from other Day Spas. They are: 1. Location- the healing energy of The Spirits High Spa Dreaming Paps hills on the outskirts of Mansfield; 2. Mansfield Close family ties to the High Country; 3. My name is Cath Stoney wife and mum Bush Energy Women’s Retreats and Girls of four boys aged 15mths, 5.5yrs, 19yrs, weekends; and 22yrs, a profound journey that led me to 4. Eco-friendly business environment. live in magical Mansfield Victoria. This move proved to be a most cathartic It is steeped in High Country folklore - from experience and I now embrace change its stunning views of Mount Buller to its with anticipation and the attitude of elegantly rustic building design and fit out. Throughout the facility, stone, tin, timbers ‘anything is possible’! and furniture recycled from Stoney family Why do you love where you live? properties across the High Country which environment that is not healthy for you intrigue and inspire clients. and when you have no idea ‘what feeds We offer Bush Energy Girls weekends your soul’. Like many Mum’s, before I from small fun and intimate to larger came to Mansfield I was putting my energy community groups – turning acquaintances into helping others to find happiness and into friends. Bush Energy Women’s Retreats; inspiring self empowermentachieve. Sixteen years ago I longed to find a the power to be the self you want to be. peaceful place close to nature and to Creativity and connecting with people enable me to be fully present in the feeds my soul and I am passionate about moment, the Now; to connect with myself, the right of women to choose, how, where, to honestly acknowledge my truth and to with whom and under what system they search deeply to find the courage to live give birth and provide support to women throughout their pregnancy and birth it! through my role as a Doula.
Cath Stoney
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What would What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? My advice to anyone wanting to start a business or if you simply want to take your mission in life to the Next Level is to: • Look inside, abolish your fears and raise your commitment level to the point of no return, and I guarantee you that the champion within will propel you toward victory.
risks, jump over the hurdles and break through obstacles that will to be placed in front of you. If you don’t have the feeling of passion burning in your gut for what it is you’re doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle. • Beware the dream crushers – acknowledge it is their fears speaking NOT yours!
Challenges being a mumpreneur in rural • Do your homework. Preferably in NE Vic: the form of a Business Plan. • Limited child care. At the moment I need to get private care which is • Dream big dreams, but never forget costly. that realistic short-term goals are the keys to your success. • Limited resources requiring travel. • The reason most people never • Marketing has proven to be a reach their goals is because they huge learning curve and drain on don’t define them, learn about time and resources–to encourage them, or even seriously consider visitation to our region to sustain them as believable or achievable. our business. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along “If you have come to help me, you are the way, and who will be sharing wasting your time. But if you have come the adventure with them. because your liberation is bound up with • Be passionate to be able to take mine, then let us work together.” Ms. Lilla Watson, Aboriginal woman
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Hannah Mcnulty
The Dalli Cottage Collection
My name is Hannah McNulty and I am the Mama behind The Dalli Cottage Collection – the home of unique and beautiful items for children all oozing country charm. “Dalli” as it is affectionately called, is run from our small cottage on our large familyrun grain farm in Goondiwindi (about 4 hours from Brisbane). I sew all while being a Mama to our beautiful daughter Macie who is now 15 months old (and teething EEK!) and a wife to Heath who is a very busy farmer! Just like any Mama who is working on their business….there are a lot of long hours involved but also a passion and drive to succeed and dress our children in beautiful clothes and accessories.
Why do you love where you live? Goondiwindi is the hometown for my husband and we moved to the farm not long after being married in 2008. The farm is situated 32km from the township of Goondiwindi which is home to approximately 6,000 people! You may have recently seen Goondiwindi in the latest flood crisis where we were stranded from town!! Thankfully the roads have opened now and I managed to get the post office yesterday!! I consider myself a ‘city’ girl after growing up in Toowoomba but the wide open spaces appealed to both of us and we jumped at the opportunity to jump into the family business. Thankfully, Goondiwindi is a delightful town and we have formed many strong relationships with many very special people. After having Macie in October 2009, I joined the local Mothers Group and met such an amazing group of women that I am proud to call my closest friends. We still meet once, if not twice a week for a playdate, coffee and fun. It is so great to see Macie have such a great group of little friends and to see them play….and lately get upto LOTS of trouble! I often say that I wouldn’t move if I had the choice – we love being able to provide Macie with the opportunity to grow in the country and forming strong friendships. What was the inspiration behind your business? The inspiration behind Dalli Cottage was to simply create timeless and unique items for the babies. I loathe commercial clothes with Dora, Nemo, and Ben 10 sprawled all over them. I love beautiful and pretty for girls and simple & cute for the boys! I also have a love for fabrics and wish my cottage was just a tad bigger so I could fit more fabrics in!!
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In 2011, Dalli launched the “Shabby Chic Apron” Range which is proving to be a huge success. Within weeks of launching, I have secured two stockists being Little Indigo in Melbourne and Yummy Mummies & Mini Me. Each store will be stocking different ranges with Little Indigo having a special range made for 2 – 5 year olds all while Yummy Mummies & Mini Me will be selling special Mummy/ Daughter packs. A special 10 year old apron is also available for custom-made orders on my FB page and soon to be stocked in my madeit.com.au store. Each and every Shabby Chic Apron is a unique, one-of-a-kind, boutique item. The kind of apron that will create and hold memories for both the children and the special people in their life to treasure. Memories like cooking scones with the Nana, perhaps a BBQ with the Poppy and Daddy – or just some pikelets with their Mama. The 10 year old apron is small enough but also large enough for them to take through to their adult years!
What advice would you give other rural women thinking about starting out in business? Since starting Dalli Cottage Collections, I have given a lot of women here in Goondiwindi the inspiration to pull their sewing machine out and get creating. The biggest advice I can give is to be confident in your product and try to break the mould and do something different. Start small, and work your way up. Don’t be afraid to contact the big magazines, the kid-related blogs and the stores! Keep your customers your #1 priority and make them always feel like they have your 100% attention – because without them – you will be in trouble! I am in the process of discussing and updating my website www.dallicottage. com.au. At the moment I run mostly from my FB page and madeit.com.au store. Dalli Cottage Collection has also been featured at Handmade Markets in giftstores in Goondiwindi throughout the year which has been great!
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W.O.W! WORLD OF WEBINARS!
Paula Kuhnemann’s ‘Resource Vault’ for ‘Mumpreneurs’ Let us bring your ‘small business education’ to you, at home, by the pool or wherever you are in the World!
FORTNIGHTLY WEBINARS MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION, ACHIEVEMENT FOR ‘WORK AT HOME MUMS’ Webinars are similar to a live seminar only they are held online and you can participate from the comfort of your home office, kitchen table, in fact from anywhere in the World! You can see the visual screen presentation and hear the voice of the presenter. W.O.W! Webinars are invaluable for our time poor mumpreneurs, as it requires no travel or valuable time away from your office.
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And if by chance you miss the W.O.W! Webinar time slot you have registered for, you can watch it at your leisure anytime for up to 7 days later!
11am Thursday 17th March
Why you do what you do! Goals, Life & Pink G-strings! With Paula Kuhnemann
Paula Kuhnemann, with her unique and humorous training & presenting style will help you kickstart your business for 2011 or kick you, whichever you need right now! This is the first in a series of W.O.W! Webinars to give you the knowledge, inspiration and education you need to grow your business, grow yourself and grow prosperous!
11am Thursday 17th March
Registration for this webinar is a 2 step process.
1. To secure your spot, purchase
your ticket here
2. After payment, Register to
receive a secret confirmation link that will allow you to join us on the day! **This live W.O.W. webinar will be recorded. If you are unable to make the allocated time, you will still need to book in to receive the recording. This W.O.W webinar recording will not be available for purchase afterwards.**
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Elizabeth Murphy of www.latoriana.com.au winner of the Best Boutique Award at the 2010 AusMumpreneur Awards Photo courtesy of Tanya Love of www.lovebytes.com.au
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Awards &
accolades Winning awards can help to raise your profile quickly and elevate your position in the marketplace.
Awards give you extra credibility as they are an acknowledgement of your unique achievements or ability. They‘re also a wonderful source of good publicity for your business. If you make it through as a finalist or shortlisted nominee make the most of the opportunity by contacting your local media with a well-written press release. This kind of story is often picked up by daily newspapers and local TV news, obviously the more well-known the award is the more likely you are to gain leverage from the event.
If you have a newsletter or social media presence make sure you tell your networks that you have become a finalist too as this all contributes to your personal profile.
You can also display the finalist button on your homepage and in your email signature. If you are the winner, work with the awards organisers to leverage the potential momentum, media and exposure following the event, they will often have their own dedicated PR team who can help advise you on media opportunities. Awards are also a wonderful way to gain respect and admiration from your industry peers, this is particularly important for newcomers who are yet to establish their presence.
Winning awards shows dedication, expertise and excellence and inspires confidence in people’s perception of your ability to succeed. There are a range of different awards that are available, do some research to help you find the ones which are relevant for your business and that you are eligible for.
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Be proud of your business and don’t be afraid to enter awards, nominating yourself shows that you have confidence in your ability and believe in the benefits you are providing to your customers.
When completing your submission answer all questions carefully and correctly. Reread the questions and your answers to ensure they correspond and think about the keywords the judges may be looking for. It’s a good idea to have a few people read over your submission before sending it in, checking for grammar and spelling but also checking that your submission accurately tells the story of your business and what makes you unique.
For awards which require a selection criteria and interview process, be sure to read each question carefully and be concise and clear in your answers.
If attachments are requested ensure you have all of the documentation needed.
Presentation is important so ensure that your application is neat and free from grammatical errors. Unless specifically requested don’t submit a handwritten application, a typed submission always creates a better impression. Using your own branding and colours where appropriate is a great way to create a memorable impression, it doesn’t always guarantee you’ll get through but it does improve your chances.
Don’t be disheartened if you don’t make it through, the process and opportunity to reflect will strengthen your business and help you to be more prepared for next time.
An excerpt from ‘The 7 Secrets to Standing Out’ by Peace Mitchell & Katy Garner $24.95
www.connect2mums.com.au
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Nominations are now open for the 2011 AusMumpreneur Awards! Categories include: AusMumpreneur of the Year Emerging Mumpreneur of the Year Service Business of the Year Eco Friendly Business of the Year Product Innovation Award Design Business Award Fashion Business Award Dadpreneur of the Year
People’s Choice Awards categories: Best Customer Service Award Best Website Award Best Blog Award Handmade Business Award Best Online Boutique Award Best Product Award
To nominate your business or a business you admire email: ausmumpreneur@gmail.com with 1. The business you would like to nominate 2. The business owner’s name and 3. The category you are nominating them for Nominations close 5pm Friday 17 June 2011 www.connect2mums.com.au
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ipad vs notebook
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ipad vs notebook:
applications. Your digital life became portable! But like every brand new product the iPad had its drawbacks. Consumers were complaining that there is no camera on the device to take pictures, no USB port to plug in external storage and, like so many other Apple products, you couldn’t take the battery out.
The expert’s perspective Past Even though the tablet PC has been around since 2002, it was never really taken up by the consumer market due to the fact that they were still heavy in weight, didn’t offer anything new in regards to the Operating system and required a pen for input.
Tablet PCs were always considered a niche product. That all changed when Apple released the iPad in April 2010. The iPad runs the same Operating system as the very popular iPhone or the iPod Touch which makes it touch and user friendly. Within 80 days Apple sold more than 3 million iPads to consumers. Apple was the thought leader here and suddenly the consumer had access to their music, videos, photos, emails, the World Wide Web and thousands of other
Present The CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2011 in Las Vegas finished on the 9th of January and we saw a lot of new tablets introduced that will all hit the market sometime this year. Apple will have to deal with the competition of brands like Motorola, Acer, Asus, Blackberry and NotionInk to only name a few. The consumer will be flooded with choices and in the end it will come down to everyone’s personal preferences. And that is where the benefits start for tablets, they will come in different flavours as there have been tablets released that run on Windows 7, Android, Linux or QNX. This really shows that manufacturers of mobile phones are entering the tablet market. The advantage here is that a tablet running the same operating system as your mobile or your computer it will be much easier for them to communicate with each other.
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What is it that makes a tablet so appealing to the average person?
Our lives are much busier these days and we spend much more time away from our computers. The average user uses their computer mainly for checking emails, browsing the web and watching online videos (youtube) – and now you can do all that on the go with your tablet. Most tablets will have access to a so called App store that allows the user to download applications for the tablet either for free or for a small amount of money (usually under $10). These applications range from small minute games to cut down versions of full desktop applications. You will be able to do simple tasks like reading your emails and office documents, but your replies will be very short as the on-screen keyboard on tablets is not as easy to use. Google announced its new iteration of Android, called Honeycomb that is specifically designed for tablets. Other manufacturers are doing the same and release their tablets with optimized operating systems. So far tablets have
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been known to run the operating system either of their mobile counterparts that usually have a much smaller resolution and screen size or a system that is meant for a full fletched computer which isn’t optimized for touch at all. This will change from now on and there will be an optimized operating system running on the device – on one hand they will be optimized for the device to support the higher resolution, to make use of better layouts, multitasking and connectivity and on the other side for the user as it will be optimized for touch and usability. The new tablets will feature new technologies that will extend battery life by turning the back light of the screen off when you read an e-book, they will allow you to plug in your USB stick to be able to look at your favourite photos or watch your recorded TV shows, they will have GPS capabilities so you can find your way easily if you get lost and much much more.
Notebooks So where does that leave the notebook? I believe the market is big enough for all devices, but the tablets will take a big chunk off the sales figures for notebook manufacturers. That said this
kind of competition will also change the market and notebooks will on one hand be competing directly with tablets by offering very lightweight notebooks with full qwerty keyboards and on the other hand offer high end notebooks to give the consumer a full desktop replacement in a portable form.
So why would you chose a notebook over a tablet? The major benefits of notebooks are that they have a full qwerty keyboard and multiple connectivity options (USBs, firewire, HDMI, VGA etc.) which makes them easy to use for office like work like writing word documents, emails or PowerPoint presentations. Notebooks also run a full Desktop operating system which allows them of running all full applications like Office, Photoshop or even 3D rendering programs. Non touch is also a benefit, believe it or not there are still people out there that don’t like to use touch screens and prefer the use of a track pad on a notebook. A notebook also protects itself as you can fold it together and the keyboard counterpart protects the screen from being damaged. The notebook is not dead, but it will have to accept a much smaller market share from now on.
Future Now you have your tablet, so where can it go from here? The future of the tablet is rosy, it found the space between your home computer and your mobile phone and it will stay there.
One of the drawbacks I hear over and over again from users is the fact that they are missing the physical keyboard on a tablet, so one of the trends that we will see this year are docking stations for tablets and slider tablets. With a docking station you simply attach your tablet to it and you are able to enjoy the convenience of keyboard, mouse and a larger monitor. The slider tablets have a little bigger form factor, but are able to slide up the screen to reveal a keyboard underneath which will make it much easier to browse the web or write emails. The future will be about connectivity – you will be able to get your newspaper delivered to your tablet, rather than to your front door, you will be able to communicate with your fridge to check what you have to get on your way home to be able to cook that nice Beef Stroganoff of yours, you will be able to turn the aircon on at home to have it just the right temperature when you arrive and while you sit on the bus you will be able to have a video call with your loved ones simply with a click of an icon. Technology will keep being invented and screens will become foldable so when you take the 4 inch screen out of your pocket you can unfold it to a much larger device for your convenience. You will have a docking station at home and at work so once you are stationary for a while you can still have the convenience of a mouse, keyboard and a larger monitor by simply docking your tablet. The tablets have landed and found a nice little space in the consumer’s heart where they will stay for a long time. 45
The iPad has been dominant in the market since it launched mainly due to the fact that it was the only worthwhile tablet available. At the moment it has been overtaking by a multitude of other tablets in regards to specs, speed and features, but I am sure that Apple will soon have an announcement for us outlining the next generation of their iPad.
The Expert
The choice a consumer will have to make now and in future will be Stephan Lang years ago, Stephan began his career between a tablet (which 15 working for a freight forwarding business includes the iPad) or a called Calberson Overseas in Germany, which later lead him to change careers notebook. to manage previous employers networks Tablets will be great to keep up to date with your emails, read some documents you didn’t get to read at work or make small changes to existing work. Tablets will not replace the desktop, but they will fill the gap between your mobile and your desktop computer. If you are looking at doing some serious work on the road you won’t get around buying a notebook as it give you the capabilities to properly reply to your emails, write full fletched reports, create Excel spread sheets or PowerPoint presentations with ease.
and systems at the same company. In 2001, Stephan joined the German Navy, where he worked for two years. He then travelled around Australia for one year before commencing his employment with Amnesia Razorfish, as a webmaster and system administrator in 2004. In 2006 Stephan was promoted, and for two years looked after Amnesias’ hosting business and lead the IT team. In 2009 Amnesia Razorfish was acquired by the Publicis Groupe and his role changed to look after emerging technologies, such as touch screens, tablets, gesture based user interfaces and mobile, a role he still currently fulfils. www.amnesiarazorfish.com.au
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www.padacs.com
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ipad vs notebook: The mumpreneur’s perspective I own a Lenovo notebook (laptop), a Samsung netbook, a HP netbook and an Apple iPad. As a businesswoman, writer, marketer, mum and woman (ie when I have time out for me), each have their uses, but none are perfect for everything. I prefer the notebook for work, as a business woman and marketer. The keys are spaced better (although I wish it had a number pad for entering invoices and creating spreadsheets) and I can create better materials with graphics applications. The larger screen (15”) helps when I am dragging items around on MS Publisher and Word. When I need to connect a number of USB devices at one time, such as my camera, ipod, mouse and phone, the Notebook’s 4 usb ports are perfect And of course, the notebook is far better when I want to jump onto Facebook and play games. The others just don’t quite cut it on Bejewelled! It is bulky though, and I find myself deciding to undertake work tasks at a later date if it means I have to go and get the notebook from the office.. I adore the netbook when I am travelling to write my books. Although the memory is not as large as the notebook (and games playing is slower), it is perfect for opening on the plane and typing away. We also
use another netbook as our warehouse processing computer. It is small enough to fit on the warehouse desk and it only gets used for processing the courier pickups on the web. The downside of the netbook is that it doesn’t have a CD reader, so if I want to add to iTunes from a disk, or play a new game from disk, I have to bring the notebook home. I believe I can buy a cord to connect the netbook to another computer, so I must research that. The toy I am most in love with at the moment is the iPad. I love it because it fits in perfectly with my leisure time as a mum and a woman. We use it every day at home, to find information on the web and to find recipes for dinner. Someone will make a comment on something, and rather than argue over the facts, the iPad is whipped out and the answer is Googled in a couple of seconds. There is no wait time when it is fired up, and it sits on charge on the kitchen bench. We all fight over the app Solitaire City deluxe game too. I usually tuck myself into bed at night with the iPad app Kindle Reader and it doesn’t disturb my husband as the iPad is backlit (I can read with the lights out). When I finish a book, I simply download another one from the plentiful supply at Amazon for no more than A$5 and keep reading. All three are wirelessly connected to the home/business network, and they all have their unique advantages. I find my life very comfortable with all of them.
Danielle Storey I am a mum and business owner, I own The Cartridge Family with David, my husband. We have wonderful staff who help us. I also teach meditation and practice Reiki in my spare time. We are parents to 4 children, 24, 21, 19 and 10 (two of each) www.daniellestorey.com.au www.thecartridgefamily.com.au
Want to find success in business? Then you’ll need to know
The 7 secrets to STANDING OUT!
Mumpreneurs are entrepreneurs with a difference! In this book you’ll meet 7 successful mumpreneurs who share their secrets of success and how you too can create an amazing business that stands out from the crowd! The brand new book from Connect2mums featuring Peace Mitchell, Katy Garner, Antonette Golikidis, Johanna Baker-Dowdell, Catherine Oehlman, Vicki Frittmann & Susan Pearse
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Cool Tech Our pick of the hottest tech gadgets out now Motorola DEFY Defy is Motorola’s hero handset for the year. The handset is water, dust and scratch resistant so it’s perfect for Mumpreneurs with littlies! The slim, pocketable Android™ smartphone comes equipped with advanced web browsing capabilities, a 3.7” high-resolution touch screen display that provides edgeto-edge views of your favourite photos, videos and websites. It also has a large, resilient display that has outstanding protection against scratch damage The CrystalTalk™ PLUS feature vanquishes noisy environments with two microphones which intelligently filter out background noise and amplify your voice, an excellent feature for mums with young children at home. The DEFY is priced at RRP $600, available at Telstra stores nation wide. www.motorola.com
Motorola Milestone 2 The Android 2.2 device features several improvements on the original Milestone like a 1Ghz processor, allowing you to sift through content quickly, even when running multiple applications simultaneously or with a number of web browser pages open. The QWERTY keyboard, including larger keys and better tactility for easier typing, allows you to respond to e-mails or texts quickly. MILESTONE 2 also acts as a 3G mobile hotspot to connect up to five WiFi® enabled devices, enabling a mobile hub of productivity. Further enhancements to the original MILESTONE include 720p HD video capture and playback and Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1. 50
www.motorola.com www.connect2mums.com.au
Dell Streak *Storage capacity in GB - 1 user accessible MicroSD™ cardslot (16GB pre-installed) *Screen size in cm - 12.7 cm *Operating System- Android™ (multi-touch UI) *Browser - A range of browsers can be downloaded such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc. *Weight - 220g *Battery life - All day use *Price - Available on a plan with Optus beginning at a $19 cap with $18 per month handset costs. www.dell.com.au
The Dell Streak allows busy Mumpreneurs to surf, watch videos and stay connected via Facebook®, Twitter™, Gmail™, a phone call — however they like to stay connected to business, family, friends and contacts. Sitting in the sweet spot between an iPhone and iPad, the Streak offers both a full-function 3G phone with IM and SMS/text capabilities, and a brilliant 5-inch screen so less squinting and pinching to view the information you need. Front-andback cameras capture photos and videos on the fly with 5-MP resolution, and with thousands of Apps available, Mumpreneurs will be able to tailor the Dell Streak to their every need.
Dell Vostro V130
*Storage capacity in GB - 320GB *Screen size in cm - 33.8 cm WLED display *Operating System - Windows 7 Home premium 64 Bit *Browser - Preinstalled with Internet Explorer, but users can download a host of browsers they feel best suit their needs *Weight - 1.59kg *Battery life - 4-5 hours *Price - $899 www.dell.com.au
Your laptop is as much a part of your identity as your logo. Dell’s Vostro V130 offers a premium design that shows you mean business, as well as being a lightweight, full-featured machine that lets you get right down to work. The V130 provides big capabilities in a featherweight profile, providing all that a full sized-laptop offers in an incredibly thin and light design that’s made to travel in style. You’ll enjoy uncompromised mobile freedom with a high-definition 13.3-inch WLED display, high-speed Bluetooth® 3.0 and a full communications suite providing easy on-thego productivity making the V130 the perfect fit for every Mumpreneur. 51 www.connect2mums.com.au
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www.pipik.com.au
www.facebook.com/pages/PIY-Invites
www.ibambino.com.au
www.beautifulfairy.com.au
facebook.com/sherrycrochet.blanki
TRAVEL The Cairns Dress $145 www.KATIEPERRY.COM.AU
MUMPRENEUR STYLE
Gorgeous looks to take you from the school drop off to networking drinks 54 www.connect2mums.com.au
Ebony & Ivory
Go anywhere with the perennial favourite black & white Shoes of prey $300 www.shoesofprey.com
Dice – lava and pearl silver necklace $165.00 www.annettepiper.com Black onyx short drop sterling silver earrings $35.00 www.annettepiper.com
Interntional ipad case www.isgift.com
Zip purse by Rabbit and the Duck $26.00 www.eilujforyou.com.au
Catherine Manuell Airport Trolley set $400 www.catherinemanuelldesign.com.au
Annabelle Bag www.willowblu.com.au Ruby Wrap www.uimi.com.au
toffee iPad attaché $159.95 www.toffee.com.au www.connect2mums.com.au
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Natural Relaxed style with classic neutrals
Lola Wrap $85 www.uimi.com.au
Mia Bossi 'Maria' in Tangerine $400 www.adorematernity.com.au
VIA UNO Almond $129.90 www.viauno.com.au
Madeleine Thompson SK Cardigan $131.40 www.cardiganstore.com
DKNY $298 www.budgeteyewear.com.au
Tiny Tot Tug Proof速 Golden Earthy Delight Necklace $30.80 www.labellaonline.com
Tierra hurricane $20 www.dusk.com.au
LaDy's Nouveau Nursing Cover Top in Khaki Cotton: $59.99 www.ladyladuke.etsy.com www.connect2mums.com.au
Ripe Maternity Sheen Stripe Top - NZ$84 Available in M-XL www.mamamore.co.nz
STYLE
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STYLE
Bento Hannah blouse in 'bloom' $279.95 Bento Henry trousers in 'grey' $399.95 www.the-dreamery.com
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Bling
Hollywood Style, “Starburst Vintage Brooch” RRP $49.95 www.hollywoodstyle.com.au
Add a little sparkle for instant glamour
Ray-Ban $334
www.budgeteyewear.com.au
Allegra (vanilla) $155 www.willowblu.com.au Hemithea – peach freshwater pearl, mixed gemstone and 12ct gold $175.00 www.annettepiper.com
VIA UNO Stripe $179.90 www.viauno.com.au
Poppy earrings, $80 www.oyemodern.com
Silver Bling Heart USB CLEAR FULL BLING 4GB $35.00 www.madamcharli.com.au
Secrets ‘Vintage’ pendant $265 www.secrets-shhh.com Secrets ‘Metro’ ring $520 www.secrets-shhh.com
Peach pearl sterling silver stud earrings $30.00 www.annettepiper.com Lauren frill cardigan $59.95 www.cardiganstore.com
Lily Wrap $89 www.uimi.com.au
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Colour
Make work fun with quirky accessories and bright colours
Brooklyn (jade) $155 www.willowblu.com.au
Etiquette Document Clutch Lagoon Blue www.madamcharli.com.au
Weekend Bag TV $69.95 www.isgift.com Gimme Tunes Stiletto Speakers www.isgift.com
Zoey eBook Reader Case or Laptop Sleeve by Rainebrooke™ in Hot Pink $35.00 www.madamcharli.com.au
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Tiny Tot Tug Proof® range of jewellery from La Bella. Designed to be worn by mums safely around babies and toddlers. Includes teething and tug proof® necklaces www.labellaonline.com
SanCerre Magenta Gillie Bracelet - $45 www.sancerre.com.au
Mumpreneur Online e-book A step by step guide to starting a successful online business from home by Kylie Watson $21.95 www.mumpreneuronline.com
STYLE
Claret flower brooch $90 www.insyncdesign.com.au
Eco Cups $12.95 www.GiftsForMyGirl.com.au
Custom notepads from $8.00 www.NoteCouture.com.au
Fish skin peeptoes $300 www.shoesofprey.com
Square neck top w/ elbow length sleeves RP $79.95 Bengaline pant RRP $99.95 www.plusmternity.com.au Red crepe bolero $209 www.cardiganstore.com
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STYLE
Tracy Madden author of The Essential Ingredient - Love www.theessentialingredientlove.com
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Luxe
Melinda Maria Pod ring - $97 www.marleyrose.com.au
A touch of opulence to light up your world
Secrets ‘Love’ pendant in gold $240 www.secrets-shhh.com
Michael Kors iPhone Wallet Clutch RRP $99.95 www.apple.com.au/retail
The Essential Ingredient - Love by Tracy Madden $24.95 www.theessentialingredientlove.com
Citrine diamonds and 12ct gold fill earrings $95.00 www.annettepiper.com Allegra (vanilla) $155 www.willowblu.com.au
Kipu – freshwater pearl & jade sterling stretch bracelet $70.00 www.annettepiper.com
Crystal Business Card Holder $85 www.wildbling.com.au
VIA UNO Almond $139.90 www.viauno.com.au
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Share A New Story With Your Children Every Two Weeks! Are you a busy Mum who wants her children to love to read? Children who read well are more confident.
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Are you a solo entrepreneur who wants to grow your business but it’s just you and you’re maxed out?
Do you struggle to get things done in your day? Are you super busy keeping up with all the “busy” work in your business? And, do you have projects you’ve been dying to implement but can’t find the time? Take back control over your life, reduce feelings of overwhelm and finally set your business on a growth path. Listen to the recording of this free call with Alycia Edgar where you can discover “How to Make You and Your business More Effective to Drive Profits” and also learn about her new program www.bizfficiency.com 65
Mapping your
PR for 2011!
Johanna Baker-Dowdell Strawberry Communications
If you set yourself the goals to generate the calendar and then schedule a media some great publicity for your business release to announce it is happening. and be more organised this year, then this article will work for you. Features The perfect way to stay on track with your promotional goals is to sit down and plan what you want to say, and when, at the beginning of the year. And by this I mean putting together a PR calendar that will give your business marketing some structure and is something you can keep referring back to throughout the year. Try to organise something every month to keep your business in the limelight.
Regular PR
So grab a coffee and your 2011 calendar and mark all you regular promotional items on it. This would include your newsletter, as well as any regular blogs or columns you write, seasonal promotions, networking events, Connect2Mums chats and your social media strategy.
Media releases
Next look at when you are planning to make a bit of fuss in your business. Are you launching a new product or service? Are you planning a new website or blog? Will you be involved in a fundraiser? Mark the dates of all the significant events on
Research all the media outlets you want to target and see if they have a features list on their website. If not, send an email to the editor or features editor and ask for a copy. Make a wish list of all the features you want your business to appear in and add those to the calendar, ensuring you mark the editorial deadline date in so you don’t miss your chance.
One-off opportunities
Now think about when you can fit in some opportunities like speaking at a business event, attending a conference or workshop and include any awards programs you plan to make a submission for.
Articles and blogs
By now your calendar should be starting to fill up nicely, showing you all the opportunities you have throughout 2011 to promote your business. Look at where the gaps are and slot in a few articles or guest blogs on topics where you can show off your expertise. Remember you will need to pitch these ideas to media
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Publicity
“Planning ahead means you are more likely to get greater coverage for your business and the opportunities will be more regular, giving your customers a constant flow of information about your business.
outlets and bloggers beforehand, so your business and the opportunities will include these pitches in your calendar. be more regular, giving your customers a constant flow of information about your If you now look at the year ahead, your business. If a great opportunity crops business PR plan is looking great and it has up at the last minute, you will probably been planned! This means you can look at already have something you can use what aspect of publicity you need to get for publicity because you are so well done at the beginning of each month and prepared, but if you don’t your forward add it to your workload. plan means you should be able to slot it into your PR calendar. Planning ahead like this means you are more likely to get greater coverage for
Johanna Baker-Dowdell Johanna Baker-Dowdell owns and runs Strawberry Communications, a writing and public relations service that generates amazing publicity. Strawberry Communications is based in Launceston and was launched in 2007. Johanna is also a freelance journalist and blogger. For more information email johanna@strawberrycommunications. com.au or log on to www.strawberrycommunications.com.au
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Be Bold & Set
Big Goals Alycia Edgar Bookzkeeper
you’ve worked out what you want This is your year; the Once to achieve, it’s time to think about how year you will really shine that will happen. Break each bold goal down into the tasks you need to do. in business. To make So to increase sales do you need to a special promotion, increase your sure that happens you hold marketing efforts or take part in a joint Some tasks might be too big as need to set yourself venture? one, so break it down further into mini some really bold goals. chunks. The key here is to make it easy to actually do these tasks so you can And when I say bold, I achieve your bold goals! mean stretch-yourself Now you have a goals. definitive list of Start by setting 3-4 bold business and personal goals for the next 30, 60 and actionable tasks add 90 days. Don’t just say you’d like to some time frames to increase sales in your business or get fitter. Be specific. Say how many more ensure you make them sales you want to achieve over what time period and how many times you will happen within your walk each week and for how long. When writing these goals don’t think about how 30-, 60- and 90-day you will achieve them, just that you want to achieve them. targets. 68 www.connect2mums.com.au
Also think about which tasks, if any, you can delegate to others. This is a strategy that will really help you succeed in business because it lessens the overwhelm you feel at having too much to do yourself. So your new three months of business and personal goals have been set out before you. Now do it for six months, then nine months and a year. Use the same strategy to break down the goals into smaller tasks and you’ve got yourself a plan for the year ahead to really make it big in business! Congratulate yourself, because that sort of planning is what can be the difference between an OK year and a really spectacular year. Now, you’re not quite finished yet. While you’re in planning mode, think about your three-year vision for your business. You’ve already worked out the first year following the steps above, so you’re a third of the way!
Think of your top 3-4 bold business goals for years 1, 2 and 3 and then break each year up into quarters, filling in when you want to achieve each of the goals outlined.
Again, work out the tasks you need to do to make these goals happen and slot them into the 30-, 60- and 90-day sections for each quarter. Keep going until you have business tasks listed for the next three years, making sure the goals you list will stretch you enough that you really feel you have achieved something at the end of that time. You’ll feel a great sense of empowerment when you see the stepping stones to business success mapped out. Watch out world!
Alycia Edgar Alycia Edgar is a fully qualified accountant, systems specialist and small business owner who developed Bookzkeeper, an accounting solution for small businesses and their accountants, ensuring both receive the information needed to satisfy tax requirements in a timely way. For more information about Bookzkeeper and Alycia visit www.bookzkeeper.com.au and www.numbersarelife.com
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How the New Australian Consumers Law
Will Affect Your Business Larissa Glub Mumpreneur Law
On January 1, 2011, a new law called the Australian Consumers Law (ACL) came into force. The ACL replaces 20 existing State, Territory and Commonwealth laws and is designed to make it much clearer for businesses to understand their obligations, and for consumers to understand their legal rights, in relation to the sale and purchase of goods or services.
• •
• •
consumer rights when buying goods and services, which replaces existing laws on conditions and warranties; a new national product safety law and enforcement system; a new national law for unsolicited consumer agreements, which replaces existing State and Territory laws on door-to-door sales and other direct marketing; simple national rules for lay-by agreements; and new penalties, enforcement powers and consumer redress.
At its heart, the ACL is designed to protect consumers who purchase goods and services from businesses. The ACL will apply nationally, in all States and Territories, and – importantly – to all Australian businesses. The ACL includes: • a new national unfair contract terms law covering standard form contracts; • a new national law guaranteeing 72 www.connect2mums.com.au
What does the ACL mean for consumers?
The ACL is a very lengthy document but, put simply, it sets out the rights that consumers have when they buy goods and services. Using easy to understand language (rather than some of the more complex legal terms found in the prior legislation), the ACL has been drafted with the purpose of clarifying the rights consumers have when they buy goods or services (such as product warranties, for example). Furthermore, because the same rules now apply across all of Australia, consumers now have a clearer, more straightforward way to enforce their rights.
What does the ACL mean for business owners? As of 1 January 2011, every Australian business will have the same rights and responsibilities under the ACL.
All businesses are required to meet general standards of business conduct, as well as comply with specific protections for consumers against unfair business practices.
LAW
These include: • ensuring that their standard form contracts do not contain any “unfair terms”; • honouring consumer guarantees; • ensuring the safety of products and services; and • complying with rules on layby agreements and other sales practices, including those on prices, and consumer information. For example, businesses must not make false, misleading or deceptive claims about their product or service. From the business owner’s perspective, the ACL will reduce time and effort spent on understanding numerous State and Territory laws. One law for all of Australia no matter where in Australia a business is located - will make it easier for businesses to be aware of their customer’s rights and to comply with the new law. Free guides to understanding the ACL can be ordered directly from the ACCC, ASIC and the State and Territory consumer protection agencies. These guides provide general information on the key elements of the ACL and offer some examples. For further information and guidance, you may like to visit www. consumerlaw.gov.au
Larissa Glubb Larissa is a mum to 2 boys and the owner of Latitude South, Prior to establishing Latitude South, Larissa gained over 15 years international experience as an lawyer for multi-national companies such as Vodafone Pacific and Mobil Oil. Having set up her own business, Larissa knows the challenges many other mumpreneurs face. Luckily, her legal skills and knowledge meant that she knew which documents and agreements were needed for her business and how to draft them and protect herself. Larissa would love to pass on this knowledge to help other mumpreneurs protect and grow their business! Visit Larissa at www.mumpreneurlaw.com
www.connect2mums.com.au
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Keeping it
Fresh
Greg Provians Rusty Mango Design A website says a lot about a business. As a regular user of the internet, if I see a poorly designed site, it makes me question the ethics of the business. If the content of a site is exactly the same day after day, month after month and even year after year, I sometimes wonder if the organisation is still open. And I probably would not visit that site again. Return visitors are very important to a successful website. It is a sure sign that people are interested in what the site is selling or the information that is being provided. If the content of the site is of high quality too, visitors will refer or link others to the site boosting site numbers even further. As they say “Content is KING”. What you do as a site owner to keep your site fresh with new content?
Add a Blog to your our site if you have the time to update it and something worth saying. DO –
My new years resolution is to add new content to my blog every month. I simply don’t have the time to commit to more frequent updates but this also means I have more time to develop blog ideas.
Make sure your content sticks to a theme relevant to your business. DO –
If you run an IT business include reviews of software, your latest 74 www.connect2mums.com.au
WEBSITE specials and user tips. Don’t blog about your Persian cat or your fishing trip to the reef.
Link to other sites that would benefit visitors and their relationship with your business or organisation. DO –
DO – Get a guest blogger for your site occasionally.
Add an image gallery for your clients. One of my DO –
calendar with one of your photos to download and print. DO – Send out emails to your mailing list to inform of site updates (watch the spam laws though!). DO NOT – Copy and paste content from other sites and pretend that it is your own. DO NOT – Use automated content creation unless it is reliable and links seamlessly with your site (advertisements for other businesses should only appear if you receive something in return). Think of your website like a physical shop – you want people to return again and again. They will do this if there is something worth returning for.
customers requested an image gallery on his site where he displays photos of the various business cars that use his motel.
Give away a freebie or discount voucher. If DO –
you are a photographer, have a monthly
Greg Provians
After designing his first website in 1999 to display family photos, Greg Provians was instantly hooked on web design. Now running his own business, Rusty Mango Design, Greg creates websites for all manner of businesses and organisations. His clients include shops, historians, musicians, motels, farmers, boat builders and even a Froggery! Being a “Dadpreneur” himself, Greg would to help others seeking to establish themselves effectively on the internet. Trained in graphical design, Greg can help with page design and layout tips as well as provide information on Content Management, E-Commerce and creating valuable site content. visit Greg at www.rustymangodesign.com.au 75 www.connect2mums.com.au
Versatile style
Kylie of La Bella Creations’ office features a large worktable which can be used for her laptop or for designing.
Displays for your work help keep things organised and provide inspiration
Ho
Ins
Mumprene
A space where children and mums can be together works well
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ome Office
spiration
eurs share where they magic magic happen Laptops mean your office can be wherever you need it to be
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HOME OFFICE INSPIRATION Sleek & chic
Monique Filer and Danielle Michaels of B.Box’s office features custom built cupboards and a light and airy feel.
Display space for awards and certificates
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Big windows for plenty of natural light
Desk nook with overhead lighting
A compact and tidy play area for littlies
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HOME OFFICE INSPIRATION
Uplifting artwork adds to the ambience A rest area for kids (and mums!)
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All organised
Helen Butler of Clutter Rescue’s office features beautiful home touches for a relaxed and inviting mood.
Notes, plans and reminders at eye level keep you on track
Indoor plants are great for bringing nature into your workspace
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HOME OFFICE INSPIRATION
Creative Space
Samantha Leah of Beautiful Fairy’s office combines organisation with inspiration.
Clever USB storage keeps clients files organised and easy to find
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Vision board right next to the desk
Beautiful pictures of the children adorn the walls
Labelled and organised files make everything easier to find
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HOME OFFICE INSPIRATION
Writing on the wall Dy Prosser of Willow Blu’s office simply stunning.
The jeans Dy made for Genes For Jeans day & won 1st prize at an event held for local businesses.
Storage tubs keep everything neat and dust-free
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Create high impact with your brand name on the wall
An extra long table with lots of space for designing
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We Love Gorgeous office accessories to keep you feeling fresh, chic and inspired at work!
Dell Notebook
www.dell.com.au
Strawberry Jam Designs Pillow
www.sjdesigns.com.au
Desk Lamp
www.Freedom.com.au
Butler Armless Armchair
www.freedom.com.au
Amy Shaw home office bookshelf $70
www.thewallstickercompany.com.au
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Alive Desk from Ikea
www.ikea.com/au/
Desk Tray from Freedom
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finch note book
www.thewhiteshed.com.au Blue Geometric Shade and white base moroccon pouffe
www.adaanddarcy.com.au
www.adaanddarcy.com.au www.connect2mums.com.au
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Using Tools,
Web 2.0
Social Media and
Mobile Learning for your Business
Megan Iemma Mobile Learning Specialist As an m-Learning and e-Learning advisor/ facilitator/coach I like to find as many ‘free’ tools and apps that can be used for your business. Being an educator, I am passionate about showing people there are great tools available that don’t need to be downloaded or even cost money.
Mind mapping (brainstorming) is a great way to organise your thoughts/ideas/plans for your business. ‘Webspiration’, ‘bubbl.us’ and ‘Exploratree’ are great examples of online mind mapping tools.
Collaborative tools are essential when working with new clients or using your (PLN) Personal Learning Network to develop your products and services. Some of these tools include Google Docs (which requires you to set up a free gmail account). With this application, you can start a discussion and others can contribute to word documents, spreadsheets and surveys.
Other tools include “Team Viewer” which enables you to remotely view another person’s computer (which means you can share ideas and view documents). Cloud computing is becoming more Often you can export, print, save and popular as businesses store their share these maps and then use them in information online. Some of these tools word documents. include Dropbox, YouSendit where you can access or send large files rather than Note-taking resources such as Evernote doing it via email. and SimplyBox can be integrated with your smart phone and desktop. It’s a great There are also sites where you can convert tool to use when in meetings especially various files via the Internet and these are as there are different formats you can use then emailed or stored for you. ‘Zamzar’, such as audio recordings, images and ‘Cometdocs’ and ‘PDFundoonline’ are text. three sites that can convert various media 88 file types. www.connect2mums.com.au
WEB I use ‘Twitter’ as a global tool for learning new skills, gaining advice and sharing knowledge. It’s most beneficial when you can find a #topic that is relevant to your business and follow individuals who appear in that topic.
of apps (applications) that can assist you in developing your productivity, planning and scheduling of tasks for your business.
LinkedIn is a great tool for building up your network of contacts for business whether it be for personal or professional use. You can create groups based around your business and then share it via social networks to promote your brand. Using a mobile device in your business whether it is a smart phone, Android Device or iPhone is becoming much more a part of daily life. There are a lot
These sites are just a recommendation to assist you in your business whether it is providing a service or selling a product. (Most of these sites come from cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com)
Some of the applications can link with the Google Apps (this applies for both Android Smartphones and iPhones).
A great site to check out for apps is ‘Appolicious’ which is a search engine for Or alternatively, you can create your own applications. I recommend using ‘Diigo’ #topic and gain new contacts/friends and or ‘Delicious’ to bookmark your websites share knowledge and ideas about your (and you can also mark these sites as private). service or product.
Megan Iemma 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 Visit Megan at meganaiemma.edublogs.org 89 www.connect2mums.com.au
Time Management
Organising where to start in 101 2011 Helen Butler Clutter Rescue
It always seems that the focus after Christmas is New Years Resolutions, followed very closely by back-to-school chaos. Most of us tend to make resolutions of some sort. The problem is that quite often there is no clear plan – no steps on how to actually achieve them! With this in mind, I want you to work toward achieving two goals in the first three months of 2011.
Goal 1: Get your wardrobe sorted Goal 2: Get your school routine under control Why these two goals? Because these are the greatest problem areas that my clients deal with at this time of year. Achieve these goals it will have an enormous impact on you throughout 2011.
Picture this: Your children have just started school. Most of January was dedicated to buying school uniforms, shoes, back packs, book packs, contact, book labels, getting haircuts, working out lunch box food that won’t wilt in the heat – as well as trying to keep the kids entertained! Because all of your energy has been focused on this you haven’t once thought about your family’s day-to-day school routine – or what you’re going to wear! As long as the kids are sorted everything should be fine. Right? Wrong. Give yourself permission to look and feel great and to create some order in your home. You know that you deserve to look good, have your wardrobe sorted, all of those clothes that don’t fit or don’t suit you removed from your cupboard. You know that you deserve to have the kids helpwith the school routine, pack their bag, help with lunches, do homework – all without you continually asking them to do so.
And even better - I’m going to give you the plan to achieve both of them! 90 www.connect2mums.com.au
So let’s make it happen.
Customise your wardrobe to get the most out of the space you’ve got.
Start with these strategies to get your wardrobe sorted.
Store out of season clothingout of sight.
Realise that if you work with your organising style your wardrobe will work for you, not against you.
Deal with sentimental items. Pass on items you don’t need to someone who can use it.
Analyse your lifestyle to know what should stay – or go – from your wardrobe. www.connect2mums.com.au
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Time Management So what about that school routine?
Start the day calmly. Spend time doing something you enjoy before busy-ness descends!
Get your children involved in planning Give yourself enough time to get out their before and after school routine. of the door. Work backwards from the Being involved creates ownership. time you need to leave, know what needs to be done and get everyone up Expect your children to help. Give and ready in time. them age appropriate jobs and remind them gently if it isn’t done. Soon it will Have a central location for all afterbecome part of their normal routine. school gear, including bags, lunch boxes and uniforms.
Helen Butler
Helen is an Accredited Expert Professional Organiser who is the Director of Clutter Rescue (meganaiemma.edublogs.org) and Organise Your Site (www.organiseyoursite.com.au). She is also the manager, director and social coordinator of her household, husband Scott and five year old son Toby.
www.clutterrescue.com.au
ph 1300 883 731 www.betterthanflowers.com.au
Mumpreneurs Shopping Directory Find everything you need for you and your family! What I wish I knew
Before I became a Mother By Peace Mitchell & Katy Garner
Womens Accessories
Books
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save time
SHOP online
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Gorgeous children’s wear
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Business Health
Maintaining a
Healthy Susan Pearse Mind Gardener
Business
94 www.connect2mums.com.au
Maintaining a healthy business is similar to maintaining a healthy garden. It requires constant attention and care. The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to step back and take a look at your business and identify your goals for the year. There are many pitfalls in the goal setting process. Consider the following couple of tips for goal setting success!
Tip 1 Set goals by stepping back from your business In business, sometimes we get too caught with a particular “flower” or “weed” to step back and see the bigger picture. We become the garden instead of being the gardener! It is important that you are in the right space for goal setting. Go somewhere that is out of your normal “work environment” where you can be creative. Ask yourself the following questions: • WHY is my business here? • If I was to remove all constraints or limitations on my thinking, what could my business look like in the future? • What are five things I can achieve this year that will get me significantly closer to that overall picture? • Where are the weeds in my business at the moment?
• What are the elements with a high potential to flourish that I need to nuture?
Tip 2 Include goals for cultivating YOUR Business Brain The majority of business problems are due to the mindsets adopted by business owners and how these drove their decision-making. Ensure you include goals on how you will cultivate a business brain and how to avoid the inevitable pitfalls that will lie in your path.
Cultivating a Business Brain • Build a habit of mindfulness by including regular practice of simple exercises that maintain a clear mind. Mindfulness is about being clear, present and focused.
• Use your strengths to achieve more. While it is important to address weaknesses, don’t dwell on them. Just set a plan and keep moving forward by using your strengths to help you.
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Business Health • Set up some habits that unlock your creative thinking. Do something every week that makes you feel open, free and alive!
Avoiding Mindset Pitfalls Be aware of your mindset traps that don’t allow you to operate at your best and take steps to ensure they do not impact on your thinking. Traps include: • Doubting yourself – there is much business advice out there. Be curious and open to learning, but ensure your inner voice is not blocked out. Too many people say “I knew I shouldn’t have done that!” • Complacency – your brain will naturally slip into patterns and habits, responding in the same way as you have in the past. Wake with fresh eyes every day. • Hesitation – don’t wait until all the
conditions are perfect and everything is clear! That time never comes. Business is an experiment, so just try something and see what happens.
Your business is a living system (like a garden). The environment that your business operates within is constantly changing. It is important for you to allow it to evolve and adapt to the world as it changes around you. You can’t control many of the external elements of your business environment. The only thing you can really control is your own mind. Keep your mind clear so you can see the changes in the environment and adapt your goals accordingly. Continually ask yourself: “I am the gardener of my business. What does it need?”
Susan Pearse Author Susan Pearse is evangelical about improving minds – and not just her own. The Brisbane-based author is one of a small number of experts bringing the science of neuroplasticity – literally changing the way you think – to Australia. Through her latest joint entrepreneurial endeavor, Mind Gardener®, Susan translates this science into a series of step-by-step guides designed to help people through various stages of their lives.
www.mindgardener.com
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Business Brains Program
“The mind has exactly the same power as the hands; not merely to grasp the world, but to change it.”
Colin Wilson, Author of “The Outsider”
The business world is based on rational thinking…or so you thought! Evidence shows that biases, preferences and strange mindsets litter our decision-making and mostly go unrecognised. Our Business Brains Program is designed to take you on a journey of discovery. Understand how your mindsets are helping or hindering your business success. Learn how to translate the emerging research on the brain into practical solutions that transform your business. Take steps that will clarify your direction and support your decision-making.
Sign up for this 3 month electronic program starting on 1 March 2011
You get a tailored fact sheet every week for 12 weeks. Your fact sheets contain: • Research and concepts about the brain and business that offer a fresh perspective on achieving success with purpose. • Practical actions that will optimise positive habits of mind and build the right momentum for the healthy evolution of your business. You can email us any time to receive specific advice and guidance on your own business challenges. And your fact sheets form a comprehensive workbook that will continue to guide you into the future.
This whole program for just $55 (GST incl)!! 10% discount now for C2M members Program commences 1 March 2011 and fact Sheets arrive in your inbox every Tuesday More information and register at www.businessbrains.com.au
“I really enjoyed the Business Brains program. I am now taking time to step back more from the business, analyse how it’s going (and not going!) and reflect on what I want both personally and professionally. Quite cathartic really. I feel like I’ve slowed down a little but am making bigger headway in my businesses because of it.” Helen Butler, Clutter Rescue
Don’t be amongst the 1/3 of businesses that fail in the first 2 years or 2/3 of businesses that fail by year 4. Give yourself and your business some fresh attention with this program, designed especially for your small business. Brought to you by Mind Gardener®, a company with over 10 years experience motivating leaders to think differently and thrive.
www.businessbrains.com.au
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Networking to grow your business Simone Outerridge - Outer Edge Business Coach
98 www.connect2mums.com.au
Business owners often ask me; “how do I get my new business up and running with little or no cashflow”?
Here are 10 simple rules to good networking:
The answer is always the same; Network, Network, Network!
1. Plan & be prepared
Put simply is about meeting people, making connections and establishing rapport to grow your circle of influence & help grow your business. People we can do business with or who will do business with us, or refer people who will do business with us. Creating & nurturing your network is fundamental to business success. It’s one of the best forms of money advertising money can’t buy! Of course networking is a 2 way street, you must also be willing to give back and not just take. American author, Zig Ziglar once said, “You can get whatever you want if you help enough people get whatever they want” To network well takes time and practice, but the best way to practice is to get out there and do it!
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Work out who will be at the networking event. Have your 30-second commercial ready. This will detail what you do & how you can help others ALWAYS carry plenty of business cards with you. There is nothing more embarrassing than running out of business cards. It will also mean you have plenty of cards to hand out if you need to network on the fly. Work out what your objectives are. This will help you to stay focussed.
2. Act like a host not a guest •
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•
Be the first to introduce yourself & others you may know, don’t wait for people to come up to you. If you are a regular at an event, make sure you make the new people feel welcome. Say the person’s name at least twice. It will help you to remember it and people love hearing their own name!
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3. Listen and ask questions •
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Don’t give out information about yourself too soon. After you have given your 5-10 second introduction, “Hi I’m Anne and I’m an accountant” ask questions about the other person. That way you will have gathered enough information to decide if, when it’s your turn to speak, you establish rapport & find common ground or arouse interest in your product/ service. If you think the person you are speaking to is a potential client/ customer find some common ground outside of business. People like to buy from others they feel connected with.
4. Manage your networking time •
• • •
Spend 25% of your time strengthening your existing relationships Spend 75% of your time meeting new people Be professional and polite Limit the time you spend with any business. Your goal is to meet as many people as possible
5. Record information about those that you meet •
Write all pertinent information on the back of the business card you’ve received. You will need to refer to this when you follow up with the person.
Store the information on a database and make notes about that person
6. Follow up
• Always follow up & acknowledge the people you meet. • Send an email or even a card (something rarely done in this digital age, but could help you be remembered) • If you have organised a time to call someone, make sure you stick to it.
7. Never try to sell or close a deal while networking •
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Establish rapport, build confidence & get an appointment to catch up for an in depth discussion. Everyone wants to sell at networking events. Sometimes you need to be the buyer in order to get a chance to be the seller.
8. Eat early, don’t drink •
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It’s hard to mingle & eat. Sample the buffet or canapés when you first arrive so that you are free to shake hands & you don’t run the risk of showering your new contact with food! There is a distinct advantage to being the sober one when others have had a few!
9. Be Happy, positive, enthusiastic & have fun •
People want to be with others who are happy. No one wants to be
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NETWORK •
with a whinger, they would rather be with a winner! Networking is not like having your legs waxed so have fun & be funny!!
10. NEVER give up
• Keep practicing. If you don’t get the number of contacts you had hoped for, that’s ok just take yourself along to the next event. Practice makes perfect!
Some of us love networking so much that it’s tempting to go to all the events, but you run the risk of putting on a few kilos and having no time to do other work ON your business. So be selective about the events you will attend, research them to see if they fit your type of business, arm yourself with the above tips and go get ‘em! “But what about online, social networking” I hear you ask!! Don’t worry I haven’t forgotten about you, the tactics are a little different to face-to-face networking. More on that next month.
Simone Outteridge Simone has rounded business experience having operated an online business on one end of the scale and working in senior sales positions at a global multinational company on the other end of the scale! Simone is passionate about helping small business owners achieve their dreams. Being a wife & mum to her 17 month old son, she understands the challenges of juggling family & business life.
www.facebook.com/outeredgecoach
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What I wish I knew before I became a
mumpreneur
Leanne Anderson www.getawayguru.com.au What do you wish you knew before you were a mumpreneur? I wish I knew about all the great services there are to help women (and mums) launch their businesses. Business Enterprise Centres and the range of networking events that run for women are all fantastic sources of information and inspiration. There are workshops to help you research and plan your business idea, workshops and coaches to help get you started and to work out the best business model and you need to avail yourself of these. You won’t know everything you need to, but if you ask, then there is someone who will know someone or someone who can help.
What do you love about being in business? Getaway Guru is a combination of my passion and expertise. I get excited when we get new properties to list; when we get enquiries on properties and when I know we’re helping Australians find that dream
cottage or villa in Italy or France for that holiday of a lifetime. I’m passionate about travel and I want Australian travellers (including families) to know that there is good quality, affordable and safe ways of booking accommodation that suits your family.
What advice would you give other mums thinking about starting a business? Avoid analysis paralysis. Don’t get bogged down just talking about and researching your idea. You’ll continually search for that piece of information or a sign that gives you the indication that your business will be a success. In doing so, you freeze, second guess yourself and maybe eventually talk yourself out of it. My advice would be to trust your instincts (and the hours, weeks and months of research and analysis that you will do). Take a calculated risk. It doesn’t have to be perfect to take it to market, just get it to the market and then refine and improve based on practice, insights and customer and client feedback.
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What I wish I knew before I became a
mumpreneur
Claudia Poppe www.mueslimixer.com.au What was the inspiration behind your business? Firstly my passion about muesli, breakfast and of course food in general. Me and my husband are originally from Germany and there the idea of customised muesli is working quite well. As we are now living in Australia we thought that the foodie loving Australians are missing out on such a great concept and as we were planning to have kids we thought that would be a fantastic business model for me to do.
What do you wish you knew before you were a mumpreneur? I wish I knew before how time consuming it is to look after a baby. It is really a challenge to come from a full time job to being home. I was home to set up the business from the beginning of 2010 and then our daughter was born in August. So it was a sudden change to be all by myself to being a mum. Most of the time I was sitting there with your to do list (gotta love them) and so used to getting them done but now at the end of the day sometimes
not even half the things are crossed off. That was and is really frustrating for me
What do you love about being in business? I love the fact that I can work from home around our daughter and look after the family and at the same time I feel that I am able to do something else besides being a mum. To make use of my existing business capabilities and to learn and discover everyday something new that I can then use to improve our business.
What advice would you give other mums thinking about starting a business? Think about it carefully and of course get someone to support you- your partner or family. Because there will be days were you think it is not worth it and nothing works out as planned. In these moments you need someone to cheer you up and keeps pointing out the things that you have achieved and reminds you that your top priority is still your kids not the business. Good luck! 103
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What I wish I knew before I became a
mumpreneur
Leisa Dent
www.alexandradesign.com.au What was the inspiration behind your business?
What do you love about being in business?
Working as a graphic designer in the printing industry I noticed a lack of small business clients due to high prices, and wanted to make professional design services and quality printing more affordable, and therefore more accessible to the typical family businesses.
When I started out I thought being selfemployed would mean I can work to my own schedule. As it turns out, it means I can work to my childrens schedule, and that’s just fine. I never have to say “No” to fruit duty and kinder, helping with reading at school or attending special days like swimming sports. I work around all that, and can’t imagine being tied to a desk all day while my kids go about their lives separately.
What do you wish you knew before you were a mumpreneur? That we really can’t do it all. Supermums we may be, but there are tasks we need to delegate or outsource, and others we just need to forget about altogether. It’s about prioritizing so we don’t waste precious time on anything we don’t need to do.
What advice would you give other mums thinking about starting a business? Be prepared for quiet times by putting some funds aside when you’re busy. So when those quiet times come, you can enjoy some bonus family time instead of frantically digging up work to cover the bills.
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What I wish I knew before I became a
mumpreneur
Julia Dickenson www.oradess.com What was the inspiration behind your business?
What do you love about being in business?
I wanted to create a space where women could feel empowered by understanding the subtle art of make-up and beauty in a practical, meaningful and safe way. For so many years women would say they wished they could make themselves look the way I did after a make-up session. I saw how it picked up their confidence instantly and they had a greater sense of themselves. I wanted to be able to share the knowledge and experiences that I had gained in over 20 years in the beauty industry so they could feel better about themselves.
The lessons I keep learning. Someone once said to me that there was no greater self development course than starting your own business and they were absolutely right! I am grateful for the personal challenges I have faced and overcome – it is completely rewarding. I also get to show my children that anything is possible if you dare to dream.
What do you wish you knew before you were a mumpreneur? Just how difficult it would be to keep the lines of work and family from blurring so much. Sometimes it feels as if there is no line at all. When the buck stops with you, you can’t just leave it until later and this is sometimes at the family’s expense. I am getting better at it now that my last one has started school I have a lot more ‘guilt free’ time to work.
What advice would you give other mums thinking about starting a business? This is a tricky one, because even the not so good bits are worth going through for the lessons you will learn. I don’t think anyone can teach you this stuff completely. My advice is to surround yourself with likeminded people who will inspire you, encourage you and pick you up when you are feeling down.
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BE ORGANISED
making small spaces work for you INCOMING importing essentials you need to know WORK-LIFE BALANCE
& home-based business SOCIAL MEDIA
twitter vs facebook ITS EASY BEING GREEN
why green is the new black
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