Being a Mumpreneur – Page 8 – Business Plus Baby

April 12, 2012

You’re doing OK (yes really, you are.)

Are you feeling under a lot of pressure?

Pressure from you family and kids, pressure from your work, deadlines and clients. Then there’s the pressure you put on yourself.

We live in a culture that often values what we achieve over who we are.

I just want to tell you this: you’re doing OK. Really.

It’s OK to just be you.

You don’t need to be running a company valued in the millions, to have advanced degrees, a beautiful house or spotless children.

You’re OK just as you are.

(Need more convincing? Take a look at this post Your children need YOU and its 425 comments)

I know that sometimes the pressure gets too much and you end up flipping your lid.

Like shouting at the kids a split second before you switch to being Mrs Ultra-Professional when a client phones up. Or ending up in floods of tears because some old fool criticises your parking at the supermarket.

Yeah, it’s not big or clever. But it’s OK. It happens to us all.

So just for today, give yourself a break. Cut yourself some slack.

It really will be OK.

photo credit: theinfinite

February 27, 2012February 23, 2012

From Cheerios to Charlie’s Angels – iPhone App Mum’s First Photo Shoot

Ever wondered what it would be like to take part in a photo shoot for a glossy magazine? Victoria Moore, who launched the iPhone app Legacy Organiser, tells us all about it!

“A photo shoot” – the phrase conjures up a misty world of glamour and celebrity that is a million miles away from the usual daily routine of chiselling encrusted Cheerios off the kitchen floor, choosing which Frube to put in a pack lunch or negotiating UN style with a five year old about why you should keep your school uniform on. Continue reading “From Cheerios to Charlie’s Angels – iPhone App Mum’s First Photo Shoot”

February 23, 2012

Fairies n Frogs needs your help!

I like to support independent businesses, especially businesses run by mums and even better, businesses that offer really valuable products and services. So I couldn’t resist posting about Luan Hall, who runs Fairies n Frogs Toyshop, not far from me in Ampthill, Bedfordshire.

Luan says “After breaking my back in a car accident at 17, I spent many months not knowing if I would spend my life in a wheelchair. This gave me time to dream and opening my own shop was one of them. With determination and strength I fought back and eventually walked again.”

Luan went on to have two children and worked as a travel agent before opening Fairies n Frogs in May 2010. She’d noticed that there was nowhere to buy quality toys and gifts locally, so she decided to open her own toy shop in Ampthill.

Two years on Luan had the chance to buy a hall at the back of her shop. The company that were using it were moving on and it was a great opportunity to expand her shop. Luan plans to turn this room into The Lilypad.

During the week The Lilypad will be a drop-in space for parents with babies and toddlers, offering baby changing, bottle warming, space to eat packed lunches and a small play corner plus hot drinks, juice and cake. At the weekend she hopes The Lilypad will become a venue for kids’ parties.

But she needs YOUR help.

If you live in the Bedfordshire area, Luan would love you to write a note, an email (luan@fairiesnfrogs.co.uk) or Facebook message of support to help The Lilypad through the planning process. And of course to go along to The Lilypad when it opens if you can.

Having only recently been released from double-buggy pushing myself, I know exactly how brilliant it is to have a spot in town where you can stop for a while with no worries about letting your toddlers loose and disturbing other people. Not all cafes are baby and toddler friendly and so many don’t have much space for buggies.

Knackered mums really do need a place to chat and get a coffee – The Lilypad is a brilliant idea and I want to spread the word.

You can find Luan, Fairies n Frogs and The Lilypad at 86A Dunstable Street, Ampthill, Beds MK45 2JP. You can join the Facebook group ‘Fairies n Frogs Toy Shop Ampthill’ or find out more at www.fairiesnfrogs.co.uk

All the best to you Luan!

December 14, 2011December 13, 2011

What defines you?

Today’s post is by Pamela Evbota, and it’s part of her virtual book tour for her new book ‘How To Raise Kids Without Losing It’. Good luck with your book launch, Pamela!

(You can find out about virtual book tours in Kindle Marketing, by the way).

Until you find meaning concerning your life, no one will make it meaningful.

People are always in the habit of belittling themselves out of what they define to be humility. They shrink their personality, their achievement; but are these acts of humility or act of acceptance from others.

How do you define yourself? Continue reading “What defines you?”

December 13, 2011December 11, 2011

5 must-have time management tips for mompreneurs

Today I’ve got a guest post for you from Meagan Visser, business coach for creative people. Over to you, Meagan!

Hello. My name is Meagan. I’m a wahm & a recovering multi-tasker.

Okay, too AA meetingish, I know.

My point is that most of us out there who have creative businesses, whether we’re a WAHM, SAHM, or we have a day job, feel that there’s not enough time during the day to get everything done we need to. We end up trying to multi-task life & business & you know how that ends up. We’re overwhelmed, frustrated, & we feel like we’ve not accomplished a thing!

We want fun, creative, successful businesses. We want time with our friends, family, & by gosh some me-time. We want to make money. We want to make a name for ourselves. We want a spotless house. We want to enjoy vacations. We want to indulge in our hobbies.

It doesn’t matter what our wants are, the fact of the matter is, in today’s world we have a lot on our plates. If we’re going to be successful, we have to get it together, figure out what works for us, move our booties to a different beat if necessary & make it happen. Success & money aren’t just going to come knocking at our door.

So what’s the first step?

Like I said, I get that you’re a mom & you may or may not have another job, let alone all the other responsibilities in your life to take care of, but in my opinion, the first step in not only getting it together, but keeping it together is time management. If you can’t manage your time, then you’re probably wasting it & that’s no good for business. Got it?

So here are 5 tips that you can use today to manage your time when it comes to running your creative biz & still being a mom that’s present in your family’s life. Continue reading “5 must-have time management tips for mompreneurs”