The Business of Being a Mom

Learning to trust is a critical skill in parenting and business.

As your kids enter their school age years you learn new life lessons in trust.  Up until this point, they have never been alone in the world without you by their side . You have always been there there to warn them of stranger danger, soften the blows of disappointment and bandaid their boo-boos.  Yet come time for school, you are forced to  turn your back on their classroom door, drive out of the parking lot and wave to the bus with profound unconditional trust.  You hope and pray that the world you have left them in will guide them, empower them and protect them.  

For us, getting through these parenting moments, depends greatly on how much strength we can draw from the lessons we taught (or tired to teach them) at home. We tried to raise them with care and caution making sure they knew their phone number and address, what to do in an emergency and how to tie their shoes. We taught them about kindness to others and respect to adults. We encouraged them to always stand up for themselves, wash their hands and never take candy from unmarked vans.  All these simple little things are boot camp, training and preparation for the “real world” when we are not there to remind, reward and reassure their every move.   

Similarily, when, your business grows beyond your ability to be there for every sales transaction, brand impression and design meeting you find yourself in the same uncomfortable positon of inexperienced trust.  Only this time…the Business of Being a Mom kicks in and it’s not quite so uncomfortable.  You can maneuver through this a bit faster leaving you less time  in limbo and more time in progress. This time you you find your strength in the referrals, interview process, training and gut instinct that led you to make this person a part of your team.  You can let them loose to do their job and multiply your companies success as quickly and painless as possible. 

In business, trust in employees, investors, customers and vendors comes easier when you have lived through the first day of kindergarten, school dances and slumber parties.

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Sometimes the best laid plans can literally go up in flames when you own a business.  We recently confessed to Anna Harris over at Cafe Yak about a few blunders and trying moments in Boogie Wonderland.  Including, the day the Boogies were blazin’.  Yes, this is an actual picture of the moment that part of our biggest order of the year went up in flames on Interstate 5. We took it as a subtle reminder that when push comes to shove, we are not really the ones in charge of how things will go down.  *wink*

To find out all the details and pick up a few tips on whats worked for us through the years,  pay a visit to Cafe Yak by clicking this link. http://www.cafeyak.com/boogie-wipes.html

PS- Thankfully and most important, no one was hurt in the accident, except for a few bruised egos… but we will save that for another post.

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Does your business feel like a snowman in Florida sometimes? Melting away, morphing beyond your control? Most businesses do at some point. We have at Little Busy Bodies…many, many times. It’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Some days bite big time, no matter what we do.

So, how do you handle it when you think your doing everything right and watching it go wrong? Do you rise to the challenge, embrace your position as co-pilot and grab a parachute for the team or hang your head in defeat like this poor little Frosty did? Much easier just to hang your head and look for a pity party. That’s for sure.

Although we have been to a few pity parties ourselves, we have found the moments in business (and motherhood) that challenge us against our nature are often the same ones that deliver our shots at excellence. When things outside our control are getting the best of us that also usually means the spotlight is on somewhere. We tend to try to focus on the positive, keep the glass half full and keep movin’. These moments of despair turned destiny have paved our path to success and happiness. Don’t let your worst case scenario consume you to the point of constant pessimism. It’s not good for you, your employees, your customers, investors or family. Focus on what could be next, where is the opportunity in your mud puddle?

The snowman who embraces his change usually finds himself in a better place when the cold returns. Perhaps, evaporated into a arctic blast moving over a school yard of 2nd grade eskimos with buttons, top hats and corn cob pipes in hand.

Thumpty Thump Thump….. look at Frosty go….

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“I’m sure They make something to fix that.”

“Yes, They should have one to hook it on to.”

“They probably have one so it doesn’t hurt so much.”

“They must have thought about making it easier to use.”

Didn’t They?  Shouldn’t They?  Won’t They?  Hello…They?  Are you out there?   You have a lot of work to do.

Who is this elusive “They” we tall talk about in our moments of frustrating functional dilemma?  Are “They” the billion dollar food company packaging a greener, more convenient option?  Or are ”They”  the technology company working on making the buttons more kid friendly?  The toy manufacturer researching a better way to get it to stick on tight or the apparel company who just hired the designer that will finally get it to fit right?

Or what if maybe, just maybe, “They”…is YOU? *Insert Dramatic Thought-Provoking Pause Here*

Start researching your idea today.  Don’t assume “They” already are or “They” ever will.  Don’t assume “They” know what they are doing and no matter what, never ever assume “They” could do it better than YOU!

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Random Monday @ 3:30 PM=

You need to go to the grocery store. Everyone took their afternoon nap, their bellies are PB&J full, the morning deposits came right on time so you shouldn’t need to make a pit stop. Perfect!   Your trip with three kids in tow will be a piece of cake today.

Really?  Cmooooon – We moms know better than that. We know that something will go haywire. The likelihood of Joey pulling the bottom apple out the biggest stack in the produce department closely follows the chance that Veronica will throw a fit because her brother’s cookie has the most sprinkles.  Inevitably, someone will get their foot caught in the shopping cart, their hair stuck in the seat belt or their toy left on the cereal aisle.  It just happens.

SO OUR OPTIONS LIVING ON PLANET MOM ARE:

Life Option #1 = Lose countless hours of much needed sleep because grocery shopping is easier at night when your hubby is home and the kids are in bed.  Never go the Pumpkin Patch because it might rain and your toddler could fall in a pile of goat dung.  And, avoid all carnivals, fairs, Birthday parties, circuses and otherwise kids friendly activities because sister might feed her Groovy Girl an entire caramel apple again.  Basically be a hermit, stay home all the time in your “comfort zone.”

Life Option #2 =  Get out, roll with the punches, enjoy your kids. Take the risks necessary to LIVE YOUR LIFE!

Risk taking is a big part of being an entrepreneur and Moms, you take risks EVERY DAY, almost every minute of every day.  Although its tempting to stay comfortable in the child-proofed surroundings of your home, your desire to share the world with your children outweighs the worry of an unplanned event, meltdown or embarassing moment.  Life has too much to offer and the smile on your kids faces when they see the World’s Largest Pig at the State Fair makes every messy, stressful, ketchup filled moment of that day worth it.

Yes, the bank may deny you, the retailer might laugh at you, the manufacturer could screw up the order and the customer might be unhappy.   Things may not go according to plan but that’s where Moms do their  best work. Outside of their comfort zone and in the chaos of unpredictability.  Moms are the perfect people to run a business.

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We have seen our kids pitch plenty of fits.

Too bad that skill doesn’t come in handy when pitching investors.  They seem to want things like actual sales, growth potential, branding strategies and patentable ideas.   Much more work and much less kicking and screaming.

The Boogie Moms will be at The Perfect Pitch Enterpreneur & Investor Conference in Los Angeles, October 26th.  Very cool concept on the heels of shows like Shark Tank. Thousands of entrepreneurs submitted pitches and  10 small business owners were chosen to share their ideas with a panel of investors to try to raise capital for their growth.  Having been through a Series A round of funding already ourselves, we know the value of a smart money like this and wish these hopefuls lots of luck pitching their fits to these Sharks

In the break-out sessions, Julie will speak to a few budding entrepreneurs on sales tactics and strategies to get their inventions to the shelves of Walmart and Mindee will be on the edge of her seat taking in a few seminars on Marketing and PR strategies.

SIRtainly not to be missed. No doubt the highlight will be the Key Note from genius Sir Richard Branson.   We will drop a report and pic here when we get back .

Sir Richard has Boogies too, right? Maybe he will sign a pack-o-Boogie Wipes for us and we can start a collection of celebrity’s boogers we have met. Ohh….good stuff.

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We get lots of requests for a business plan template so we put something brief together.

Click Here to Download

Don’t be intimidated by planning, take it one step at a time and know it’s a moving target and that’s OK. Break apart the pieces and give yourself ample time to complete them each. A good business plan should take about 30 days to research and write. There is no magic number of pages that makes a plan and executive summary good. Could be 8, could be 18. It depends on the type of business you have and it’s all about the content. Your plan will be necessary for finding investors for your business, helping you determine retail outlets or client bases, strategizing growth, deciding on marketing programs and understanding your competition.

Our favorite planning quote = “Lack of planning on your part does not equate to an emergency on mine!” That means be prepared because more than you think will NOT fall into your plan. Fortunately for you – you’re a business owner AND a Mom so you’re used to rolling with the punches. You plan the best you can and prepare for potential pitfalls. Business is no different. Just one more reason to bring mama to the office with you each and every day.

Now get to work on that business plan.

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We are honored to be the hosts of this awe inspiring evening in Tampa next month – Tampa Moms Reinvented. Meet local and national mompreneurs making it happen, hear their stories of triumph and tribulation as they grow their businesses, juggle their families and live their purpose. Grab a girlfriend and join us for some schmooze, cocktail and feel good as the event also raises money for Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

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It may cause shock and awe. But then again… it may cause shock and awe.

If you have taken the time to understand your customer, then you should know what turns them on and off. Find the line and walk it. If they are not responding to your advertising then your message is not bold enough or you’re flashing the wrong crowd.

Boogie Mom Disclaimer: We do not encourage this type of behavior, especially if your children are nearby (wait until your HS reunion).  This is not us, we have had children, our assets are closer to the ground. We  found this image off the internet somewhere so if someone needs a royalty, email us at boogiemoms@boogiewipes.com. We’re budding entreprenuers so you are welcome to the entire contents of our bank accounts at any time.

Moral of the Story = Make sure you really know who your consumer is. Where do they shop? What do they buy? What movies do they like?  How old are their kids? Whats on their ipod? What internet sites were they at today and most importantly, what don’t they want you to know about them?  Thats where the good stuff is.  Once you know who they are and where to find them, be bold and hit them with your best shot.

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This is the challenge for Mompreneurs everywhere  = Do NOT feel bad when you have to turn off your phone for school pick up at 3:00 and NO apologies for spit-up stained suits. If your toddler takes a spill during a conference call, clean em up, kiss the boo boo and don’t miss a beat.  When your 16 year old needs an emergency trip to the mall, push your deadline back a day and hand her the car keys (well that one is optional). The point is, lets help each other leave the guilt at the door (we know its waaaayyyy easier said than done). Lets try to focus on all we ARE giving our kids by running our own business, NOT what we think we can’t and DEFINITELY NOT what we think we are supposed to be doing. After all, wouldn’t you want your kids to pursue their dreams if they had a business idea as great as yours?

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