Don’t Forget the Basics

With all the attention that social networking gets these days, it would be easy to forget all about the good old-fashioned “face-to-face” form of networking. But no doubt this way of networking is still alive and well. Given face-to-face networking can be a little bit more complicated for mompreneurs, but it is not impossible. Networking is about taking full advantage of opportunities when they arise. Now this doesn’t mean that you need to become hyper-aggressive when you have a networking opportunity physically in front of you, but it does mean that you need to be prepared.

In general, entrepreneurs should always be ready to recruit a little new business. Work at home moms and mompreneurs may just need to be a little more mentally aware and present when those face-to-face networking opportunities do occur. Part of making those opportunities occur, of course, means placing yourself in such situations in the first place, so get out there!

Go Digital, But Be Selective

There are lots of ways that you can network online, but part of the trick of successful online networking is not spreading yourself too thin. With this factor in mind, it is important that you don’t try and maintain a “full” presence on every single networking site that is available. Remember your time is precious and, as a result, you will need to selectively pick and choose the online networking options that you think best fit you, your business, your style and your endeavors. You may find, for example, that for your given business, LinkedIn is far better than Facebook or vice-versa. Again, it all depends on your business and your personality.

The main point is to make sure that you are out there networking, whether its person, online or both. Networking is all about effective communication and creating the opportunities to get you and your product in front of others. Keep these facts in mind, and you will certainly see your networking success increase.

Mompreneurs and work at home moms know better than most people that time management is about as important as it gets. You could even go so far as to state that time management could mean the difference between success and failure. While all business people need to keep time management at the foreground of their thinking, it’s doubly important for busy mompreneurs.

One of the single best ways to start managing your time more effectively is to step back and carefully assess how you are using your time. If your first response to this suggestion is, “I can’t do that, I hardly have time to finishing reading this article,” then you most definitely need to step back and evaluate how you are spending your time.

You may have invested in a shiny, fancy and complicated smartphone recently. If so, put that phone to work! Use it to start logging what you are doing each hour. Don’t worry about finding patterns that need to be changed at first. Instead just focus on consistently logging what you are doing each hour. If you are taking a trip to the printers, that is fine. Just log that activity. Regardless of what you may do at a given time, track your behavior, productivity and activity.

The next step is to take a week’s worth of this valuable information, sit down with it, and begin to look at it closely. Hopefully, you will find some ways that you can easily improve your time management. You might instantly see ways that you can combine certain activities or eliminate activities altogether so that you can get more out of your time.

To get a second opinion, you might want to take this chart of what you do with your time to a person you trust and ask if he or she sees any room for improvement. Asking your spouse or best friend might not be the perfect solution, as they are potentially too close to the situation. Instead try a business professional, such as your lawyer, accountant or a business associate.

Time management is a complicated task because life is often complicated, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t find ways of getting more out of your time. Just make sure that you set aside some time for yourself as well, or you will be facing burnout and a decrease in overall productivity!

Ready to place your order? Get ahead of the rush, ‘cuz the store is open NOW! Work on new orders WON’T BEGIN UNTIL MONDAY…

...but you can get an early bird discount by using code ITSABOUTTIME for 10% off your total! Code is good TODAY ONLY! (March 3rd, 2011)

We’ve all been there when the reality sets in that this time (maybe every time) you have to pass on the chance to connect in a real live “face to face” situation with heavy hitters in your industry. It’s crushing, it’s depressing, you wonder if you can ever develop a connection and lasting business relationship using alternative means of networking. Can you get results, win friends and influence people without the actual face to face connect a conference setting provides?

This is the topic we’re tweeting about and discussing in the Boutique Cafe Facebook group this week. Have you had a similar experience please come share it. If you have found other means and methods of alternative networking it’s time to spill the beans and share your secret to networking success. That way the next conference that rolls around that we can’t attend won’t send us into a tailspin of chocolate eating and deep sobs. – Daria

Let’s chat NETWORKING >>

Continuing our Boutique Cafe Conference Keynote – Part 2 with Greggy Girl Founder Charlene May.

Topics In this episode :
Keynote pt. 2 with Greggy Girl Founder Charlene May:

**You can watch Part 1 of this Keynote Presentation here>>

** Click button below to view video coverage, or view it on our YouTube channel right here>>

Boutique Cafe Conference – Keynote with Charlene May of Greggy Girl Pt.1 from Daria – Boutique Cafe on Vimeo.

I’m so thrilled to be releasing this never seen footage from our 2007 Boutique Cafe Girls Getaway Conference in Salt Lake City. Our Keynote speaker was Charlene May, founder of girls clothing empire Greggy Girl. In her presentation Charlene covered so many key points for our attendees on following your dreams, this presentation was for designers of children’s apparel but translates into valuable information for any business, as you’ll see this keynote touched the hearts of many of our attendees who have continued on to GREAT things. Please enjoy Part 1 in our series from that conference, and please share it with your fellow women in businesses and mompreneurs. Thank you again Charlene, this conference was MAGIC and it meant so much to have you there. – XO Daria

In this episode (length 38:15):
Introduction by Daria, Owner Host and Producer for Boutique Cafe
How they conference came to be: with Daria and Megan of Brassy Apple
Keynote pt. 1 with Greggy Girl Founder Charlene May:

Some Screen Captures from this event

Your comments are welcomed and most appreciated. (unless they are about how much of a weeper I am, trust me I know – LOL!)

** Click button below to view video coverage, or view it on our YouTube channel right here>>

My dear buddies Kim and Kris from The DIY Dish (yes they are twins, no they are not related to Marie Osmond) are guests in a fun challenge on the Nate Berkus Show airing Oct 27th!! Don’t miss it! Eeek so excited for you both, I’ll be watching and cheering – XOXO Daria

Sandi is a Queen of design, she createseverything from fabric to patterns to gift boxes…she even has a BOOK! That’s right, she’s amazing and now we can all have a little piece of Sandi’s style in our own homes. I am totally in love with these pumpkins. If you make one please blog about it and then post the linky here so we can come by and marvel at the Fall cuteness!!

Celebrate by lighting a spicy candle and sewing a little pumpkin patch. Included are the pattern and instructions for the Small Sculpted Pumpkin, Medium Sculpted Pumpkin and Large Sculpted Gourd. Also included are the instructions to make any size Tufted Pumpkin.

This pattern is available as a PDF download. The file will be emailed when your order is complete.

A little background…I started making and selling camera straps back in January of 2008. Back then, there was only me and one other person selling the camera strap slipcovers. It was an extremely successful and rewarding venture for me and one I still enjoy and offer to customers. It helped kick start a business that I love and thrive on. With so many designers out there now offering camera strap slipcovers, the market is flooded with this particular item. It became important for me to come up with new ideas and products to ensure that my business grows. I have been extremely blessed to have been able to expand my designs and sell additional camera accessory products which is the bulk of my business.

My main reason for offering this tutorial, even though I do sell these as part of my inventory, is because I am extremely thankful for the support and business I have received throughout the years and I want to give something back to the “lovers of all things handmade” community. I have received LOTS of tips and help from many, many members of this wonderful community over the years and I want to share something with you all. Just a way of saying THANKS!!

The tutorial idea actually started as a plan for an eBook for my camera strap slipcovers back in June of 2009 (I actually had to look that up…was thinking it couldn’t have been THAT long ago). Time just didn’t seem to be on my side and I let the project go on the back burner. I have finally finished it and have decided to turn my eBook into a tutorial instead.

My tutorial is not the first tutorial out there on how to make your own camera strap slipcovers. But mine are a little different. When I first started making the straps, my first priority was stylish, COMFY straps that make wearing your camera more enjoyable. So not only did I focus on fun fabrics, the overall quality and construction of the strap, but I came up with a strap that is also lined AND padded. Not just fabric only straps. You have 4 layers of fabric plus two layers of fleece padding sitting on your neck. How nice is that? Now I am going to share with you HOW I do it.

Now with all that said (man that turned into a longer spiel than I intended), here is the camera strap tutorial. I really hope that it is a fun and easy project that you enjoyed and hope that the finished product will bring you lots of joy and COMFORT when shooting for business and/or pleasure.

Padded Camera Strap Slipcover Tutorial

Materials Needed:

· Cotton Fabric (1 piece printed; 1 piece coordinating solid)
· Coordinating Thread
· Lightweight Fusible Fleece
· Rotary Cutter/Scissors
· Acrylic Ruler
· Iron

Finished size for this particular camera strap slipcover is 22 inches long by approximately 2.25 inches wide. Please read ENTIRE tutorial FIRST before starting. It makes more sense that way.

You will need to cut your fabrics (each piece – the print and coordinating solid) 23 inches long by 5.5 inches wide. This will give you TWO separate pieces (one print and one solid). Press both pieces to get out all wrinkles. Now lay those aside.

Now cut ONE piece of fusible fleece 21 inches long by 4.5 inches wide. Fleece should be cut one inch shorter (width wise) than the fabric. This will make it easier to sew when finishing your side seams. Length should be 2 inches shorter than fabric. Fleece will stretch when pressing to your fabric and your length will increase as you are pressing. I try and leave a ½ gap at each end of strap so that when you are folding in the fabric, you will not have to worry about the fleece’s bulkiness. Now set aside.

Putting RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER (printed fabric facing solid fabric), sew or serge together the length (the longest sides) of both fabric pieces using a 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving the ends open (this will make an inside out fabric tubing where printed fabric is facing in). (See image 1).

{Image 1}

With fabrics still facing right sides together (inside out), line up fleece evenly centered (I just eyeball this…I do not actually measure it) on the SOLID fabric piece and press (follow manufacturer’s instructions for iron settings). Make sure that you adhere the entire piece. I then let my fleece cool completely before moving on. (See image 2).

{Image 2}

Once fleece has cooled, turn right side out (where printed fabric is now facing out) and press both side seams. Fleece will now be on the inside of the strap between the WRONG sides of the solid and printed fabric. (See images 3-6).

{Image 3 (Turning strap right side out)}

{Image 4 (What strap looks like once it is turned right side out)}

{Image 5 (Press both side seams)}

{Image 6 (What strap looks like once both sides are pressed)}

Turn both ends of straps ½ inch toward the inside of the strap (tucking raw edges of fabric into the strap) and press. (See image 7).

{Image 7}

Sew both ends of straps (width) together with a straight stitch using a 1/8 – 1/4 inch seam allowance (personal preference….I like mine as close to the end of the fabric as I can get so I use 1/8 inch). (See image 8).

{Image 8}

Fold strap (printed fabric on outside/solid fabric touching) in half lengthwise lining up edges and press.
(See images 9 & 10)

{Image 9}

{Image 10}

Sew the two OPEN sides lengthwise together using a 1/8 inch seam allowance starting at the top. Make sure that you reverse/back stitch at stress points (ends of straps near openings). (See image 11).

{Image 11}

And TADA!! You are done! Was that easy or what?

Finished strap.

How easy was that? Now all you have to do is slide it on your commercial camera strap and you are ALL SET!! – Amy

Article by: Amy of Priddy Creations
Link to her website >
Link to her Etsy Shop>
Follow her on Twitter >

Hope you’ll all “LIKE” us on Facebook, we’d love to see you there! Come connect with hundreds of mompreneurs, bloggers, designers and moms like you!!

This Tweet Little Link Up will run for 1 week! Enjoy!! – Daria

...

YOU CAN WIN WITH THE DIY DISH >>

Remember the days when you couldn’t wait to open that special valentine card filled with a paper note and conversation heart candy. I just KNEW that those conversation heart candies meant TRU LUV when given by the boy I had a crush on.:)

Years later, those special “valentines” are still ones I look forward to giving and receiving. A handmade card and artwork from our children are some of the best, aren’t they? A small handmade gift from a friend says, “I’m thinking of you”. Those kinds of things are memorable and treasured because you know that it was made with a lot of thought, time, and care. You know that while they were making that item, they thought about you, and could just imagine what it would be like to have you receive it!

Well, I have those same feelings, too, when I am making something special for a friend or family member. And because I love to do just about anything “DIY”, now is the perfect time to begin some simple projects to give this Valentine’s Day.

At www.YouCanMakeThis.com, we have a variety of downloadable projects that are quick, simple, and perfect to give to someone you care about. Here are a few ideas:

Make a Lotus Flower and attach it to a card for a friend. This flower can then be added to her favorite handbag or even used as a brooch.

Make a Basic Box and fill it with some hair accessories, make-up, and jewelry for your teen daughter. Use that same Basic Box and give it to a friend for sewing supplies, baked goods, or even a place to keep her CD’s. This idea is very versatile and easy!

Do you love to crochet? Remind that little one that “Some-bunny loves her/him!” The nice thing about this cap is that it can be worn through the Valentine and Easter holiday!

http://youcanmakethis.com/info/cooking-baking/Make-Your-Own-Gourmet-Cookie-Bouquet-with-BONUS-eBook.htm”>A Gourmet Cookie Bouquet is certainly going to be a treat for anyone!

If you have someone who is the “Queen of YOUR Heart”, you may enjoy making her the 24” Kimberbell Kids http://youcanmakethis.com/info/doll-clothing/Kimberbell-Doll-Clothing-Accessories-Queen-of-Hearts.htm”>Doll & Coordinating Queen of Hearts Clothing. It will definitely bring back memories of your own childhood!

And who doesn’t need a day at the spa? Make it possible at home with 148 different recipes for body scrubs, face masks, and more.

Let your little ones know that you are their #1 fan…well, you and maybe even a dozen other people in their life! This sweet, soft book will showcase photos of loved ones and make your child feel very special.

“>This Funky Fringe Barrette Bling would be something that anyone would oooh and ahhh over.

This one will have your friends doing a double-take! Create a very personalized Embossed Recycled Soda Can Frame! Include a favorite photo and this will definitely be treasured.

Valentine’s Day is also a fun time to create unique clothing for your children. Whether is is through applique, crochet, bling, or sewing, there are a lot of ideas to get started!

Find downloadable clothing patterns and instructions here>>

And if you love to embellish with applique, you can find all kinds of applique patterns here>>

If you love machine embroidery, you can find many of these same designs at our sister site, www.SWAKembroidery.com.

Have fun creating and MAKE it a great Valentine’s Day!

-Kim

Along with all my mompreneur responsibilities I am also a stay at home mom of one, and wife. With this job, like many of you, I am also responsible for the family finances. When I quit working for the USPS six years ago, our family’s income was greatly reduced. I had to learn a lot about being frugal and saving money. I actually started my business to support my yarn and craft habit!

Now, I am in no way an expert on this subject, but through the years I have met many people and found many sites that are! With their help, I am happy to say that not only is my business growing, but my family has been debt free (with the exception of our home) for almost 2 years now! I’d like to share some of my secrets with you!

Every morning, with my cup of coffee, I have a series of websites that I visit. My hands down favorite is One Pretty Thing. She has compiled a list of some of the BEST do-it-yourself projects on the web! From Christmas and Hanukkah décor, easy to make handmade gifts, and even tips for your business, you can find tons of useful and inexpensive ideas on her site. And the best part is that she does the internet searching for you! Not crafty or too busy? I bet you know another mom who is and could use a little extra money this holiday season.

Now, for the savvy shopper in you, I always check out Slick Deals. Every day you can find some great deals on items, especially now for your Christmas shopping!! The other day I scored an awesome deal at Victoria’s Secret, three sweaters and a free scarf for only $31! Guess what will be under my Christmas tree this year? I’m currently on the lookout here for some other great gift ideas!

And if your dream this holiday season is to be debt free, you must check out Dave Ramsey! My family listens to his radio show a lot and we got tons of tips and great ideas that helped us. When refinancing our house this summer, we contacted one of his preferred mortgage providers and they actually told us that the deal we were offered from our current mortgage company was better than anything they could do for us! I was shocked…they were turning down our business! We managed to combine our original 30-year mortgage along with our Home Equity Loan and drop down to a 15 year mortgage. We paid cash for the closing costs and our monthly payments dropped $30!! Our new goal is to have the house paid off before our first grader graduates from High School.

Well, I hope you enjoyed a sneak peek at some of my secrets. I look forward to sharing more with you through Mompreneur Corner.

Jennifer Cirka
www.jaybird-designs.com
www.jaybirddesigns.etsy.com

The event took place last weekend at a beautiful cabin in Sundance (Utah), and thanks to Seth Jenks (@SethJenks) and APX Alarm I was able to attend. The company sponsored myself and two other gals including my good friend Quinn Curtis of CreatedByChicks.com and Limelight Food Photography. (Thank you, Seth!)  I was only able to attend Friday night, and though I was sorely disappointed to miss Saturday (Cherie Burton’s class, Tara Starling’s professional styling and makeup, Russ Dixon’s photography and of course more girl bonding), I got enough out of Friday to reevaluate my own personal style both inside and out.

There’s just something about 25 entrepreneurial women in one room tucked away in snowy Sundance, well fed and ready to be inspired—I can’t explain it. But it was cool. My favorite of the evening was Skyping with Danielle LaPorte (@DanielleLaPorte) of White Hot Truth. When she was done speaking all I could do was sit there and let it all soak in…for a good ten minutes. It’s a good thing I took notes because it was fast and furious—and fabulous.

Sarah Ward from Cable Car Couture introduced me to the power of the collared shirt and Tara Starling of Starling Beauty Academy introduced many of us to the application of the color wheel in makeup. (Quinn and Janet may still be reeling after learning about the tensile strength of mascara-coated eyelashes…) And if all that stylin’ was glam enough, both e.l.f. cosmetics and Timex sponsored the event and so we freshly inspired women went home with some glam of our own. My girls oohed and aahed over e.l.f.’s mini makeup kits and I’m excited to own pretty much my first blingy accessory. ever.

Kelly King Anderson, Startup Princess herself, knows how to throw a good event and from what I’ve heard of Saturday’s adventures, the gals had a great time. You can read Quinn’s take on it here and here (she keeps you in suspense with a two-part recap) and catch the Whrrl story here. THANK YOU again to APX Alarm for sponsoring us. As far as security companies go, APX is pretty dang cool. They monitor not only burglary and fire but also carbon monoxide and medical emergencies. What you REALLY need to do is check out the APX Alarm blog—it has some really great articles on personal and family safety (love “Confessions of a Worryholic“) and they’ll be doing a series of holiday-related security posts as well. You’ll definitely want to add the APX Alarm blog feed to your reader!

If you want to feel like you were part of the action, head to TwitterSearch.com and check out the #supa09 hash tag. Even if you’re not planning to pose for the camera or pitch to the media you can catch a lot of what went on during the event. I tweeted my fair share of 140-character snatches on Friday and I’m sure there were quite a few more on Saturday.

Head on over to the Startup Princess site and subscribe to the feed so you don’t miss another conference or event and be sure to follow Kelly on Twitter (@startupprincess). As mompreneurs we can use all the inspiration (and girl bonding) we can get!

Marina provides outstanding tips and information via her daily Build-A-Buzz newsletter, and website for all companies looking to pump up their PR efforts. PR no longer needs to be a budget buster, with Build-A-Buzz you can get your daily dose of expertise right to your email address. We LOVE this!! – Daria

Sign up for the FREE Build-A-Buzz newsletter>

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In 2003, I started creating children’s clothing and needed a name. During an online chat with friends, several were suggested and I immediately was drawn to That Funky Boutique. Seemed catchy and I do like to have a playfulness and uniqueness in my creations. I’m no longer doing children’s items but it still seems to fit ok for my etsy shop.

Can you share your background in design?

From a young age I knew I wanted to be an artist. I can’t say enough about the professors I was able to learn from while getting a BFA with emphasis in Illustration and design. After school, I worked for an advertising company for several years where was able to design and illustrate national catalogs and then went off on my own as a freelance artist and designer. I’ve been freelancing ever since and consider it my main focus. Though my textile designs do take over during some seasons! Recent illustration clients include Chatti Patti, Knuckleheads Clothing, Portabello Pixie and others. My That Funky Boutique line fits in nicely between projects as I can never sit still.

Where do you find your inspiration for your creations? What part of
the process is your favorite?

Inspiration for my textile creations comes from all over the place. From my children, from nature, from the materials on hand. Those are the biggest jumping off points.
The first part in the process is my favorite. From early sketches to completing the sample.

How did you come up with your new HOT scarf design for fall? What are
the features of it that will make women want them this season?

My scarves came about on a whim. I hadn’t sewn in quite a long time due to a cross country move that demanded my time and energy. But I dusted off my machine to do some personal sewing for fun. My first scarf was originally going to be a throw blanket out of some wool and cashmere scraps. I did one long length to start the blanket. There happened to be a mirror close by where I was working and I caught a glimpse of myself with the piece. I threw it around my neck and viola. A unique scarf. I had a feeling it would sell and sell it did! Along with more than 100 more in the first month of selling. I never set out to sew and sell again but here I am enjoying it!

What has been the response since having your scarves featured last
week on The Today Show?

I was humbly honored to have my scarf requested for The Today Show segment. I’m hopeful that the segment brought in lots of viewers for all Etsy artisans! My sales are the same—selling about as fast as I can create them!

www.thatfunkyboutique.etsy.com
www.thatfunkyboutique.blogspot.com

Now with Mompreneur Corner we hope to take our journey a step further. We will be showcasing featured articles by and for incredible business women. These weekly articles will run the gamut of topics, everything from the importance of branding your business, to how to balance your home/work just a bit better. We’ll delve into specifics from expert panelists in arenas such as: fabric design, product placements, advertising, coping with stress, mothering from behind a desk, zeroing in on your passion and much much more!!

The most thrilling part of the venture comes from the calibre of writers we have lined up to share their talents and expertise with you. Over the past several years, it’s been my honor to connect with so many leaders and trail blazers in various fields – I have approached several key people to become an integral & ongoing part of Boutique Cafe…and they can’t wait!!

We invite you to join with us in this new step at Boutique Cafe, by adding your voice to our discussion as well as sharing these articles and features with your friends. This is only the beginning – welcome to Boutique Cafe’s NEW Mompreneur Corner! Please give us a shout-out in our comments today and let us know you are eager to begin.
~ Daria