Does anyone else see the hilarity in this?

Fines are accruing on your account. Please return item(s) listed below to avoid further charges. If you feel you have returned the item(s), please call 720-887-1234. Your library card will be blocked until your account is cleared. AUTHOR: Emmett, Rita.
The clutter-busting handbook : clea CALL NO: 648.5 Emm

ssshh, don’t tell anyone …I over looked it amongst all the clutter on my desk!

I guess we all know what extra degree of effort I’ll be putting in today!

212 Degrees

Many months ago when Kelly Paull (my BGBP blogging partner and awesome friend) first met. She sent me the link to this movie. After watching it, I knew she shared my same belief on kaizen – constant never-ending improvement. Take a few moments to watch and then ask yourself this “How can you add one extra degree to efforts?

In chaos and creativity,
JWS

Your Personal Signature

A friend of mine sent me this mini-movie because she knows how much I believe in the inspirational power of authenticity and creativity.

So…how are you putting your personal signature on your business and your life?

In chaos and creativity,
JWS

The Holiday Five

A little non-biz blogging today…

“Most Americans gain five pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas” reminded the article I was reading. Surely, they must have been watching as I snuck Santa’s cookies off the plate and into my mouth leaving him with just a few leftover carrots for the reindeer last December. This year, however, I decided to reform my holiday eating. My family and I were going to stick with the five food groups: whole grains, dairy, meat/protein, fruits/veggies and fats. We were eschewing the six-week “all-you-can-eat-smorgasbord” attitude for some wholesome nutrition. Off we went to stock up on just those goods.

With my carefully planned meal schedule and shopping list, my kids and I walked the aisles packing in the grainy breads and cottage cheese. But wait…what’s this? Chips Ahoy are now made with 100% whole wheat? It can’t be true. And didn’t I just hear about the cancer fighting benefits of chocolate. Well surely, this wouldn’t contribute to the holiday five. It’s health food. And I could already see the delight in my children’s eyes as I tossed the package into our cart.

Onto fruits and vegetables…I mustn’t forget to eat my nine servings a day. Whoa! My eyes must be deceiving me. Right by the apples I see the words “Great Source of Calcium.” All women – especially mothers – understand the importance of decent calcium intake for our children but also ourselves as we ward off future osteoporosis. And, who I am to question if it comes in the form of a caramel square? Pair that with an apple and it’s another healthy afternoon snack.

Okay, I filled my grains, fruit/veggies, dairy so it’s off to find some protein. Milk is a good choice because it covers both dairy and protein, so eggnog must be even better. Filled with protein rich eggs and dairy-rich milk, this sweet beverage just can’t be beat. And, really, this delectable treat comes just once a year so who can resist.

Home we went to unload our bags brimming with “healthy” holiday fare. (Remember, I did cover all the essential food groups during my shopping excursion). The next week, however, I realized that the holiday five had seemed to have crept its way to my waistline a little earlier than the predicted Christmas deadline. In fact, at the rate I was going, I’d be toting the Holiday 50 before I even unwrapped one gift!

Cleary, it was time to go back to the basics. I no longer wanted to feel as stuffed as my Thanksgiving turkey. Like most people during this time, I wanted to maintain and possibly even lose those few added pounds during this glorious, food-filled season. After a little research and some common sense, here’s are the must-know survival tips we all follow:

• Don’t go to parties hungry: Eat a light snack or meal before heading out to avoid overeating.
• Watch your portions: Everything in moderation, right? From drink to din, keep portions small to allow you to sample the different tastes.
• Vary and limit alcohol: Rather than drinking a calorie-laden beer or Bailey’s and Kahlua, opt for a spirit with a diet soda or a dry wine to reduce the calories.
• Drink water…lots and lots of water: Not only does water help fill you up to avoid overeating, but it helps keep your body hydrated after consuming alcohol and coffee.
• Keep active: Take an evening walk with your family, hit the gym or just run up and down the stairs chasing after your kids, whatever you choose, be sure to stay active. You may also want to center holiday events around activities like ice skating, caroling, skiing, or even sledding.
• Step away from the food: The worst place to stand is next to the buffet table. Place yourself safely across the room, and indulge in some decadent conversation instead.
• Lose the guilt: Don’t beat yourself up if you do indulge. Rather, focus on the positives this season – your family, friends, home, hobbies and self. Rather than adding inches to your waistline, these treasured “holiday five” make their way to your heart and leave you feeling blessed and merry all year long.

My best to you and yours for a happy – and healthy – holiday season!

In chaos, karma, creativity and kindness,
JWS

IMO, LOL, GR8, IMHO, SAHM…Say what?

WU, BGOMBP friends. It’s time to face the music…with the ever-increasing popularity of text-messaging paired with our gotta-have-it and gotta-know-it know society, complete sentences and full word spelling is becoming a thing of the past. In fact, new acronyms are coming at us FTASB! So how can you be sure you say the right thing without making LOL? NetLingo.com that’s how. This GR8 site gives you all the latest in acronyms, tech terms, text shorthand and more. Be sure to CTO on the site: The 50 Internet Acronyms Parents Need to Know, The 50 Most Commonly Used Text Terms and The Top 50 Text Terms Every CEO Should Know.

TY and TTFN,
JWS

PS: WBS to to tell me WYT.

What Happens to Home Business When Everyone Gets Sick?

This is a quick shout out for some tips and advice…flu season is upon us! Julie is nodding her head frantically right now. Last we spoke she was home with two of her three little ones sporting the flu. Not just the cough, cough flu, we are talking the high fever, sick as a dog INFLUENZA! So, what do you do when you run your business from home. You are playing servant nursemaid to everyone in the home trying desperately NOT to get sick too. How do you carry on? I am sure we ALL would love some tips or ideas for how to prepare for the cold and flu season.

Off the top of my head here are my oh so helpful tips:

1. Get these now, BEFORE you feel that tickle in your throat–> Motrin, Tylenol, cough drops, night time, stuffy head, fever, cough so you can sleep medicine…or Red Bull so you can stay up since goodness knows YOU’LL be the one on night duty.
2. Depending on the child’s age…appropriate crafts.
3. Oh what the hell, good ol‘ daytime tv ought to keep them quiet for a bit, or pay per view.
4. A lap top so you can work from bed. You know you are going to get it sooner or later.
5. Vitamin C, Echinechea, that comfort tea from Celestial Seasonings. Garlic pills! I have a friend who swears by those.

Yup, I know, not much help. I am sure some of you mompreneurs have been up to your elbows in used Kleenex and whiny, feverish husbands children.

Post your tips in the comments section!!

Chicklet Survey Wrap-Up

October’s Chicklet question was whether you are a mompreneur. Seventy-two percent of you said “Absolutely!” “Are you kidding” was the response of 18% and 9% said “Not yet.”

Well, I have a little secret here…whether you have a business or not, you can still be considered a mom-entrepreneur in the Bubble Gum’s eyes. The reason? Family mechanics mirror business operations. Think about it – you have accounting, marketing, sales, human resources and “employee” relations, operations, public relations, administration, janitorial…you get the picture.

So, whatever “business” you are running, Bubble Gum on my Business Plan is here for you with tips to apply to your business, family and life. So, please be sure to check back often for lots of chewy morsels you can use to blow air into whatever projects you have going!

In chaos and creativity,
JWS

Direct Sales Incentives: Are they worth it?

In tonight’s MOB Gold Club call, MOBster Juliet Marshall of Southern Living at Home, Pop Art Universe and Indie Rock CDs, posed a question…

Is it worth it to offer incentives to your customers (i.e. $50 in free product for booking a party, 2-for-1, etc)? How do really know if the ROI is worth it?

Instead of answering, I’m going to throw this one out there to our Bubble Gum Business Babes out there. What do you think? Are incentives worth it? If so, what’s the best way to offer incentives? How do you determine your ROI with incentives?

JWS

PS. To listen to the entire MOB Gold Club call, download the MP3 at Inspired Imaginations. Go to Resources and then Downloads.

What’s in it for me?

First of all, black and white email is like black and white TV! The professional look of the Constant Contact campaigns will not only help you project a polished image, but they will get your information READ!

Of course it isn’t all JUST about sending an HTML campaign. Plenty of people do that and don’t get much business off of it. The same holds true for those who plaster the town with business cards and flyers vs. those who hand out the flier or card and actually TALK about their business. Your campaigns need to be in your “voice.” They need to be sent only to those who have given you permission to email them. You can easily get email addresses and permission by having an “add me to your mailing list” sign up at your business or an opt in box on your website.

The hardest part for many people to get is that you can NOT be emailing them weekly with what you have to sell them. Your clients might be interested in your mailing list, but soon will either unsubscribe or spam you if you are not keeping in mind that they ONLY care about what is in it for THEM. Thinking that of course they are interested in your weekly sale is a mistake. It does 2 things, it cheapens your product and teaches them to wait for the sale.

So, what DO you put in this campaign?

• Information that is pertinant to YOUR clients: articles that pertain to their interests, health, life, cool websites…keep this brief as you only have 3 seconds to catch their attention…..no one likes to open an email and see a zillion WORDS!
• 70% should pertain to their interests and only 25-30% about YOUR interests….like your monthly special or an incentive for doing business with you.

The main purpose of these campaigns is keeping top of mind awareness, allowing them to have YOU at their fingertips at any given time. They will think of YOU when a friend mentions needing your service, they will think of you when it is time to get a gift for the holidays. The point is, consumers are fickle,they will jump ship if you don’t keep your information in front of their face.

It is more than worth the money spent to keep the customers you already have!

The Lucky Sevens of Meeting with Prospective Buyers

Recently, a new MOBster (mom-owned-business) asked me, “Do you have any tips for when I meet with the boutique owner regarding my product?” Yes, I do.

1. In the beginning, be open and flexible with your minimum order amount. In fact, you may even want to consider having no minimum order amount in the beginning. Once you establish a relationship with your new buyer, you can enforce the minimum order amount (i.e. Let your buyer know that you will waive the minimum on the first order – or even first two order – but subsequent orders will need to meet the minimum order amount.)
2. Be open to consignment. In some cases, you can sell more items via consignment than through traditional supply/demand relationships.
3. Avoid thinking that your product is the be all-end all (even, or rather, especially, if it is).
4. Be open to buyer/customer suggestions and feedback on your product. And, be sure to be positive when you receive those suggestions and feedback!
5. Be prepared with all your samples, but avoid overwhelming your buyer by spreading out all over their counters. Rather, present a line cards with design samples and wholesale prices along with one or two completed products.
6. Have steady energy (not too many highs and lows); and be sure to slow down when you are talking.
7. Be yourself. Period.

In chaos and creativity,
JWS