WW:: Why I started Market Mommy

Baby Fair Success

Hi Everyone! I'm proud to say that the Baby Fair this past weekend was a success! It was BUSY even though it was a little dreary outside. I'm happy to say that I generated a lot of interest in Announcements Galore {especially thanks to our scratch off discount cards from Karen at MyScratchOffLabels}! And, the women LOVED the basket donated by Market Mommy and all of you wonderful mom entrepreneurs who contributed.

The winner of the basket was Amber S. and the winner of the $50 gift certifciate was Kelsey M. Both are great prizes, but Amber is really getting a treat! Below are all the great items included in the basket and their generous donors. Please be sure to check them out, they are all fabulous!

Baby Fair Prize Basket Included::

Gift Card to from Candi at Care4Hire

Necklace and Earrings from Erica at The Jewelry Stylist

'So You Want to be a Work at Home Mom?' From Jill at CWAHM

My First Photo Album Laura at Board Book Albums

Two Aprons and Tea Towels from Michelle at Cupcake Swirl

Baby’s First Journal from Lindsay at Glow Baby

Onesie from Robin at Grandma's Shoppe

Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! Book Series from Stacey at Cedar Valley Publishing

Scratch Off Baby Shower Games from Karen at My Scratch Off Labels

Bag and Organic Bath Mitt from Jules at AmoliaMae

Notebook from Market Mommy :o)

Thanks again everyone!!

Baby Fair Eve:: Tradeshow Tips

It’s finally Friday and tomorrow is the big Baby Fair that I am participating in. It seems like I’ve been preparing for the fair for years when it’s actually only been a few months. It should be a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to it. Stay tuned because next week I plan to post details about all the great mom entrepreneurs who donated prizes for my gift basket and hopefully some photos too!

Anyway, since it’s the eve of the Baby Fair, I thought I’d offer a few tips for participating in such events. Whether you are attending a craft fair, baby fair, tradeshow or another event, all of these things apply.

• Choose the right fair:: First and foremost you need to make sure you are attending a relevant event. If you sell animal products, don’t attend a tradeshow for beauty companies, etc. A lot of effort and money can go into participating in an event, so make sure you do your research upfront and ensure it’s a good place for you to be.
• Follow the rules:: All shows and fairs will have their own set of guidelines, restrictions, requirements, policies and so on. Make sure you read them and do what they ask. You don’t want to be booted at the last minute for failure to comply.
• Signage:: This is critical! You want everyone walking through the doors to know who you are and why you are there. Your entire display is important, but eye catching and descriptive signage will go a long way in attracting people to your booth. {As always, be sure everything coordinates with your branding and company logo!}
• Takeaway:: Make sure you have something that visitors can take away with them. Whether it be a small sample, a promotional item, a business card or a coupon, they need to walk away with something concrete. Or, sad to say, they probably will never remember to give you a second thought, even if they initially wanted to.
• Giveaway:: Raffling off a product or gift certificate is always a sure way to generate excitement and interest in your booth. And, since you’ve already done your research, you know that the audience is appropriate :D Plus, this is a great tool to grow your mailing list. If they are interested in winning your product, they most likely will be interested in receiving your updates, coupons, etc.
• Touch and feel:: Tradeshows and fairs are a great opportunity to showcase your products up close and in person. So, make sure you have plenty of them! Potential customers want to see, touch and feel what you have to offer. This is literally the best way to show off your quality and craftsmanship.

Here’s to a great weekend!!

Business Cards:: A critical marketing piece

What do you consider your most important piece of marketing material? Your catalog? Your packaging? Your advertisements? Your fliers? How about your business card? Have you considered how important that little card is to your image?

Often, your business card is the first impression of your company and yourself. Are you proud of what you are handing out? Will potential customers and business partners take you seriously when they first see your cards? Business cards are probably the cheapest marketing materials you’ll ever purchase.

Sometimes, I’m sure; you distribute cards to people without even meeting them first. That makes your business cards even more critical. Are they attractively designed? Do they contain all of the information that they should? In addition to your name and title, you want to include ALL of your contact information. Phone numbers, e-mail addresses and websites are all important. Potential customers need to know how to find you.

Usually, there is even enough room for a coupon code or special promotion. That gives your audience an even better reason to keep a hold of your card.

Don’t have business cards yet? Need to update your current ones? Market Mommy can help. For a mere $25 we can design a great card for you that incorporates your brand and all the critical pieces of information. We can also provide printing services. Contact us today to see how we can help create an attractive, professional business card for you.

Holiday Gift Guide for Mom Business Owners!

I am so excited to announce the first annual Holiday Gift Guide at Market Mommy! The 2009 gift guide is sure to be the best around because it will feature the best mom entrepreneurs! For a full list of details and to reserve your spot, click here. Listings start at just $5 so there is NO reason not to secure yours today!

This is a great way to get additional exposure for your products! We are planning a big media announcement as well as additional advertsising, so we are anticipating heavy traffic! Where else can you get three months of advertising for only $5? Feel free to contact us with questions!

Mommy Monday:: Board Book Albums

Laura Miranti, CPA is the owner and founder of Board Book Albums, LLC. She officially formed her business in April 2008 after discovering first-hand the need for a board book photo album for small children.

When her daughter was only 1 year old, it became evident that she was behind other children her age developmentally. A therapist recommended making her a photo album full of photos of family, toys and other familiar objects. Her daughter, Lucia, immediately tore up the album she had put together and Laura began searching for a kid friendly album.

Soon, she had the idea to create and album with a sturdier, board book design and after trying to create it herself, was on the hunt for a manufacturer that could help her make her vision a reality. It wasn’t long before she had a prototype that she was completely excited about.

“I am so excited about having my own business!” Laura said. Over the past couple of years, she has put every one of her spare moments toward creating her business and her company. “Starting my own business has taught me that I can do anything that I set my mind to, even if it seems like a daunting task at the beginning,” she said.

While Laura admits that it is easy to get overwhelmed, it’s important to focus on the small victories and accomplishments along the way. She is married and has three children, Slone 12, Marren 9, Lucia 3 and a baby girl due in November.

“Family has always been my first priority,” she said. She also emphasized the importance of multi-tasking. “You have to be organized and use your free time for the business.”

Laura said that she hopes many children will enjoy her products, including children with autism, speech delay or other special needs. More about Board Book Albums can be found here and you can purchase albums here.

Mommy Monday is a regular feature on Market Mommy:: The Blog. If you know a great mom business owner that should be featured here, contact Dawn at info@marketmommy.com and put Mommy Monday in the subject line!

Another FUN blog party!!

Happy Friday 8-)

Today, I want to make the official announcement about our upcoming Autumn Blog Party! Just like the Labor Day party, it will run for six days and include features on a variety of mom owned businesses. And, of course there will be more FANTASTIC prizes to win!

Thanks to everyone who supported the last party! We had a great response! We are working to make this party even better! This weekend I'm closing submissions, so if you think your business would make a good participant, e-mail me asap.

The party will run October 5 - 10 here at The Blog. Be sure to tell all your friends! You can become a facebook fan and RSVP and invite your friends here.

Customer Service 101

I won't deny that small, mom owned businesses are generally among the best when it comes to customer service. Kudos to you! However, a recent experience made me think it wasn't such a bad topic to bring up here.

In a previous life I was a waitress and let me tell ya, dealing with cranky pizza eaters at 11:30 p.m. wasn't always fun. However, I'd like to think it taught me some important lessons that I've carried with me through both my professional and personal lives.

It is extremely important that you are not only considerate to your customers, but available and accomodating as well. Below are just a few of my favorite customer service tips.

• Be accessible! Your website should list not only an e-mail address but also a phone number so that you can be reached if need be. If someone can't contact you with a question, they most likely aren't going to feel comfortable sending their hard-earned money to you.
• Respond! I know you have your own, busy life with kids and tons of responsibilitie. And, I'm not saying that you need to respond to every e-mail within minutes of receipt, but within 24 hours would be good.
• Be graceful! Don't argue, it's not worth losing a customer, or future customers over. Even if you don't feel as though you did anything wrong, be understanding and helpful.
• Listen! When a customer contacts you with a complaint or a compliment, listen! What they have to say is important and could give you crucial insight to what your customers want and what they expect. This can only help you!
• Go the extra mile! Once you have a customer, keep them! It's the little things, like a thank-you note included with the order, or future discounts for referrals, etc. that will keep them coming back!

Hopefully this was helpful, and at the very least reminded you about some important aspects of customer service. Have a great {or horror} customer service story to share? Leave a comment or e-mail us!

P.S. We still have a few spots open for our upcoming Autumn Blog Party. If you are a mom business owner who would like to be featured, contact me for details. And, while you're at it become a fan on Facebook for great updates an insider info ;o)

WW:: Take Two

I just finished this ad today for Sherri-Lee at Mail4Kids. It's for a special publication for seniors that she's advertising in. I think it turned out pretty great, and I thought you might all like to see, too. You can visit Market Mommy for great, low-cost marketing services. And, you can visit Mail4Kids for an educational and unique gift for children!

WW:: Vintage

I love Wordless Wednesdays ..... gives my brain a break ;o)

Mommy Monday:: Living my MoMent

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming …….

Are you looking for another way to network and promote your business? Silly question, I know, aren’t we all? I recently came across Abbey at Living My MoMent and I think you should check the site out as well! Abbey is the mother of one toddler and is expecting her second child the first week of December.

Living My MoMent started earlier this spring and is already growing by leaps and bounds! The site’s name has two meanings. The first one is living in the moment and not focusing too much on what the future will hold. Living your life day to day and cherishing the moments you have with your children right now. The other meaning is how important it is to stress the MoM part of the word MoMent because that is what the site is all about; helping other MoMs out and being their support system.

The site is geared towards MoMs and their most popular advertising option is the FREE one for MoMbusinesses and MoMblogs. The site features your logo, a write up about your company and products and mentions of special promotions or other networking sites you belong to. The website also provides MoMgiveaways, MoMreviews (of products), a listing of MoMblogs and other great MoMadvertising Options.

According to Abbey, she loves running Living my MoMent because it allows her to be able to do something that she is passionate about and she gets the opportunity to stay home with her children and raise them. “ The flexibility is great because I can work pretty much whenever I want and the only person I have to answer to is myself. The other thing that I love is being able to connect with other MoMs and see what they are doing to be able to stay at home with their children,” she said.

Like a lot of moms, Abbey gets the majority of her work done while her daughter is asleep. However, she said she always protects her weekends as family time. “I make sure that Saturdays and Sundays are family days and resting days. I love what I do and I have learned from past jobs that you can’t focus completely on your business because then you will get burned out. Having a weekend off can refuel me for the upcoming week,” she said.

“ My word of advice is to love your business because the hard times will come and go but if you continue loving what you do then it will all be worth it in the end,” Abbey concluded.

LDBP:: And the winners are .....

First of all, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who participated in the Labor Day Blog Party! Thanks to all the great businesses that donated products and offered their insight to being a mom entrpreneur! Also, thanks to all of our great fans and readers who took the time to play along and enter to win! It was a great week! I had a lot of fun, and I hope everyone else did as well! Below is a list of winners {by first name}. The extra credit really paid off for some of you!! Everyone mentioned will also be getting an e-mail, as will the product donors. Questions? E-mail me! So, without further ado .......

Star onesie from Bibs & Tuckers :: Angela

A four-pack of bookmark belts from You-Niquely Created:: Gail

One Pigtail Pals T-shirt, any design, any size:: Jennie
A $35 gift certificate to Announcements Galore:: Becky
Digital scrapbooking bundle from Mad Genius Designs:: Lynda

Personalized water bottle koozie from Wild About Beads:: Karen

Starter Kit from Mail4Kids:: Andrea

Sterling Silver Starfish necklace from Yomili:: Mena

Free month membership to Care4Hire :: Barbie

Cedar Valley Publishing’s Let’s Get Ready Series with Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten!:: Deni Poolside Necklace from Rose Marie's Bijouterie

#1:: Deb

#2:: Nicole

#3:: Shannon

Frosted Cupcake Apron from Cupcake Swirl:: Angela

Notes from Mom notepad from Scrappy Notes:: Stacy

A bib of your choice from Generations in Style:: Gail

$35 gift certificate to Market Mommy:: Deni

Downloadable Audio Parenting Seminar from ProActive Parenting:: Mena

Halloween Trick-or-Treat bag from PJ Quilts:: Deirdre

Book, So You Want to be a Work-At-Home Mom and 1 year classified advertising from CWAHM.com:: JoDitt

1 Year Classified Advertising from CWAHM.com

#2:: Mena

#3:: Deni

#4:: Leilani

#5:: Angela

#6:: Gail

#7:: Jana

#8:: Candy

#9:: Roxy

#10:: Deidre

LDBP:: CWAHM

Who:: Jill @ CWAHM
Business Established:: 2000
What they do:: Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com and the co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-At-Home Mom (Beacon Hill Press, 2009). She graduated from Grace University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development/Family Studies and Bible. Jill has worked from home since 2000 and started her own home-based business to assist other Christians who desire to work from home while maintaining a godly life. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children. Jill’s articles have been featured on websites like DrLaura.com, ClubMom.com, and she is an expert author on EzineArticles.com. She is also a contributing author in four books. Jill is the host of the podcast, Christian Work at Home Moment and co-host of the LIVE internet radio show, The CWAHM Network.
How she finds balance:: Balancing work and family in a constant struggle. I still have a preschooler home with me full-time and I have to be careful that I'm spending quality time with him. There are many days that I have to force myself away from work, away from the computer and find something creative to do with him. That may mean leaving the house all together and taking a trip to the park, or it may just mean reading together or playing a game. The balancing act does get easier over time and the more proactive we are, the better off our kids and our businesses will be in the long run.
Her best advice:: My number one tip is to find other mom business owners to work together with. As work-at-home moms it can be easy to get in our rut and just do our own thing. Working together not only gives us needed social interaction, it's also a win-win business situation. The more we work together, the farther our businesses can go.
What they are giving away:: One Copy of So You Want To Be A Work-At-Home Mom, 10 {yes, 10 winners will get::} 1-Year Classified Ads on CWAHM.com
Play and win:: Name two media outlets where CWAHM has been featured.

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: PJ Quilts

Who:: Paula @ PJ Quilts

Business Established:: January 2009
What they do:: PJ Quilts mainly features girl’s dresses.
How she finds balance:: I have two older daughters that help me a lot. Most of my children are grown but other than a little bit of help, I do most on my own. Sometimes the shop does come before housework, which is Ok!!!
Her best advice:: Have good help!!
Save Now:: FREE SHIP – put that code in the message to seller and Paula will refund your shipping costs via PayPal.
What they are giving away:: A four-pack of bookmark belts
Play and win:: What is your favorite item listed in PJ Quilts?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Market Mommy

Who:: Dawn @ Market Mommy
Business Established:: June 2009
What they do:: We offer free marketing advice and tips aimed at mom entrepreneurs! Market Mommy shows mom business owners how and where to market their companies. In addition to a free blog and free marketing e-newsletter, we also offer low-cost marketing services, such as ad design, press release writing and more!
How she finds balance:: It’s hard! When I’m working I think I should be with my kids and when I’m with my kids I’m thinking about all the work I have to do!
Her best advice:: Set aside time for work and play! I have planned time for each. That way, if I’m working, I’m concentrating on that. And, if I’m spending time with the kids, I’m concentrating on them.
Save Now:: BOGO!! E-mail me for instructions on how to get one free {of equal or lesser value} when you purchase ANYTHING from Market Mommy!
What they are giving away:: A $35 gift certificate … enough for a one month button ad on our website!
Play and win:: Name two things that are considered marketing materials.

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: You-Niquely Created

Who:: Andrea @ You-Niquely Created
Business Established:: 2006
What they do:: Andrea has been a crafter all her life, but more recently has had some original ideas. Things that could solve problems, not necessarily save the world but useful in their own right. As a stay at home mother for 12 years, and just this year her baby is going into first grade, she is now ready to put her heart and soul into her creations and live her dream of being a business person.
How she finds balance:: Honestly I don’t do a very good job balancing. I mostly do my work at night and weekends, because I am a full time stay at home mother. But I look forward to putting more time into it this fall because my youngest is going into first grade.
Her best advice:: Just go for it, if you are passionate, you can make it work. I had been waiting until I had time to make everything perfect then I got on the Mom Entrepreneur support group and decided it was time to take off the life jacket and jump in.
What they are giving away:: A four-pack of bookmark belts
Play and win:: Who said this? “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Bibs & Tuckers

Who:: Britanee @ Bibs & Tuckers
Business Established:: 2009
What they do:: Bibs & Tuckers is mainly a baby line with a few kid and adult items featured. Everything is handmade with care by Britanee. She does a few things different-like a blanket stitch around appliqué onesies instead a satin stitch. She likes fun, bright fabrics and loves to pair a few of them together for a fun effect.
How she finds balance:: I usually work on the items I sell when my baby girl is sleeping. It helps me relax and gives me a little break during the day.
What they are giving away:: Star onesie, size 3-6 month.
Play and win:: What is your favorite Bibs & Tuckers product?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Generations in Style

Who:: Dawn @ Generations in Style
Business Established:: September 2006
What they do:: Generations in Style specializes in custom made crib/toddler bedding, baby slings, hip mom diaper bags and accessories. They also make bibs, hats, rag quilts and dresses. Generations in Style was created after having no success finding modern, tailored, and truly unique bedding for their daughter's nursery. They wanted her room to maintain the same decorating style that was throughout the rest of the home. After endless browsing, they decided that the only way to get what they wanted was to make it themselves. This was the beginning of a three-generation mother-daughter company.
What they are giving away:: Choice of bib
Play and win:: Which is your favorite baby sling listed in Generations in Style?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Care4Hire

Who:: Candi @ Care4Hire
Business Established:: 2007
What they do:: Care4hire.com is an online database for families and caregivers to search babysitters, housekeepers, tutors, elder/companion care, pet sitters and other miscellaneous service. A free preview of available caregivers is available to families. Whether you need a caregiver for a few hours to a few days, you will find it at Care4hire.com. Once you are a registered member, you will be given immediate access to caregiver through email and phone.
How she finds balance:: I balance family life and work by hiring a nanny. With running three businesses I find great success with my nanny being an extra set of hands. Besides childcare, she also helps with laundry, grocery shopping, homework and meal preparation. I can't imagine my life without a nanny. When I return home after work, the house is in order, the meal is in the oven, the homework is done and I can spend more time with the children.
Her best advice:: When things in business don't go the way they should; don't give up and stay positive.
What they are giving away:: A gift certificate for a free month of membership
Play and win:: What type of care would you like to find through Care4Hire?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Cedar Valley Publishing

Who:: Stacey @ Cedar Valley Publishing
Business Established:: June 2004
What they do:: Stacey Kannenberg was a mom who was trying to get her own children ready for that first day of school and couldn’t find exactly what she wanted, so she created a book to help:: Cedar Valley Publishing’s Let’s Get Ready Series with Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten! & Let’s Get Ready For First Grade! Today her book line has sold over 60,000 copies, been reviewed by over 700 mom bloggers and are used in over 400 school districts nationwide!
How she finds balance:: My family is involved into the process. I mean who better to help me write Let’s Get Ready For Second Grade! than my own daughters who just finished Second and Fourth Grade?!! Empower your family into your business and work around their schedules.
Her best advice:: Network, network, network to build a huge support system for your business and home life! Surround yourself with other go-getters who will help elevate your platform and bring more exposure to you and your business!
What they are giving away:: A set of books.
Play and win:: What is your favorite post on Stacey’s blog?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Yomili

Who:: Jane @ Yomili
Business Established:: New site!
What they do:: Yomili.com is a shopping comparison website that compares prices across the web on over 1,000,00 products and 5,000 brands. If you sign up for a free membership on Yomili you will be granted access to the following features:
a. Question Corner - Members can post questions to the community. They can ask what product they should buy and then choose up to three products to add to their question. Even if you are not a member you can still vote on questions.
b. Price Alerts - You can set specific price targets on products and you will be alerted via email if your target is reached.
c. Wish Lists - You can create multiple wish lists of products you would like and then email your list to friends, family, etc.
d. Save Products - You can save up to five products you like so they can easily be retrieved later.
How she finds balance:: I have three little boys 7,9, and 10 and life is always a little complicated, but we make it work. It's important to have a supportive husband and it is important to realize your time is valuable and not to work for too little money.
Her best advice:: Work hard but make sure your family is benefiting.
What they are giving away:: A sterling silver starfish necklace.
Play and win:: What do you like most about Yomili.com?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: ProActive Parenting

Who:: Sharon @ ProActive Parenting
Business Established:: 1993
What they do:: Dedicated to Helping Parents Raise Children, Not Just Correct Behavior. Sharon Silver is a mom, an educator, and a powerful speaker. Her sense of humor and teaching style make her easy to listen to and creates a trustworthy environment for learning. Her mission has always been to create programs that help parents focus on what else can be done instead of going straight to punishment. ProActive ParentingTM is the result of that mission. With an education in Parenting and Early Childhood Development, four certifications as a Parent Educator, and practical experience as the mother of two young adults, there’s very little she hasn’t seen.

She offers her Seminars By Topic at this website and does Live In-Person seminars at schools, corporations, universities and mom’s groups. She does telephone-seminars for working parents during the lunch break, gives speeches for service organizations, and travels to different cities around the country giving seminars. Over the last 17 years, parents, public and private school teachers, day-care directors and providers, corporations and service groups have all benefited from the programs she teaches about how to use a balanced, real-life approach when disciplining and teaching children. 



How she finds balance:: I have one large master board to keep things straight for business and family. Being a Mom Entrepreneur allows me to set my schedule or cancel things if my family needs me, like when my father had a heart attack and I had to cancel a class to be there for his surgery. I build in time for exercise or take a day off to play, both very important to my sanity.
Her best advice:: If you work from home like I do create boundaries for your business or you'll be eaten alive. I have a teenage ring tone on our family phone. It has a different phone number and a double ring yet I'm only billed once for the line. This allows me to really enforce that the "office" is closed.
What they are giving away:: The choice of a downloadable audio parenting seminar to listen to on the computer or on an iPod.
Play and win:: Which seminar topic would be most beneficial in your house?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Scrappy Notes

Who:: Brittany @ Scrappy Notes
Business Established:: 2002
What they do:: Scrappy Notes began in 2002 at my kitchen table with some paints, paper and a lot of creativity. With a desire to help supplement our income, I started designing notepads, cards, stationery and more for friends and family to buy. My ideas and artwork continued to expand as requests for more products and graphics poured in. Much to my surprise, in less than a year Scrappy Notes was born.
How she finds balance:: Working from home while raising four little (getting bigger by the moment) little boys has forced me to organize my time MUCH more efficiently. When I'm doing activities with my boys I try really hard to be present with them, vice versa when it comes to work. I have found combining the two can sometimes work great if I employ them by having them stuff envelopes, sticker, fold, count etc. They love the involvement, extra money, and to be busy.
Her best advice:: My advice would be to learn as you go and not get overwhelmed, just take it a little bit at a time and things will happen. With children, they HAVE to come first and you can adjust as they grow and their schedule changes - that's the beauty of having your own business!
Save Now:: Save 15% with coupon code MMBP15
What they are giving away:: Notes From the Mom of Bow Notepad
Play and win:: Which is your favorite custom stamp at Scrappy Notes?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Mail4Kids

Who:: Sherri-Lee @ Mail4Kids
Business Established:: October 2008
What they do:: Mail4Kids is an educational, collector's card service for kids. Each month we send out a custom designed collector's card of an image from one of our categories on the front and educational and fun information on the back. Each card comes with an activity sheet that continues the theme of the card. The yearly subscription (12 mailings) is $40 and the deluxe starter kit is option and is $25.00. The starter kit includes a personalized collector's box, index cards with the categories on them, four cards to start the collection and a special gift to welcome them to the club.
How she finds balance:: I'll admit I am not great at it... I tend to go in spurts and fits... hours on the business and then hours with the kids... I have a hard time leaving any job not done so it is hard to do a little bit here and a little bit there...but I am working on finding more balance and less extremes.
Her best advice:: Love what you do I think is the most important thing... be passionate about it and don't listen to anyone who doesn't support your dream. Include your kids if you can, they will benefit from it and so will you.
What they are giving away:: A $25 Starter Kit
Play and win:: Name three Mail4Kids categories.

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post.

LDBP:: Announcements Galore

Who:: Dawn @ Announcements Galore
Business Established:: 2007
What they do:: Custom photo cards, collages and magnets for any occasion! We offer great, personalized designs and top-notch customer service. Also, custom orders are done at no extra charge!
How she finds balance:: I have very limited, uninterrupted time with my children. So, when they are awake they are my focus. The majority of my work is done late in the evenings after they are asleep.
Her best advice:: Don’t ever give up, be persistent!
Save Now:: Get FREE shipping on any order with code FREESHIP
What they are giving away:: $35 gift certificate to Announcements Galore.
Play and win:: At which school is Melanie Sue attending her first day of kindergarten?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post!

LDBP:: Mad Genius Designs

Who:: Jewel @ Mad Genius Designs

Business Established:: January 2009 after scrapbooking for 11 years.
What they do:: Jewel Goodwin is a digital scrapbooking designer, designing under the name Mad Genius Designs.
How she finds balance:: This is a struggle, as I am sure any mom knows. I try my best to meet the family’s needs first, and the business second, but it's not always possible when I have deadlines. Having a supportive husband and extended family helps a lot. I also find I am up late working long after the kids are in bed, since I can't get much done while they are up.
Her best advice:: If there is any way to get the kids involved, go for it. My boys love to draw doodles for me (even if I don't use them they love to contribute that way). They also love to see what I am working on. I am always photographing bizarre things for textures and other design work, and my kids love to help me find things when we are out on family trips. They know what I do, and they are proud of it. My son recently asked if I was photographing the ground for scrapbooking, and when I nodded he smiled and said. 'That's my mom!’
What they are giving away:: Back To School digital scrapbooking bundle, including a kit, pre-designed brag book pages, and a gift certificate to the store!
Play and win:: Name one Mad Genius kit you love and why.

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post!

LDBP:: Wild About Beads

Who:: Nicole @ Wild About Beads
Business Established:: July 25, 2005
What they do:: Wild about Beads is a home-craft business located in Uxbridge, Ontario that specializes in mom and baby fashion products. In just two years, we have expanded our line to include a full range of baby, toddler, mama-2-b and grown-up mom fashion products running the gamut from Swarovski-studded t-shirts and baby shoes to personalized jewelry creations for moms and daughters alike. Our goal is to provide unique, high-quality and affordable baby, toddler, Mommy and Daddy gear, and our greatest satisfaction comes from creating distinct and personal items for our clients! Nicole said her inspiration comes from her five daughters under the age of nine
How she finds balance:: A very STRONG support system from family and friends of course!
Her best advice:: Dream Big!
What they are giving away:: Personalized Water Bottle Koozie
Play and win:: What is your favorite ‘flavor’ of hair candy?

Don’t forget to visit the official party post here to register for the party and read all the rules and details!! You can earn extra credit by answering the play and win question above in a comment on THIS post!