Archive for November, 2008
Tania Wright - Green Room Interiors
Posted by: | CommentsNumber of children & their ages:
Daughter, 20 months and step son nearly 13 years old
URL:
http://www.greenroominteriors.com.au
How people can contact you?
Mobile 0425 739 701 or email: info@greenroominteriors.com.au
When did you start your business?
As soon as I graduated from university the very next week I registered my business name. Although technically I was dealing with clients while still studying, my business didn’t start operating until November 2003. I have just celebrated 5 years in business!
Where are you based?
Mount Waverley, Vic.
Background information:
I have extensive experience in customer service and high end retail, gained from working for 5 years in the UK. I have travelled to and lived in various countries such as
What products/services do you sell?
I specialise in assisting with all aspects of interior design for the home renovator. So whether you are simply updating your bathroom or kitchen, need help choosing a new paint colour or are undergoing a major renovation or building a new home, Green Room Interiors can eliminate the risk of choosing the wrong material or finish.
What are some of your achievements?
Making the decision to go back to University to study full time for 2 years as a mature aged student was a challenge. Financially and emotionally it was a strain, but graduating with high distinctions in most subjects was a major achievement for me.Setting up my business 5 years ago and building it up to where it is now is a fantastic achievement also and one I can say I am totally proud of.
What advice would you give to other Mums who wanted to start their own business?
It is important to have a wonderful support network around you. With children, they can get sick and you need to be able to call on people, it doesn’t do your credibility any good if you take a sick child to an appointment with you.Take it slowly and understand that your children will interrupt your working day (that is if they are at home with you), accept that you may have to get things done while they are napping or in the evening.Another thing is to build strong alliances with other businesses that are complimentary to your line of work, keep in regular contact and they will eventually refer clients to you. It takes all the hard work out of finding new clientele.
What is the best thing about being a Business Mum?
I love being my own boss and working my business around my family. I quite often go off to work on a Sunday morning when Dad can have some quality time with my daughter and I get to wear my business hat. You can earn an income and have a great family life too.
Goals for 2009
Posted by: | CommentsAs promised, here are some of the things I picked up from yesterday’s workshop.
One of the biggest things was to have SMARTY Goals. SMARTY Goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timed
- Y - Why
I had heard about SMARTY Goals at the 2007 Business Mums Network conference, however at this workshop, the thing that struck me was the Y. Why are you aiming for this goal?
Too often many of us jump on the next bandwagon of Internet promotion or whatever will promise us business growth. So, we start things only to find they don’t happen. For example, many business mums start a blog because they’ve heard they should have one, and it goes nowhere because they don’t keep it up. The WHY in this instance is because someone else said they should.
The WHY should be something for YOU and not for someone else. The WHY also needs to be put in positive terms and, if possible, in the present tense. This way it is something that is more likely to happen.
The other thing was to reward yourself when you achieve your milestones. Have the reward appropriate to the task and something that motivates you. Also, make sure the reward is for you, and that you carry it out.
Marketing Monday - Comment on blogs
Posted by: | CommentsThis morning we had a fantastic session on goals with Tash Hughes of Word Constructions (I’ll post more on this tomorrow) and in the discussion, the topic of getting more traffic to your site came up. Among other things, commenting on blogs was discussed.
Did you know that commenting on blogs can help increase your traffic and incoming links?
For most blogs, entering comments is an easy process, and one that allows you to put a link back to your site. I know Wordpress has this feature, I’m not as familiar with other blogging software.
To make the most of this, make sure your comments are relevant to the blog post you are commenting on, and make sure you add to the discussion. If your comment looks like you are just pushing your business, then it won’t be approved.
Many blogs I know will start a discussion in the post by asking a question or inviting comments. This is a good starting point. If the author has commented on your business or reviewed one of your products, posting a thank you (especialy if it is a favourable review) is a good thing to do. If you have used a product or service that the author has posted about is also a way to add to the discussion by sharing your own experiences.
There are many different blogs, posts and comments you can make. So, work on increasing your traffic and links by commenting on a few blogs (including this one 
)
Friday Five - Business Blogs to Read
Posted by: | CommentsThis week I thought I’d share with you five of my favourite business blogs to read. All of these provide great business tips to help you grow your business.
- Small Business Diva - Donna Marie Coggins is the owner of Jacaranda Business Support Services and author of Ready, Set, Go For It! One of the best business books for business mums I’ve read (I especially love the CD in the back). On her blog, Donna Marie shares fantastic business tips and resources.
- Word Constructions - Tash Hughes of Word Constructions has a fantastic blog that shares business tips as well as tips and information about how to communicate with your clients effectively.
- The Australian Small Business Blog - run by Greg Chapman, author of The 5 Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success, he shares tips, resources and ideas to help Small Businesses grow and succeed.
- Heart Harmony - Ingrid Cliff is a regular contributor to the Business Mums Magazine and shares her business knowledge on her blog.
- Blog Whammy - OK, so technically this isn’t a business blog, however it is a great program to help you get traffic to your blog. It is also where I came across Ingrid’s blog, so I thought I’d mention it here.
There are a just a few business blogs to read. What are some of your favourite business blogs (other than this one of course!)
Thursday Tips - Systems
Posted by: | CommentsFor most business mums, we don’t have systems in place for anything - we kind of make things up as we go along.
Donna-Marie over at Small Business Diva (in case you hadn’t realised, this is one of my favourite business blogs) has posted about the Importance of Having Effective Business Systems in Place. This post is well worth a read.
Having written systems will help you as your business grows, you get busy, put on staff or get your kids to help out, and also when it comes time to sell your business. They can also help make sure nothing is forgotten! Systems can also help you manage your business and be more effective and profitable.
So, read Donna Marie’s blog post, then start putting systems in place in your business. The easiest thing to do is start with one task, and go from there.
Marketing Monday - Santa’s Sleigh Chase
Posted by: | Comments
There are a number of different prize hunts on the Internet. The latest I’ve seen is run by Blue Zamboo called “Santa’s Sleigh Chase“. The idea of these hunts is to go around different sites and collect clues. For some of them, you can also get points for purchases and other activities.
I participated in their Spring Style Hunt last month for the Business Mums Magazine and noticed a marked increase in traffic. I also gained a number of new subscribers, both to the magazine and my e-newsletter. This also exposed my site to a new audience.
I believe there is still time to get involved in “Santa’s Sleigh Chase“, and for only $20 to be involved it’s a great way to boost traffic and sales before Christmas.
Only a Business Mum…
Posted by: | CommentsOver the last few years, I have been collecting stories of Mums and their kids. They’re the funny and heartwarming stories that go to make up what a business mum is all about.
I am compiling the ones I have in a blog, and I want your stories too.
So, if you would like to share your stories of life running a business with children, please visit www.onlyabusinessmum.com and share them. Or you may simply like to read the stories of other business mums to know you’re not alone.
Note: normal Marketing Monday will be back next week. It’s a long weekend in Melbourne for Cup Day.
