Archive for General
Choosing a charity
Posted by: | Comments
Choose the right charity for your business
If you’re anything like me, you are constantly asked to give money and donate products for charity fundraisers both for your business and in your family life. There often isn’t enough money in your bank account to give to everyone who is asking, and the same with products.
So, what do you do?
The best thing is to choose a charity or two that are important to you and give to those. Then, next time you’re asked to donate something you can tell them that you have your chosen charity and give to them (it’s amazing how effectively this works).
The next thing is to work out which charity to support. There are so many worthy causes out there it can be hard to know what to choose.
For a business, it can be a good idea to choose something that fits with what you are doing. For example, my chosen charity is Opportunity International because they help people start up small businesses, so it fits with what I’m aiming to do with my business.
I know of some business mums who use their family history as motivation for choosing a charity. For example I know of one business mum who supports Mummy’s Wish because a close friend of hers had cancer and received support from the. And another who supports Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids because her parents had foster kids when she was growing up. These charities don’t necessarily match their business, not in any obvious way anyway.
If your business does support a charity, it’s a good idea to have a page on your site explaining why you chose this charity to support. I have seen some businesses who make a big thing about supporting a charity, however if it’s not a charity I am not passionate in supporting and I can’t see an obvious reason why they are supporting this charity, then it won’t sway me to purchase from them. However if I can see a story behind why they support this charity, it is more likely to sway me.
Some time ago, I bought a gift online. Inside the package along with the item I purchased was a sheet thanking me for buying from them and explaining why they had chosen their charity and how my purchase helped support their cause. Unfortunately I can’t remember which business it was (it was quite a while ago), but their extra bit of information has stuck in my head.
Do you have a charity your business supports? Do you let your customers know about it? Please add a comment and share your story.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - Inspiration
Posted by: | Comments
Inspired by a post over at BusyMum 2010 on inspiration, this weeks Friday Five is some of the things I do when I need inspiration and I’m stuck!
- Take a break - if I can, sometimes taking a break from what I’m doing can help the inspiration come. It can be as quick as making a cuppa and coming back to the computer, or it may be taking the weekend off.
- Read some blogs - depending on what I need inspiration on, sometimes reading some blogs can help. Sites such as Blog Whammy and Business Mums Daily have great blogs to read.
- Music - listening to music can often help too. The sort of music I listen to depends on my mood and what I need inspiration for. Annette talks more about this on her blog.
- Watch TV - yes, sometimes watching TV can provide inspiration! Again, it depends on the sort of mood I’m in, what I need inspiration for and what is on TV at the time. For example, last week I did a post inspired by The Collectors, a show on ABC I don’t normally watch, it just happened to be on at the time. You can read the post here.
- Kids - as business mums, we have kids. There are times when things our kids say or do can provide inspiration, whether it’s for a blog post, new product or service, or even a business idea! Spend some quality time with your kids and pay attention, you never know when inspiration will strike. Just make sure you have a notebook with you to write down your ideas so you can continue having a great time with your kids.
These are just 5 things that help me, especially with blog posts, but also for other things. What things help you with inspiration, especially at times when you really need it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - Cool blog add ons
Posted by: | CommentsI have been looking around at some cool blog add ons that I’ve seen around the place. These can enhance your blog to help you promote your business and your blog. These are five I’ve been playing with recently.
- LinkWithin - This is one add on I’ve seen on a lot of blogs and have only just added. This goes through and finds related stories to recommend to your readers. It is very easy to add and activate and the plugin will do the rest. It will look at past posts and recommend them to your readers. All you need to do is make sure that any products you recommend or reports you have for sale are still current.
- Signature - A while ago I discovered a signature plug in. This works the same way as a signature in your emails or on a forum by adding a block of text to each post. I use this to promote my other sites & blogs, driving traffic from here to there. It is also useful if you are having a sale or promotion for your business. The one I am using is called FT Signature Manager.
- Akismet - this is a plugin that comes standard with WordPress and is a great one to stop spam comments. If you are using Wordpress and don’t have this activated, then activate it. It saves so many spam comments.
- Biz Directory - I added a directory to my blog following last years Blog Awards. It is a great way for me to promote some of my favourite blogs as well as a place where other blog owners can promote their blogs. I’ve got it set up so that I approve any links before they are live, meaning I can make sure they are all blogs by business mums.
- InLinkz - If you want to do link ups or create your own blog carnival, then this is a useful site. I found it through the Childhood 101 link up. It’s free to use and you simply add in a bit of code to the end of your post so your visitors can add in their links in response to your question or challenge.
I hope you enjoy these cool add ons and find that one or more of them will enhance your blog. Most of these are for Wordpress as that is the platform I use and know.
What are some of your favourite add ons for your blog? Please tell us about them, and when you add your comment, let us know whether they are for Wordpress, Blogger or another blogging platform.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - reasons to choose hand made
Posted by: | CommentsThis post is inspired by a status update I saw on Facebook from Vintage is Beautiful last weekend. And yes, I did create this post when I saw it. Some of the points are the same and others are different. I hope the owner of Vintage is Beautiful doesn’t mind me borrowing her idea.
Here are five reasons to choose hand made products:
- You are supporting a small business - most people who sell home made products are small businesses, and many of those are work at home Mums. By buying from them, you are keeping these people in business and helping these Mums support their family.
- You are getting a unique product - even if the designer of the product has made 5 items the “same”, there are still aspects of the creating process that means no two items are exactly alike. For example, dress fabric is cut on a different place in the pattern, or flowers are placed in a slightly different spot on the front of a card. No two items are exactly alike.
- You can find them in unexpected places - have you ever been to a little craft market and found the perfect hand made gift for someone, or in a little nick nack shop somewhere? There are many places you can find hand made products - markets, on the Internet, in boutique shops, expos, and more. You never know when you will come across something that is exactly what you are looking for.
- Hand made items are made with love and attention to detail - the creators of hand made items are making them because they love to create. This love and attention to detail comes through in the designs and the quality of the products. It also comes through with the materials they use to make them.
- You can get things personalised - if you have a little girl who has recently become obsessed with a particular football team, or a friend is decorating their baby’s room in an unusual colour or theme, you may be able to contact some of the businesses who create hand made products and get things made to suit. Not all hand made businesses accept custom orders, and they will want a deposit up front and it will take longer to get to you, but there is no harm in asking. You will end up with a special gift or product that exactly suits what you are looking for.
So, where do you find these home made businesses? A great place to start is local craft markets. There are markets on almost every weekend and some week nights. Check your local paper for markets and fairs in your local area. You can also do a Google search for craft markets.
Other great places are Etsy and Made It. These are like online craft markets. You can search by item or by shop to find the goodies you are looking for.
There are also many directories of work at home Mums, such as the Business Mums Directory, where you can find business mums with their own websites who sell home made products.
Happy Shopping!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyAre you a WAHM?
Posted by: | Comments
Are you a WAHM?
I was on Facebook the other day, as I tend to do, following the groups and fanpages my friends like or have recently joined. Once I go to a page, I check out their URL, if they have included one.
On one site, a blog that has reviews and other information about sales and competitions, there is a statement saying the owner is not a WAHM as she doesn’t get paid for her services.
This got me thinking, what is a WAHM, especially in the context of running a website or blog?
The blog I saw certainly looks like a business, or has the potential to be a business, especially if the owner started charging for ads on the site as well as for the reviews she does and the sales she promotes. Although at the moment, she doesn’t charge for her services.
Many WAHMs I know don’t earn enough to get paid a salary for what they do - does that make them any less of a WAHM? Especially if they are building things up so they can earn a salary eventually.
Also, to be a WAHM, do you need to join an existing company? Certainly not.
So, what makes a WAHM?
I don’t have a definition myself, but I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.
This also brings me to one of my favourite resources right now, the WAHM Manifesto from Melinda at SuperWAHM. If you are a WAHM, or considering it, this is a must read document.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailySaying thank you
Posted by: | CommentsI know I have blogged about this before, but I just came across a great post by Elena over at EP Designs. Just before Christmas she had a giveaway on her blog, and the winner of the grand prize sent her a wonderful thank you gift. Elena has included details, including photos of the gift on her blog here.
Saying thank you and sending cards and gifts is something we don’t do nearly enough. In this case, the prize winner got some promotion for her business too because not only did Elena include the details of the gift on her blog, she also linked to the senders website. (if you want to check out the winners website, go to Enchanted Quilling)
There are a lot of different ways you can say thank you, including:
- Send a card in the mail
- Send an e-card
- Send an email
- Send a gift
- Post on your blog, website, Facebook or Twitter
- Make a phone call
You can also say thank you for many different things. These are a few ideas for your business:
- placing an order
- unexpected links to your site or blog
- testimonials
- support
- for being a great supplier
Start thinking about who you can say thank you to today and say it to them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyInspiration - where do you find it
Posted by: | CommentsI’m trying to take advantage of the boys being tired from our Australia Day adventures yesterday and write Friday Five reports for the next few weeks, as well as schedule some blog posts. As part of this process, I started looking around at different sites, Facebook fan pages, and any other places I can find for inspiration for topics for these reports.
Over at Annette Piper’s blog, I came across this post that reminded me of today. Annette shares some of the sites she has come across while clicking through the Internet. As always, she has started her post with a photo of a stunning piece of jewellery.
It also got me thinking - where do you get inspiration for ideas in your business? Is it from blogs, books, other people, markets, your kids, or something else? I would love to hear what inspires you in your business. Please share what inspires you by adding a comment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyHappy New Year!
Posted by: | CommentsHappy New Year everyone. Welcome to 2010. I hope it’s a wonderful year for you, your family and your business.
We wish you a merry Christmas
Posted by: | Comments
From my family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.
For all you chocoholics out there…
Posted by: | CommentsJust for fun, and for all you chocoholics out there, check out these two posts from Elena at EP Designs:
Some great sayings about chocolate. I must admit, I like a lot of those quotes.
Be warned, they may make you want to go out and buy some chocolate…. must remember to pick some up once the boys are at school.
