Designer Diaper Bags

Christie Rein was tired of carrying diapers around in a freezer bag. The 34-year-old mother of three found herself constantly stuffing diapers for her infant son into freezer bags to keep them from getting scrunched up in her purse. Rein wanted something that was compact, sleek and stylish, so in November 2004, she sat down with her husband, Marcus, who helped her design a custom diaper bag that's big enough to hold a travel pack of wipes and two to four diapers. With more than $180,000 in sales for 2005, Christie's company, Diapees & Wipees, has bags in 22 different styles, available online and in 120 boutiques across the globe for $14.99.

http://www.diapeesandwipees.com/

Mommy Makes Money

What: Clothing for newborns packaged as a bouquet for the new mom

Who: Bryony Boxer and Simon Martin of The Baby Bunch

Where: New York City

When: Started in 2006Startup costs: $250,000

Before visiting a new mom in the hospital, family and friends often get flowers for her or a gift for the baby. Thanks to The Baby Bunch, they can do both at once.

When Bryony Boxer, 33, was pregnant with her first child, she says she noticed a "shortage of products in the market that were gifts for the mom and the baby at the same time." She also saw people becoming increasingly busy and putting less thought into gift-giving. So she and her husband, Simon Martin, 36, came up with a practical, convenient gift idea: infant clothing packaged in the form of an attractive bouquet that could be purchased online and sent directly to the recipient. Offered in various sizes and styles, the bunches include bibs, socks, T-shirts and onesies. The filler flowers, made from wood and paper, can be saved for display, and the gift box is reusable.

"The idea of using everything in it--not just having superfluous packaging--is important to us," says Boxer.

Expanding on its practical, economical and eco-friendly thinking, The Baby Bunch recently launched a line of organic bouquets, which earned the company the 2007 Innovation Award from the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association.
Although the couple's 2-year-old son has outgrown the line's infant clothing, the company still has lots of room to grow. Projecting $1 million in sales for 2007, the couple plans to create gift bouquets for other occasions and age groups

[Via - Entrepreneur Magazine]

Don't give up on your business!

By Kelly McCausey

Summer must be when many work at home Mom start to think that their business is a flop and begin to look for a new opportunity. This is fine if your business is truly a flop - but chances are, you just need to take a look at it from a fresh perspective.
It will always be easier to give a present business a fresh effort than to start all over.

Here are three very good reasons why:

Reason #1 - You will earn Respect. When you stick with something, you develop respect from others. When you flit from one opportunity to another you will be viewed with some sceptisism from others who will wonder how long you'll last with the new business before changing again!

Reason #2 - You will earn Product Recognition. How many times do we have to read it? The business experts all say it takes two years to really get a business off the ground. So why do we give up so easily after just two months? When we keep grounded and keeping working the business we have, we begin to be recognized for our product. This is true locally and online. There are so many online WAHMs who when I see them, I think of their product.
Reason #3 - It's Financial Smart. Instead of investing $100 to $300 or more into a new business, invest that into a really good marketing effort. Reach a new group of people! Sponsor a great event or contest that will reach new potential customers.

The key here is to really brainstorm! Imagine that you are starting a new business, what is it that you would do to get the word out? Now just do it for your present business! LOL! It's so simple that many WAHMs miss it. Don't waste all the energy on starting over - apply it to what you already know about.

Kelly McCausey hosts Work at Home Moms Talk Radio Listen while you work! http://www.wahmtalkradio.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_McCausey

Good things happen when.....

Valeri Love-Author/Life Coach/Motivational Speaker

Valerie Love is a public speaker, author, and the president and founder of The Power of Love Worldwide, a ministry that teaches others how to use the power of love to become the most magnificent and excellent version of themselves that is possible.

Valerie has been a guest speaker at American Express, Rock International Church, Financial Destination Inc., United Faith Church of Deliverance (2006 Women’s Conference), FEW (Federally Employed Women), Life International Ministries, Booz Allen & Hamilton, and more.

She is currently studying under spiritual life counselor and author, Iyanla Vanzant, at the Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development, pursuing a certification as a spiritual life coach. She will complete the program in 2008. Valerie lives in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with her husband and three of the couple's four children.



Valerie when did you cath the entrepreneurial bug?

I began as a teenager when I did babysitting and found that I loved offering a
service and being compensated for it. I watched kids and the parents (who
were friends of my parents) paid me. It was my first taste of using my natural
abilities to make money.

Since then I've owned and operated several businesses, including a newspaper
distributorship, a financial planning practice, and most recently, a large and thriving network marketing business.

What would you say was your biggest challenges:

The biggest challenge has been managing my own mind and my emotions.
Setbacks are typical in business, and managing emotional ups and downs
is critical to success. Some of the things that happen in business don't feel
good, but they all turn out to be valuable lessons in the long run.
Managing my mind is critical to success also, as the mind creates reality.

What was the best discovery that you made in the course of business, that you wish you would have done in the beginning?

Build solid relationships and keep all contacts in a database that allows
you to reach out and touch your contacts often. This enables you to keep
your business at the top of your prospects' minds. When they need your
product or service, they'll turn to you first if you've done a good job of
keeping in contact with them. Don't just bug people, find a way to offer
valuable little tidbits when you reach out to them. Make the contact
valuable to the consumer, not just a way to advertise to them.

What is the thing that you would never advise a person to do in there business

Never procrastinate! I've learned to move ahead even when I don't have
ideal circumstances. So many people never pull the trigger because they
are waiting for things to be perfect. Perfect circumstances never come,
they are created.

When did you realize your gift and that you could get paid for it?

I've know since grade school that I was talented with speaking and writing. My teachers wanted to skip me because my reading level was always so much higher than the grade I was in. When I got to high school, one of my teachers was so impressed with my writing and she told me so. I began to take my writing seriously and wrote for the school paper and the yearbooks.My writing was written up in the New York Times when I was a teenager under the heading "Great Writing by Young People". It was a thrill. Today, it's a thrill to know that soon my books
will be in the hands of people everywhere. It is a lifelong dream.

Why do you think life coaching is so important for entrpreneurs?

I am being coached, even though I am a Life Coach. Everyone needs three major benefits from coaching:

1. mapping out an action plan for life by clearly defining exactly what you want based upon who you are;
2. being shown that our potential is so much more than
we may currently realize;
3. being held accountable to reach the dreams we say we want.

Coaching is critical to advancement in any and every phase of life. Every successful person I know had mentors and coaches
along the way. It is impossible to reach all of your dreams and
desires completely on your own.

I have been mentored and coached for years, and I will continue to be both a coach and a client. Coaching is invaluable!

Valerie Love how do you define success?

I define success as having the 7 F's of life. I am developing this into a workshop that will be offered soon:
1. Family -- including intimate relationships
2. Friends -- satisfying relationships
3. Fulfillment -- living your Divine Life's Purpose and using it to touch others's lives
4. Fun -- knowing how to relax and give yourself pleasure
5. Fruitfulness -- having enough money/resources to meet all your needs and enough to build reserves to help others who you feel led to assist.
6. Fitness -- having a healthy body that is energetic
7. Faith -- the most important aspect of all: your spirituality

We truly can have it all.

Thank you Valerie for taking time to speak with us here at Just Leap.

If you are interested in participating in one of Valerie Loves retreats, you can go to elephantfinancialgroup. I have been to three of them and I must say they are life changing. Valerie challenges you to be the you , you were put here to be.

Never Let the Odds...

www.quotablecards.com

Dionne Green- Susej Designs

Dionne Green, creator of Susej Designs, was born in San Antonio, Texas. As the daughter of military parents, she spent most of her childhood traveling the world. During her teens, Green moved to El Paso, Texas and enrolled at the University of Texas at El Paso, initially taking up courses in accounting.

Growing up, Green always knew she wanted to work in fashion, and later transferred to Howard University in Washington, D.C. to study fashion merchandising. It was during her time at Howard that Green discovered her passion for illustration. She later redirected her studies abroad to concentrate on fashion design at the renowned Istituto Marangoni in Milan, Italy, one of Europe's leading Fashion and Design schools. Here, her enthusiasm and natural ability was fully developed as she learned the art of illustration and the skills required to build a collection.
Upon completion of her studies, she returned to Washington, D.C. with a remarkable portfolio and a wealth of knowledge. Green wanted to combine her designs with something that women could take pride in and appreciate; from that Susej Designs was born.

Dionne Green is the sole creator and developer for Susej Designs. In the future, Green plans to offer women's clothing and other accessories.

Dionne how did you get started ?
The bags pretty much were a spin off of T-Shirts. In experimenting with different styles of T-shirts. A friend said these are sooooo beautiful you should put these on bags for women.

Susej Design. How did you come up with that name and what does it mean?
Susej is Jesus spelled backwards. It is my thank you to Jesus Christ for blessing me with Susej Design and allowing me to do what I love.

Where you working for anyone when you started your business?
I was working for an optometrist for about a year by day and working on sample bags at night. It eventually got to a point where I knew I had to leave in order to let my business grow.

Do you remember your first client?
Yes I do. Her name was Sandy. It was my first day at Eastern Market in DC(high end flee market) . Just seeing the looks on peoples faces as they saw my bags for the first time was good for my heart, it let me know I was moving in the right direction. The first customer that saw my bag was Sandy, she looked at the bag and loved it however she said she wanted to think about it. Sandy went away for about an hour. When she came back I was sooooooooooooo excited. While she was away she said something told her to come back and get that bag before she went out of town. While packaging the bag I pulled a string of beads off the bag. Sandy was great about the whole thing, she said I could just repair it when she got back in town. She was a great first customer.

How do you come up with the names for the bags?
Sometimes the names will inspire the design. Tangled Tool came from a quote "Leave life's Tangles to God". It's symbolic, she is sitting on life's twist and turns. The skirt of her dress represents lifes twist and turns.

Some of the other names are Solid Gold, Sweet Summer and Blond Ambition, to name a few...

What is your Biggest challenge?
Looking for the right people to work with me. This is my baby. You pray that leaving things in the next persons hands are the right hands

The best discovery that you made in the course of business, that you wish you would have done in the beginning?
Is knowing that the strength that I thought I had , I really have it. I can think a thing is possible and it come to life.

The thing that you would never advise a person to do in their business:
Don't limit your business. My business is based in the DC area. But I get orders from around the world. You want a business without walls , no limitations.

How do you define success
Just doing what makes you happy

Dionne has also been featured in Upscale Magazine ,Feb 2006, The Examiner, and other fashion publications. She is most recently featured in the Baltimore Sun this month.

Thank you Dionne for talking to us and many blessing to you and your business

Explore.Dream.Discover

www.quotablecards.com

10 Tools A Work At Home Newbie Can Use To Leverage Your Way To Success

By Kim Rhodes

As a solo entrepreneur you can get overwhelmed trying to wear all the hats. If you are just starting out you are the CEO, the sales person, the book-keeper and the dish washer. You know that I mean? You might have heard the phrase create leverage and if so great. However, once you make that discovery you are now simply exposed to so many options it’s hard to know what to choose.

As a work at home business one of the goals is to create an experience for the customer that is as easy as if they were buying from a Fortune 500. So how do you make it happen?

One of the best things you can do is look for good products that can demonstrate value to the customer but involves little to no work on your part.

Here are 10 tools that are easy for the non techs but add great value to the customer.

1. www.Efax.com: EFax is an online fax service that eliminates the need for a traditional fax machine, another line and all the associated expenses such as paper and ink cartridges. You get a real fax number that's tied to your email.

2. www.Aweber.com: If you want to keep in touch with your customers automatically and personalize the communication an auto responder can be an important tool. For a small monthly fee you are able to create email campaigns or a single message and broadcast it to your customer list. There are a variety of ways to increase the personalization and as a result will help you develop a better relationship with the customer.

3. www.VoiceShot.com: How would you like to instantly send a voice mail broadcast message to one or thousands of customers at a time? Imagine the power of being able to send reminders, alerts, product announcements or even so interactive polls or surveys right from the web. There are no set up fees or monthly minimums. You simply pay for the calls that are delivered. You truly can call more than one person at a time.

4. www.SendOutCards.com: Have you ever wanted to send a thoughtful card to someone but forgot or it simply did not happen because you ran out of time? Well Kody Bateman CEO of send out cards has not only revolutionized the greeting card industry he has made it his mission to change peoples lives one card at a time. With over a couple of cards in the inventory you can send cards to anyone.

I love this product because in less than one minute you can choose a card, personalize it, even add a picture, write it with your own handwriting, put a stamp on it and hit send. This is no e-card that may never get opened. You can set yourself apart from the competition and touch the heart of people you care about with this revolutionary product.

5. www.AudioAcrobat.com: Audio Acrobat is easiest way to add audio to your website or email. Would you to create your own online radio show? Audio Acrobat helps you record conference calls, podcast, interviews, and more. You can also learn to create products such as marketable CD’s.

6. www.FreeConference.com: Have you ever wanted to give a tele-seminar but did not want have the money to get started? Or maybe, you wanted to put a group of your customers or support team on the line to mastermind. A great way to not only develop a bound with your customers but to develop your content to them is through tele-seminars or tele-classes as they are sometimes called.

If you are just starting try www.FreeConference.com . You will receive a phone number where up to 25 participates can call in and listen to your seminar, boot camp, book reading or whatever content you want to deliver.

As you grow in experience you can choose other companies that will allow a larger number of participates as well options such as recording and creating a MP3 file.

Conference calls are great leverage because you can speak to several people at one time from the comfort of your home.

7. .: Would you like to know what your customers are thinking? You should. It’s simple to do when survey them. You can use this free online service to tap in the heart and mind your customer and uncover what they want from you. In less than 10 minutes you can be up and running. It’s easy to use with no software to install.

8. www.ilovechecks.com: Current figures show that 20% of all online transactions are check-based and that more than 75 million Americans do not have a credit card. Now your business can accept online checks and get fast verification of account status. You don't even need a shopping cart to process online checks with their virtual terminal and ATMVerify services. Don’t lose business because you don’t take checks.

9. www.EVoice.com or www.EVoicePlus.com: If you are a start up or home based business you may not want to miss your customers calls or have them go to a voice mail. Providing a quick response gives your clients to assurance that you are a well run business.

The ability to answer a customer or get back to them quickly is a crucial part of customer service. There are several different ways to accomplish this. However, www.evoice.com and www.evoiceplus.com are two lost cost highly effective tools. EVoice allows the messages to be send to your email and with EVoice Plus your messages can go right to your cell phone.

10. www.PDF995.com: One of the keys to leverage your business is to create free reports, products, e-books and other publishing documents. The power of this strategy is once you develop a product you can either give it away or sell it over and over. You can even add free give-away rights which will allow someone to give your report away without changing any of the content. This can start a buzz and spread like a virus.

While there are only 24 hours in a day choosing the right tools can surely help you leverage the time. Think strategically when you are looking for products and service to help you build your business. Don’t just think about what you need right now. Always ask your self the question, “How can this tool help me grow into a million dollar business?”

About the Author:

Kim Rhodes is a speaker, author, columnist and radio talk show host. She is a recognized expert on home based business and self development. She is the owner of http://www.ihatecorporateamerica.com/

Read more articles by: Kim Rhodes

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Gayla McCord--Successful WAHM Blogger

MomGadget.com is just one of the blogs that our first work at home mom owns and writes for. I came accross Gayla McCord's blogs while doing some of my own research into the world of blogging. Was this something you could actually make money from. YES YOU CAN! I was so inspired by Gayla and her story that I wanted her to be our first interview. Gayla McCord is a work at home mom and a professional blogger. Gayla currently has 12 blogs ranging from Work at Home Moms ,Dating, to celebrity gossip. You can check out all of Gayla's sites at her blog log. Thank you again Gayla for taking time out to talk to us.

1)What made you decided to start blogging? and when did you realize you could make money from it?
I started blogging as a way to compile articles I was contracted to write. The company introduced me to blogs as a way to catalog those articles and keep track of them better for invoicing. Once I began for them, I was hooked. I started my own blog on March 24, 2004. Prior to that, everything I did online was contained within three websites I owned.

2) Biggest challenges:

Working from home is toughest in that most people think just because I'm home, I'm available to talk on the phone, go shopping, visit, babysit, etc. I've struggled a great deal with the lack of respect for the job I do.

3) The best discovery that you made in the course of business, that you wish you would have done in the beginning?

I can't say for sure on this one. I think everyone around me, including those I learn the most from have all taken this 'journey' together. I think it's great that so many are willing to share the lessons they have learned so that others don't have to learn things quite the hard way.

4) The thing that you would never advise a person to do in their business.

Never give up. If you've chosen a business that's based on something you believe in, don't give up! It's taken me nearly 10 years to get to where I am. In the beginning, I struggled a great deal, but it was worth it. It meant cutting some corners that were painful to cut, but in the end, it all worked out.

5) How do you define success?

For me, I knew I had gained success when I felt I could support my family, give my kids everything they need and much of what they want on my income alone. When I was able to purchase my own home for the first time - that was another major milestone in my personal ladder to success.

Find out more about Gayla and her sites ,click MomGadget

ITS NEVER TOO LATE....

Happy Monday. Here is your quote to get you thru the week. When I saw this quote at quatablecards it made me think of all the women out there that dont take the leap to work from home because they feel as though they missed that window in their life already. This says otherwise. Its never to late.

THE ONE MINUTE MILLIONAIRE

The one minute millionaire is a GREAT BOOK for anyone to read that is ready to LEAP into the world of being an entrepreneur. When you first pick the book up however it may seem a little confusing as this book is two different reads in one. On the right side is investing details for the intellectually minded person and on the left side is a terrific read for the artistic minded person containing the same investing details as the right side (intellectual) pages. It's a story about a woman named Michelle who's children have been stolen from her by two evil family members, after her husband suddenly dies. Life leads her to a phenomenal multi-millionaire mentor( we will cover how important it is to have a mentor later on this site), she becomes an eagle in training, and because of a daring bet to save her children, she too becomes a millionaire in very short period of time. This book is a must read to help you take that leap and its an easy read , so for those of you that are not big readers you will breeze thru this book.

10 Home-Based Business Ideas

If you are thinking about starting your own home-based business, the available options can be overwhelming. The first thing you should do is figure out what it is you love to do. What could you do and not care if you got paid or not. That is the key. Do what you love and the money will come Here are 10 home-based business ideas.

1. Child-care services. Turn your expertise with children into one of the most popular home-based business opportunities. Check this article out

2. 1. Personal trainer. If you are fitness-minded, you can start your own career as a personal trainer. Check out the National Federation of Professional Trainers for information about the certification process.

3. Direct Sales or MLM- This is a great business to look into if you want residual income. Also this type of business will allow you to have a very low start up cost. Usually between $199-$400 depending on the business.

4. Medical claims billing. This industry is one of the most popular work-from-home businesses — so much so that suspect companies have been popping up on the Internet and in classified advertisements. ELearners.com can help you locate transcription training courses online

5. Home inspection. The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors Web site provides information on becoming certified to inspect homes.

6. Interior design. If you have a flair for the creative, consider interior design. The American Society of Interior Designers Web site provides resources for aspiring interior designers, including a list of each state's requirements for licensing

7. Wedding planner. If you are an ace at organizing important events and have a Rolodex full of contacts, consider becoming a wedding planner. http://www.fabjob.com/weddingplanner.asp

8. Cleaning service. If you are good at cleaning, consider offering your services to others. One way to go is with a franchise. CleanNet-USA and JaniKing are two of the largest franchisers in the cleaning market.

9. Catering or personal chef. Consider starting your own catering or personal chef business from your own kitchen. You can set yourself apart from competitors by providing specialized services such as low-carb or vegetarian menus

10. Online Business-This is a huge work from home business. You have WAHM all over the country that make their money is this way from Blog Sites, Affliate Sites, Webdesign and more. A few great sites to get more info are http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/ and http://momgadget.com/about

GO CONFIDENTLY

THE QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

ttp://www.quotablecards.com/main.html.

83 of Worlds 946 Billionaires are Women

Leap and the Net Will Appear

I just love that quote. I heard it about 2 years ago at a workshop. The workshop was geared to people stepping out on faith to start there own business. So many times we put so much thought into working for ourselves that , in the end that is all we are doing is putting thought into it and not taking action. This blog is dedicated to those that did take the leap and it is also here to aid and inspire those that are not just quite ready. I have this magnet on my refrigrator as well. You can buy it at most wholefood stores but if you dont have one near you , you can check out ttp://www.quotablecards.com/main.html.