Business Management – 8 tips for success

July 18, 2019December 9, 2019by Weddingsbycourtney2 Comments

Are you starting in the business world and need business management tips ? Know that you are on the right track. Get all the tips here

It is vital to train and use all the resources available in the market for the assertiveness and long life of your company. As for the possible mistakes at the beginning, they are part of your experience. The failures will be minimized along its trajectory. And where to start? We separate some important information to help you in this new endeavor. By following the tips and taking the necessary care, your business will thrive. Follow the article now, which will make all the difference in your business management.

Fundamental Fundamentals of Business Management
1 – Planning
It all starts with good planning . Take care of processes so they are as efficient as possible. All set, implement a schedule to be followed and guide your team of professionals so that it is followed to the letter. Planning and discipline go hand in hand towards the companys profits.
2 – Stock Control
The control and also the management of inventory are fundamental points to be worked for the success of the company. Advertised product that is not found on the shelves is a gross mistake. Product that ended and was not reset is lost sales. Product with expired validity is a waste of money. Employees in the industry should always be vigilant and ready to ensure the turnover of the goods. Lack of inventory control is an impediment to keeping loyal customers .
3 – Customer Relationship
Its whos running a business. Thats why smart business management spends a little of its time with measures aimed at it. Discuss the approach, promotion of products and services, service, post-purchase, among other topics of profound relevance to the good relationship with the client. How do you plan to attract new customers ? For the company to grow, you must always go beyond. That means leaving the comfort zone and going in search of potential clients. Employees must be trained to make this contact with the public and generate leads.
4 – Team
Form your team with a focus on good qualifications https://collegegrad.com/gaining-job experience/techniques-to-gain- professional-experience/ potential and posture. In this way, it becomes impossible to err in the choice of professionals who will accompany you in this initial phase. Another important tip is to have on your side only those who dress the shirt who are willing to start from scratch and grow along with the business.
5 – Leadership Be inspiring and motivate your employees . A boss is not as effective as a leader. Talk to each team member to get to know everyone and find out which tasks are best performed by each one. Stimulate the good work. Professionals become more productive when they have their performance recognized by their superiors. This is one of the secrets of a good business management strategy. Win the confidence of your team. You should behave like a safe professional, even if you do not have great experience.
6 – Quality Control
Have a strict quality control with the products offered. Do not link your name to poor service. It is not necessary to explain that if there is one point that can put everything to
lose is the quality of what you are selling. Customers should always be satisfied to buy back. Your business needs them to develop and stay in the market .
7 – Financial Control
About 75% of companies that just open their doors survive the first year of life. That means you have to devote much time to this crucial period. And financial control should take extra care. Lack of financial organization disrupts business. Manage payment and receipt dates, invoices, and other important paperwork to keep your accounts current .
8 – Technology
The modern entrepreneur knows that technology is his right arm. It makes use of an enterprise management system to avoid to the maximum possible flaws in the
processes. It also understands that automation offers agility. A business management software offers useful tools for different needs of the same company. You can have inventory control, notes, reports and more. You will be able to anticipate mistakes and find out exactly where processes should improve. As such, your business will grow steadily.

Commandments of Business Management These were some of the commandments of efficient business management . Be cautious and make decisions whenever you have calculated risks. Cultivate the policy of good organization in the company to avoid problems. Follow the business management tips and good deals!

For more great tips and resources Click here

Entrepreneur Tips

Boost Work Place Engagement

July 6, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

Excellent Employee Feedback Questions That Boost Workplace Engagement

Asking for employee feedback is crucial to establishing open communication between employees and managers. This gives your workers an additional opportunity to contribute ideas and helps to make them feel recognized. Engaged employees are also likely to be more productive at work and more invested in their performance.

It can be difficult to identify questions to gain employee feedback, but it’s important to have a specific goal in mind for each question. A strong set of employee feedback questions will give you valuable information on both personal and work-related issues.

What Are the Best and Worst Things About Your Job?

This question is a great way to learn more about how your employees feel, and it can provide valuable insight into any problems that could be affecting engagement. Giving them a chance to discuss both positives and negatives makes it easy to assess ways you can improve their overall workplace experience.

Pay close attention to the concerns mentioned by more than one employee. These could be evidence of bigger issues with your company culture that will require more effort to turn around. Making changes whenever possible will show your employees that you care about their experience at work.

Have You Been Recognized for Your Recent Performance?

Employee recognition is another top priority and a major factor in engagement; this question gives your workers the chance to point out appreciation they have received recently or share anything they felt proud of. The last thing you want is for your employees to feel that their hard work is going unnoticed.

Is There Anyone Else You Feel Deserves Recognition?

Similarly, we recommend inviting employees to single out coworkers and recognizing them for going above and beyond their usual responsibilities. Managers aren’t always there to recognize every employee’s contribution, so peer feedback is often just as effective.

Do You Have Any Ideas for Group Activities?

Part of improving your company culture involves seeing your employees outside of work, but these events sometimes feel hollow when they’re simply imposed from the top down. Instead, talk to your workers about what they’re interested in and try to settle on something that works for everyone.

These are the perfect questions to add to your upcoming employee feedback forms, but strong employee engagement requires regular communication. This includes everything from employee appreciation, to constructive performance feedback, and after-work events. Improving the experience of your workers will go a long way toward improving productivity.

Entrepreneur Tips

100 Trending Hashtags for your biz!

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

The hashtag game can be tricky. One of the biggest things I hear from women trying to get into the influencer world is how do I gain followers? How do I know what’s a trending hashtag or how many to use? Where do I place them on my content post?

Well ladies today were diving in and answering them all!

Let’s start at the first question.

How do I gain followers? The quickest way is engage, engage, engage. This means when you post a picture to the gram you plan the most ideal time to post. I use PLANN which is an app that tells me my most engaging times with my followers. For me its between 7-9 p.m. PST when mamas are whining down after the littles are in bed. The next thing is taking the time after you post to sit and respond to each comment that comes through. What this does? It pushes your post to the algorithm God’s saying people are digging this, show it to people. Next is a call to action. A call to action is a question which gets your audience related, invested, pumped up and involved. No one wants to just hear about how your day was, they want a question, content that enriches them in some sort of way. Make sure to stay true to your niche when it comes to this.

How do I find a trending hashtag? When you’re typing in hashtags, up in the left hand corner will pop up with the most popular tags which are trending. Scroll down a bit and pick ones that you won’t get drowned in and make your post more relevant. IG allows you up to thirty hashtags per post. I like to put mine in the first comment of my comment section so that my actual words are read and not cluttered on the original post.

Lifestyle Hashtags

#workfromanywhere #livingthelifelove #ootd #fashionista #tredsetter #designyourlife #setyourownhours #friyay #saturyay #sundayfunday #socialselfie #TBT #TGIF #goodlife #roadlesstraveled #momsonthego #sahm #momlifeisthebestlife #freedom #livethelittlethings #musthave #mybeautifulmess #documentyourdays #momstyle #workonthego

Inspirational Hashtags

#stayinspired #instagood #mondaymotivation #atiitudeofgratitude #neverstop #dreambig #aspiretoinspire #fuelthesoul #motivationalquotes #pursueyourpassion #keepgoing #stateofpositivity #endlesspossibilities #slaytheday #joyfuljourney #gratefulday #itsthelittlethings #cherishedmoments #makeithappen #igotthis #quoteoftheday #goodvibrations #shootforthestars #timetoshine #bestfeelingever

Humorous Hashtags

#lol #laughteristhebestmedicine #humor #funny #bellylaugh #momhumor #funnymoments #meme #sillypic #laughingatmyself #comedy #funnyphoto #justmomlife #instafunny #haha #gigglesgalore #funnyvideo #hilarious #sarcasm #donttellmom #jokes #epic #allforfun #funnymoments

Business Hashtags

#socialmediamarketer #MLM #directsales #networkmarketing #socialmediaexpert #podcast #leadership #success #mompreneur #smallbusiness #biztips #blogger #bloggerlifestyle #mombiz #workfromhomelife #onlinebusiness #empowerwomen #buildyourtribe #businessowner #hustlehard #naptimewarrior #beyourownboss #goaldigger #bosslady #momboss #socialmediamom #solopreneur #womensupportingwomen #empowersocial

No Excuses!

Entrepreneur Tips

Get Out Of Your Own Way

April 29, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

How many times have you come up with excuses in the last month? How about in the last 24 hours?

“I’m too busy” “I have kids” “I’m a wife” “I can’t balance” “I don’t deserve it” “That could never be me” the list goes to infinity and beyond. The fights we have in our own heads can be exhausting.

You see my friend, so often we lie to ourselves or talk ourselves out of things because our subconscious is always saying these little comments in the back of our minds. I talk to hundreds of mompreneurs every month and the biggest hurdle I see women trying to jump is themselves standing in front of the jump with a big STOP Sign. Do we mean to? Of course not, but some where deep down we feel we don’t deserve to be successful, were scared to take the leap, were scared of feeling. It comes down to fear on so many different levels! The ugly beast!

So how do we beat it? How do we know we are good enough. How the heck do we get out of the way and let ourselves fly like the woman God made us to be?

It’s simple. YOU LET GO OF ALL EXCUSES. I put together a list of the biggest hurdles I see myself and hundreds of other women fight daily and how to get to the other side. How to believe in yourself, because in the end you will always be responsible for your success or failure. No one else but you has the power to change it and LIVE LIMITLESS.

Make a list the night before and stick to it. So often I find myself completely lost or talking myself out of things before two cups of coffee have me back at sanity. Have a plan and make a written contract with yourself the evening before.
Set goals that exceed anything you ever imagined, were talking fairy tale, happily ever after goals. If you had a PERFECT DREAM LIFE what would that look like? Then break down baby steps of daily, weekly, monthly, yearly goals to get there.
Watch your role models! Who inspires you? Who do you look up to in the niche you are in? Do exactly what they do with your own spin on things to get exactly where they are at.
Believe in yourself. Even if you have to look your self in the mirror and continually repeat I am amazing, I am beautiful, I am destined to live my dreams. Do it until you believe it. Fake it until you make it. What ever works for your personality and spirit do just that. It is so easy when first starting out on the journey to feel like a fraud or like you are still learning so you can’t possibly succeed yet, and I am here to tell you this will knock you down faster than anything else. Where you won’t do something someone else will and they are feeling just as you are. The difference? They fought through it and didn’t give up.
Live in the moment. Did you fail? What did you learn from it? What an amazing way to learn from experience and add one more tool for success in that beautiful belt of yours. Stay in the moment of what you can do right now for your dreams. Beating yourself up for past mistakes or panicking about never achieving your goals does no one any good.
Be a woman of your word. If you say you’re going to do something, than follow through. If someone emails you are text you respond back as quick as possible. Be engaging.
“I’m a mom I can’t possibly balance” is the number one excuse I see made. Throw this out the window. If the author of Harry Potter was a homeless woman living out of her car to now multi millionaire you can do it too. You never give up and persevere through any challenge life throws your way. Be a strong woman your children can look up too. Be a role model they can say wow she was a rock star when they look back on your deposition, passion, and desire to chase your dreams.
Use Mel Robbins 5,4,3,2,1 method. This changed my life. To cut an entire book down to a paragraph, quit simply put. It’s not letting you get in the way of yourself. It’s breaking the cycle before allowing the opportunity to arise. As soon as you set your mind to do something, it can even be as simple as the alarm going off and not hitting snooze. You say 5,4,3,2,1, and launch yourself to do what ever it is you don’t want to do at that moment. It’s re programming your brain for success not fear.
Batch Schedule. Once you get to a point of batch scheduling your life will forever change. It’s focusing on only one thing per day. For example…Sunday I write all my blogs, Monday I take my pictures for the entire week of content, Tuesday I respond to emails and monetize on my affiliate links, etc. etc. Its breaking down every task in your journey, realizing your only one person, and giving 100% of yourself to every small detail of your business.

Now go break that glass that’s been holding you in. Your worth it girlfriend. You deserve everything you’ve ever dreamt and more. Get out of the way and watch yourself sore

Entrepreneur Tips

How to start a blog.

April 26, 2019by Weddingsbycourtney1 Comment

STARTING YOUR BLOG

Deciding your niche. This will be a fundamental step because we cannot pick an appropriate name for your website without first deciding what you will be writing about. The biggest hold back I see for writers is that they feel a niche can trap them in a box and by doing this step they will not reach everyone. YOUR NOT TRAPPED! I am going to let you in on a little secret. You absolutely do not want to reach “everyone”.

You want to narrow it down to a select group of people you are targeting. For me, its women 27-45 who are moms and aspiring entrepreneurs. There are so many people out there and so many ads circulating on social media that there is just not a true chance of being found if you do not get specific with this step.

Let’s do some stats shall we? There are 2 billion users on Facebook, 1 billion on Instagram, 400 million on Twitter, 300 million on snapchat and 150 million on Pinterest. HOLY MOLY LADIES! That’s a lot of people. What if you had 200-500 people who purchased your products, read your articles, commented and interacted with you? Or you can try and reach 1 million that you will never get past a nice to meet you DM if you’re lucky. This lifestyle and career is all about connection. At any time, you can branch out on different topics, but you must first write about certain things to maintain a target audience and grow your following.

Will you write about parenting, makeup, your dog, traveling, business, or recipes?

Figure out where your passion is in creating content. You most likely will not make millions overnight and so passion will be what drives your writing.

What are you knowledgeable about? Where is your life experience? Start here. It only takes a starting point.

(Remember what we talked about earlier, you can always branch out later.)

Picking your website and business name. Spend no more than an hour on this step. You can get lost in perfection and then we are right back on that hamster wheel. Here are some example ways to start your brain storming.

Combining two words:

Curlers and Cupcakes

Beauty and Baking

Band-Aids and Books

Write down what your niche is and look at the key words from that niche to get ideas for a name. Will you be writing about Parenting? What is the tone? Are you funny, serious, a world changer, crafty, or cute? Try to combine your personality in with the name because this is what your audience will view first.

You can also list description words to get a head start on the perfect “Blog Title” for me they looked a little something like this:

Lifestyle
Mommy hood
DIY
Handcrafted Business
Mompreneur
Sweet and Inspirational
Motivating for Moms
Real and Transparent
Life hacks

From this list I started to pull words and see if I loved anything. “The Sweetest Little Life” covered exactly what my target audience was and my niche which I would primarily be writing about.

Now here’s the trickiest part of this step. We must make sure the name you fall in love with is not taken already. Google can be a great way to see if 1. Its copyrighted and 2. It’s a famous baker out in London and you will never be found because they are all over the first 10 pages of google. After checking Google look up your name on all social media platforms and make sure that its available to use as your name. We don’t want to start out your blog swimming against the current. There are plenty of ways to get creative, make a few adjustments, and own your name like nobody else!

Purchasing Your Domain. You do not have to be tech savvy for this step. Trust me ladies, I am the most technology challenged woman you will ever meet for my age group. The minute I see coding is required or too many options I panic. For purchasing your Domain, I always advise to just keep it simple.

Pick your platform you will be blogging on:

Squarespace, Blogger, WordPress, Wix, Go Daddy, or Blue Host. There are plenty of platforms to choose from, but these are my favorites. WordPress.org is my jam. It gives me freedom to use ads if I choose, its user friendly, and I can do everything all on one website. This is huge. Bouncing back and forth between three websites during your set up process can feel a little daunting. I purchased the Thesweetestlittlelife right on WordPress and then just renew yearly as I build my blog.

What are we waiting for? Let’s do this – Get your computer out, pick a site that tickles your fancy and get that domain.

To recap, the sites most popular and user friendly are:

WordPress.com – Free

WordPress.org – more for long term and business (Will cost a little) but worth investing in.

Blogger.com – Free and great for beginners

Squarespace.com – Excellent for starting out

Wix.com – Very user friendly and Free

Setting up your Site. This should take no more than two hours. It’s an ongoing project that you will pour little bits of your heart and soul into as we go along over time. For now, let’s get it up, looking clean and legible, and live.

Once you have your domain you can pick through hundreds of templates and find what your style is. Take about 30 minutes to customize and create your pages. (About me, blog, contact)

If you are feeling extra motivated, you can start playing around with widgets and linking your social media pages to your site. You want to own this. Make everything you have created online link together in one spot.

(This creates more chances for you to be found.)

If you get jammed up at any time most of the sites I recommended have an online chat for help where an expert can walk you through any step of setting up and adding different items to your website.

Writing your first blog. EEEEEEEKKKKKK! Are you excited? Get excited? I am jumping for joy with you! Were less than five hours in and ready to start writing! Say what???? Picking a topic can be tricky the first go around, we want to make sure that we pick a topic that is trending and searchable by your audience. (Buzzsumo.com is a great resource for finding a topic already proven to be popular with your target audience) We are talking fail proof planning here!

The next step is a headline that crushes it! Did you know that research shows, readers will scan articles and in two seconds decide if they want to read your material or someone else’s. TWO SECONDS – This means we must make it count. Your audience needs to read the headline and say YES, I NEED TO READ THIS. What is the first thing they see on your blog post? The Headline.

We must nail this step ladies. A few tips when deciding how to create this is answering questions in five words or less. You want to deliver exactly what your blog is about in that headline. You do not want to leave people wondering if it’s about diaper rash or discounts. Think adjectives, feelings, and purpose. All these words can be included in the headline. Major magazines such as Vogue, Seventeen, and People all use a similar technique to create an amazing headline that has you begging for more. If you’re like me you scan the entire magazine while waiting in the grocery store line.

Here are some simple techniques to truly have an impeccable header.

How to + Benefit

How to save $200 on making your own ship lap bed.

How to + Benefit + Timeframe

How spending $40 on pinewood made me $1200 in a 3-month period.

How to + Benefit + Positive Motivation

How to crush blogging without being a writer.

Asking or Answering a question

Why most Mompreneurs quit before they even get started.

Taking lifestyle photos like a professional on an I phone – Are you in the know?

Listing what you’re all about

10 staycations for summer with kids.

If you want what someone has. Do exactly what they do.

Creating Quality over Quantity. No one wants their inbox flooded with blogs your first week. The minute your site is set up, it’s easy to get over excited and want to write a new blog post every day and every night. This is where strategic planning is perfect. If you are in the mood to write and feeling inspired, write until your hearts content. However, save these awesome sauce posts in your drafts or as a scheduled post so your content is consistent and not overwhelming with a spam feel.

Timing is everything. There are ideal times and days you’re more likely to get more likes, comments, and readers on your website. You want to utilize these time slots. For example: I post my blogs on Thursdays and Sundays between 6 – 8 p.m. because over time my stats on WordPress have shown me that’s this is when I have the most engagement on my site. Starting out it’s crucial to have the right set up so you are ready for success. CoSchedule Editorial Calendar is an absolute necessity on WordPress. This allows you to schedule every blog post and social message. It also enables you to collaborate with your content market and make project management simple.

What day is best for traffic? Monday around 9 – 11 a.m.

What day is best for comments? Saturday around 9 a.m.

Best Publishing Day for your blog? Mondays and Thursdays at 7 a.m.

You will get more engagement if you post in the mornings vs. at night when people are winding down and just scrolling to mind numb before bedtime.

These times and days will vary with who your target audience is, what social platforms you are utilizing and overall strategy of what your individual goals are.

As a guideline watch Google Analytics to see where your standing in the online world with your audience.

Be Consistent. Once you find your groove make it consistent. If you choose to post Monday and Thursday, make it exciting for your audience to want to read those two days a week. Talk about what you will be writing about on social media, ask your fans what they want to hear about, start relating to your target audience on a creative and personal level. You have the world right at your fingertips. Most importantly know that establishing your blog and your personal brand takes time. Therefore, patience and passion are so important. You need to create this labor of love before you see profit. If you’re doing this just for the money, you will probably get frustrated and fail.

Let’s Rewind a Minute back to the basics. A niche you love will make you succeed.

Collaborating. An efficient way to start building your brand is to collaborate with other established brands that you admire and have a similar interest as your own. Be careful not to get to eager on this step though. You don’t want to waste your time promoting socks when your target audience is moms. Find something that works for your brand. Remember this is about reaching out, building, marketing, and branding. We want to network to get our name out there. For example: If you are a travel blogger, reach out to high end luggage companies, hotels, travel agencies and offer to promote their brand in exchange for product. You will not only gain some of their followers, but you will be able to enhance their company with free advertising in a “trade” style. Influence Marketing has never been at a higher point, it is amazing the amount of work out there if you just know where to start, and how to approach companies and brands which you admire.

The Power of Video. Video is everything. This can create instant connection with your audience. You do not need fancy cameras and a professional editor to make this happen effectively. When I first started blogging I tried to get an editor and a film crew just for these small snippets. It was time consuming and a waste of money. My audience wanted to connect with me and see my real day to day struggles and life accomplishments. Not some synopsis that was all scripted out. We can just go watch Bravo for that. Build a compelling story about your life that will attract your target audience and keep them coming back for more. Let people in to get to know the real you, get vulnerable, put yourself out there.

Be brave mama.

Entrepreneur Tips

How to Crush your Content Planning

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

We all know the struggle of planning out content on our IG. It can be stressful, overwhelming, and everyone has an opinion on how you should do it.

Instead of a play by play of what you “should do” I thought I would share what simply has WORKED for me in creating great content without the chaos of times, ideas, and struggling to get pictures.

Let’s dive in.

Using PLANN has been a complete game changer for me. (No I am not sponsored in any way by this company) They just have taken the complication out of content planning for me. Running three IG accounts it can be tricky to stay on top of things. What PLANN does is allow me to view my grid, ensure my colors and brand flow together in an organized way, and set reminders of times to post based on previous success for my IG not a generalized google time. Everyone’s engagement time will be different based on your target audience.
Plan a picture day and make it fun. If you are already an influencer or blogger you know what assignments you need to shoot for. If your just getting started out browse Pinterest and get inspired with your content. Take your seven photos for the week all in one day. If your a mama than make it fun and interactive with your littles. My daughter loves all the outfit changes and silly shots we get along the way. This sounds like a lot, but you can easily conquer seven perfect photos for content in less than an hour. (Thats even with the 80 shots you have to take to get everyone simultaneously looking at the camera.)
Set a day for your week or month in content planning. Sundays are my day of choice and I do a week in advance because a month is just not realistic with everything in my lifestyle. Stick to it and have a plan of action. The first post can be a bit tricky but then you get in a writing groove and everything just flows. Then stick to your times you choose and post. The rest of the week is all handled, you do not even have to be on social media unless responding to emails, but yet you are present and in front of the algorithm.

Now the fun part….FREE PRINTABLES.

It can be so frustrating getting in your groove when you first begin batch scheduling and content planning so here are a few free printables to get the creative juices flowing and you ready to soar.

Happy Planning Friends!

Entrepreneur Tips

Special Guest Review – Connecting You

February 15, 2019February 15, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

Reviewing the Special Guest App

The Special Guest App has been taking the world by storm since it’s debut in 2017. It’s taken all of the guesswork out of booking live entertainment for your event. In just a few clicks, you can bring the entertainment to you. Think of how much more exciting your next birthday party or BBQ could be with a live performer. Special Guest will help you elevate any event, by adding a musician, comedian, belly dancer, or whatever kind of entertainment you’re looking for.

Create a Memorable Event with Special Guest

Special Guest helps connect performers with gigs, and customers with entertainment for their event. Hire talent for your next corporate event, holiday soiree, retirement party or conference right from your phone or desktop. The process could not be more simple.

Simply open the app, or visit the website. Once there, you’ll be able to search for talent in your city for particular dates. Search by category, for example, circus acts, dancers, DJs or comedians. Instantly, you’ll be matched with available talent that you can book for your event. You’ll see their pricing too, so there’s no surprises. Sticking to your budget is important–the app helps you do that.

There are no complicated contracts to sign, and artists get paid immediately. Even better is that they keep 100% of their fees. For performers, this is a huge deal since most booking services charge a fee or take a percentage.

The app is tailored for the unique needs of users, or for talent. If you’re a user, the app will help match you with artists for your event. For performers, the app helps them get matched with more paying gigs, getting their name out their seamlessly, with minimal leg work.

There’s never been an easier way to find entertainment for your event. Special Guest allows you to book talent on demand, and on the go. Search for talent today, and book them to perform tomorrow.

If you’re an artist looking to get more paid work, or someone looking to hire live performers for an upcoming event, you need the Special Guest App. It’s available free on iPhone. Download it now and see for yourself how easy it is.

Entrepreneur Tips

How to succeed at Etsy.

January 18, 2019January 17, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

The funny thing with change is people either completely embrace the chaos, changing too much to enjoy the fruits of their labors, because they become bored and need something new, or you have the person who lives in fear of change and never takes that first step. The woman who wants to crawl in the corner and cry, they become so terrified of failing that they never even make that first big launch which could turn into something beautiful and life changing.

I know both women well, because at one point or another in this lifetime I have fit the shoe for each one.

As Mompreneurs we need to learn to embrace the word No, You Can’t Do That, how will you support your children with that? You shake your head, you smile, you let it go in one ear and out the other knowing that you are in the making of following something that feels right for you. With every stumble, look with a new perspective. This is a learning lesson to grow your business and bloom as a person.

This chapter were not going to think about it, were just going to do it. Dive right in. Accept this just might be the scariest moment you have ever encountered of the unknown. Put on your Unicorn Costume and let’s do this!

First things first. You have your vision. Mine looked a little something like this when I wrote them down.

Make six figures by year 5 on Etsy.
Write a book and self-read it on Audible.
Help other mamas feel inspired through blogging.
Plan Events to bring together women in my community.

It was simple, clear, and concise. You need an action plan – a to do list if you will. Your clear on the mountain you want to climb, but how in the world will you achieve this?

Taking each goal, you have and breaking it down in to a to do list is step one – every day do at least one thing on that to do list.

Starting your Etsy Shop –

Create your Business Name. – Make sure you are checking google to make sure no one else has a name like yours. – The last thing we want is someone to accidently type in weaves and woodwork and a cleaning shop come up on Facebook ads. This is where being unique comes into play. What is important to you, cupcakes? Mommy hood? Woodwork? Painting? Take a few words and write them down. Play with how they flow together. What are you selling? Is it one specific item or a plethora of items you create. You want your target audience to be drawn to your shop by the appearance and title it holds. Before moving on come up with a catchy headline which will appear under your title. For example, mine views “Handcrafted and Made with Love.” Get creative and in 3-5 words tell your customers what your shop is all about.
Find a logo and branding – Personally I love supporting other people like myself so all my logos and branding I have had created through a fellow maker on Etsy. It’s a more personal experience and their people just like you who WANT to make sure their supporting your vision and dream.
Decide what Niche you will sell. – When you first start out stick to one thing for at least 6 months and become an expert at that one thing. After your pro status then expand.
Set up your policies and information. This step is tedious but oh so vital. Your customers need to know where you stand with shipping, delivery times, how your shop ticks and tocks.
Write your about page. Don’t even blink twice on over thinking this. Your customers just want to know who you are, what they are supporting, and how your shop came to life! When I first started out it was a paragraph that slowly just grew as customers asked me questions and I realized the need of what everyone wanted to know about my shop and myself!
Connect your social media accounts. In my experience Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, WordPress and Facebook are an absolute necessity in driving traffic to your Etsy. You can launch fun giveaways and peak interest to gain followers and get the word out about your new shop. (We will go into detail on the importance of social media in a future chapter.) For now, just link whatever you have available, so we can launch! If your feeling extra peppy go ahead and start transferring everything social media to a business page, its usually two clicks and voila your ready for action!
Now this is the exciting part – Girl get ready. This is the biggest action step yet. The first item listing. Use your I phone, get some natural lighting and a sleek background that fits your brand (for my first year I used a slab of reclaimed wood to place my items on and photograph.) We will go into a full chapter on photos, lighting, tips and tricks, and how to capture the perfect angles but for now just GET IT UP. Let go of perfect and step into work in progress.
How do I name my item? Here are some simple tips to help you get everything launched and ready for action with a beautiful title that is sure to catch the buyers eye.

Research trending key words for your items. Google AdWords has a keyword tool you can enter in as well to find out what people are searching. For example – Let’s say you have a Unicorn coffee mug, you want to make sure that Unicorn Coffee Mug is in the Title, but you can also hyphenate to a trending key word to be looked up more often than a competing shop. Unicorn Coffee Mug – Magical Horse Cup with Glitter.
The Etsy Search Bar is a powerful tool as well! See what people are looking up, what are they searching for, get in on being in. (Normally I am so against comparing your shop or self to any one else because you want to make sure you are staying on top of the trends, so you can deliver an excellent product that clients are searching for.)

If you are struggling with key words and titles you can also download a program for free such as Marmalead or Etsygadget to help you get flowing with key words and make SEO (search engine optimization) not so scary!

Pricing – How to come up with the perfect pricing on your items? This can be tricky! I completely failed at this starting out my Etsy Adventures. I wanted to sell my items at a dollar store price, create Nordstrom style products, and gain amazing customer five-star reviews. This doesn’t work. If you are putting an hour into making something, 30 minutes into crafting and creating the perfect packaging, and then $20 on supplies for that one item, you need to charge accordingly! For example: When beginning the adventure of mompreneurship I started selling coffee mugs. I figured $7.50 was a fair price to sell them for. What I wasn’t accounting for was my time, my supplies, my shipping, and the biggest factor…ready for it…COMPETITORS. Similar shops like mine were selling the exact same item for $19.50. It took me a year to realize I was losing out on thousands upon thousands of dollars in sales. When I raised my prices, I was terrified no one would buy any thing because it was too expensive. Guess what happened? My sales quadrupled. I went from making $100-200 a week to making $500-700 a week, this happened overnight! Customers understood I was a hand made business, they wanted to support me, just as they would want to support you and the thousand of other makers online! Do a little research, find what similar items are selling for, and mark accordingly. Remember the best part of this all is we are a work in progress and Etsy takes 5 minutes to edit a listing and completely change it all over again! Beautiful right?
Writing a seamless description. This can be broken into simple sections. What is it? Can it break? How does it wash? What is the size?

At this point were besties, right?

I am going to give you a huge leap point here because my goal is to get your shop launched and selling as soon as possible. Here is the description I use on all my items (the only difference is changing the verbiage per item, but this is a generalized answer to years of customers questions and what they are looking for.) Feel free to write this on your description til you have a better knowledge of what questions or guidance your customers will have about your items.

This listing is for one hand painted coffee mug.

Capacity Options: 14 oz 16 oz 18 oz

Mugs are hand painted and made to order. The picture listed above is an example of what yours will look like. Please allow for slight variations as each one is hand painted. A photo will be sent to you before shipment to make sure you absolutely love your item.

I can personalize in any way for no additional charge, just make sure to include a note in the note to seller at the time of check out

How to take care of me? I am microwaveable. Hand wash me with warm soapy water and a soft sponge to make sure I last forever! I am baked and sealed if I do need a good scrubbing. DO NOT MACHINE WASH ME I COULD MELT AWAY OVER TIME.

Personalizing is what I love to do. See something you love but wish it was just a little different? Let me know and I will be happy to change it for you as a custom order.

Gift Wrapping? YES PLEASE. All mugs are wrapped with tissue paper. Is this a gift? I can personalize an additional card for special occasions and send straight to the recipient at no additional charge to you.

After Purchasing: A lot of times I have a few questions for you on personalization after purchase! Please check your Etsy messages after your purchase.

Shipping – Can you see me turning bright red and giggling writing this section. Oh, how I wish we were face to face girlfriend.

Let me tell you a little story, when I first started out and I was creating my Nordstrom’s Dollar Tree, I decided $5.50 sounded fair for shipping. I was so gung ho to launch I priced all my items at $5.50 priority shipping. Priority Shipping is 2 -3-day shipping that cost around $14.50 for a 1 -2-pound item which is standard for what I was selling. At the time technology was terrifying to me. Set up a scale? Ship directly from Etsy? What if my printer fails? What if it never arrives at the destination. I went on for two years driving a ridiculous number of packages to the post office on a daily basis and paying full price for shipping items. There were more then 10 occasions I paid $60 – $120 JUST IN SHIPPING on something that brought in maybe $20 in profit. If there was a palm in face emoji I could insert here, I’d do it. On my second year of Holiday Season I decided with a new baby, a 4-year-old and a wagon full of packages I needed to brave that damn scale and printer. I signed up for Etsy Shipping, if I can shake you on any one thing through this process of setting up your shop its this. SET UP ETSYS SHIPPING. You save about 20% through commercial business pricing, you can generalize and see how much an item cost to ship BEFORE you ship it. Granit there were some perks, I got to know everyone at my local post office on a first name basis, my kids learned how to squeeze their bodies over the years in random mail boxes and pop out at the retirement folks walking by to pick up their mail. These are the moments we will giggle about in 20 years, right?

For a general shipping rule, order a scale on amazon, I got mine for $20 and it holds up to 50 lb. Make sure you have a dependable printer that hooks up to your computer and some black ink. Grab some shipping tape and BOOM Your in business and ready to become your own post office. Now are you ready for the best part? When you are all done packaging, you schedule a pickup from USPS.com the post man or woman comes to your front porch picks up your packages and you are now officially seamlessly working from home. (Remember how in the previous chapters we discussed the importance of time management. – here are hours of wasted time saved!)

Tags – On any social media tags are free SEO gold. Sprinkle that glitter everywhere! When tagging an item, you want to think of one thing and one thing only. If I was searching this item. What would I type in the search bar? If your searching for a baby shower gift what would you search?

Let’s do some examples, because again I am as visual as they come over here!

Item: Bridesmaid Wine Glasses

Tags: Bridesmaid Gifts, Be My Bridesmaid, Wine Gifts, Wedding, getting hitched, Bridesmaid, Be my maid, Personalized Bridal Gifts, Custom Bridesmaid Wine glasses, Handmade Bridesmaid Gifts.

Use every tag they allow you to use. Can’t find any? Google is your friend for inspiration.

Post it girlfriend. Do not even think twice just start by pressing that post item button. Remember you can always edit and shiny them up to be polished and new as your work gets better and you grow as an artist and product photographer!
Post 10 new items a week for your first 6 months! I know this sounds like quit the project but trust me, if you take away one piece of advice from this section, this is the chunk to take. What launched my shop was dedication. It also made me grow more then I ever imagined possible as an artist. The more you put your self out there online the more chances of clicks, visits, and traffic to your shop.
Customer Service – In our generation it pains me to say that quality customer service is something rare to come by. I have even done a few experiment buys on Etsy to see what other shops say after a purchase, how quick they respond to a question on a custom order, your catching my drift? Guess what? 90% did not respond to me at all, it was all automated through the Etsy apps you can create to send messages right after a sale or after you ship out an item. It was disheartening to say the least. I personally want to buy a handcrafted item for the connection as well, to know I am supporting someone and not a corporation. I try to think of my target audience as someone like myself who is shopping and expecting a certain experience from a personal makers business. Common courtesy and customer service seem to be a mannerism of the past. My number one concern in my shop is making sure my customers feel the following points in their shopping experience. Let’s jump in.

Quick Response Time – I can not even tell you the amount of sales I have gained when people are on the fence about a purchase between my shop and competitors because I am the first to personally email them back and answer any questions they may have about my items. I try to have a response time of less than an hour with any customer – you can turn on Etsy notifications to get a certain ding on your phone and know a customer is trying to reach you.
A Simple Thankyou – After every sale I make I personally reach out and let the buyer know how much I appreciate their order, how I will send pictures to make sure its perfect before shipment, and that I will reach out if I have any questions during the making process.
Follow Up – Before shipping out any item I always send pictures and give a 24-hour response time in case the customer wants a change made or something added to their order. (This will also condense your shipping cost down and save your time in having to remake something later down the road.) You just officially got it in writing that they love the item you made and gave you the go ahead to ship. Your covering all your bases at this point.

In the coming up blogs we will cover in detail some more tips, websites to assist, and secret sale advice for Etsy but we will dive in to the next common goal for now! Remember one step at a time. If we get to overwhelmed it is just hopping right back on the hamster wheel and accomplishing a whole lot of nothing.

Entrepreneur Tips

Want to Find Health & Happiness in 2019?

January 11, 2019November 5, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

Want to Find Health and Happiness in 2019? Here’s Where to Start.

It’s hard to believe that 2019 has already started! However, it’s never too late to set some healthy goals and resolutions. Here are some ideas for simple changes you can make to improve your life and find true happiness in the year ahead.

Take Better Care of Your Teeth

Your smile can say a lot about you, and your teeth can have a major impact on your overall health. If you have not been receiving the dental care you deserve, or if cost or location is an obstacle, you may need to think about switching to a new dentist. Use this guide to make the transition as painless as possible and to take more control of your oral health. Be sure to follow up with your new dentist regarding insurance and rates before you make the switch, and have your records sent to the new office before your initial appointment.

Resolve to Reinvent Your Career

Work can be a source of stress or a source of pride, so make 2019 the year you really discover your career passions. Mapping out your career year should include short-term goals, such as using productivity tools, as well as longer-term aspirations, like changing up your job completely. If you are a busy parent who works from home, you can set some work goals to help you thrive as well. Learning how to navigate challenges and deal with distractions can give you the boost you need to make your home-based business or career succeed this year.

Get a Better Handle on Your Finances

Money can be a major source of tension for many American families. In fact, financial worries have topped the list of the worst stressors for the last few years, beating out career pressures and relationship struggles. You can take more control of your finances in 2019 by following a few basic money tips. This is the perfect time to go over your financial goals and ensure that they still make sense. You will also be able to create a more effective budget and plan for small ways to grow your savings for your family’s future financial security.

Make More Time for Self-Care

Self-care is the foundation of any effective stress relief plan. So, if your schedule has made you skip out on self-care in the past, find ways to squeeze more of it into your routine during the coming year. Even simple tension relief can be a lifesaver, especially for moms and parents who are constantly busy and constantly stressed. A good tactic for fitting more relaxation into your days is to plan for some alone time in the morning before your kids wake up. Use this time to sip coffee, stretch out with yoga, or write worries in a journal.

Plan Adventures for Your Family

Spending more time with your family can create a lifetime of happy memories and feelings of genuine satisfaction. Traveling with your kids is one of the most exciting ways you can help your children bond with you while experiencing more of the world. Families who travel can work through problems easier and tend to have lower levels of stress. For those weekends when a road trip is not possible, find other meaningful ways to have fun with your family. Volunteer together in a community or experience exotic foods.

Spend More of Your Time Outside

When you need a major dose of stress relief and confidence in your life, there is no better cure than spending time in nature. All that fresh air and natural beauty acts as a natural antidepressant for your brain and can even chase anxieties away. You can get a good dose of the outdoors by planning some weekend hikes or even a family camping trip. A little exposure to sunlight outside can have some health benefits as well, but you should play it safe with toxin-free sunscreens if you plan on being outside longer than a few minutes.

The new year can offer the hope of change, so set some goals to make it happen this year! After all, 2020 will be here before we know it, and you could end the year as a brand new you!

Photo Credit: Pexels

Guest Writer: Stephanie Haywood

Branding Like a Boss

January 9, 2019January 6, 2019by WeddingsbycourtneyLeave a Comment

Why is it as women we are the first ones to totally bash ourselves and get the blues or stuck in the comparison hamster wheel, that let’s get real, is not healthy and has ZERO wins for anyone.

So you know your passion, you have your goals, and your are ready to totally CRUSH IT IN 2019 – but wait….Branding? Putting myself out there?

Maybbbbeeee I’ll just wait til next year? LIKE HELL YOU WILL GIRL! FIGURE IT OUT! Fall, scrape your knees, get up and learn how to do it again but now flawlessly with a little character built up behind you in experience.

Any one else out there have this internal argument on the daily? I know I did once upon a time.

So today we are spilling it all on how to create your personal brand to fit exactly you! The tips, tricks, and struggles I learned from I am sharing with you today in hopes that you can take at least one thing to help you launch into what ever it is you want to become in this whole “adulting” entrepreneurship were creating!

So grab a coffee or a BIG glass of wine (because whats the point of a small pour when were getting creative with our bad selves and lets dive right in.)

What is branding? Branding is creating your general look of what people see when they first come across your page or business. Its your little mark in this big world. What do you represent? Is it mommyhood? cooperate Business? Are you sweet, funny, a smart ass? What do you want people to walk away feeling when they leave your page? Do you want them to feel support? Like they learned something? Like they want to cry? Like they are moved? Like they are ready to shop? Branding is about creating your ultimate esthetics for what you are all about. Do your pictures all make the same sense or are you Posting “Make America Great Again” followed by a cute Puppy followed by a picture of a mountain? That is BAD BRANDING my friends. You want it to flow like a river Pocahontas would sing a magical song next too.

How do I make my photos all “flow” without having to match colors and spend hours planning? I am all about saving time and working efficiently. Planning all greens for 9 squares, then all reds, then all yellows…..Thats a lot of work and for my business just not practical. I’ve got mamas to support, businesses to run, and three crazy kids to chase. So how I personally make my brand flow is by using different presets in light room and making sure each piece of content I post is edited with that same preset. For example I will go on Etsy (because I love supporting another maker) purchase a preset and use that preset for Summer then when Fall comes I’ll find one with maybe warmer hues and use this for all of fall…Your catching my drift right? You want someone to not want to look away from your page so you get a chance to share your brand and what you are about. However if your page is not pretty to look at you will get over looked no matter how great your words and content are. Make everything flow together into what your overall big picture is.

Focus on what you represent and do not fall stray to this purpose. – Sure you can evolve and change over time, but always stay true to your core reason and truth. With this you will always have a strong foundation that can branch off where ever you want at a later time. Until your foundation is as strong as nails though do not squirrell from your core.

Video Video and More Video Nothing says personal like connection. The closest thing we have to human connection when branding is video! It is the most awkward thing in the whole wide world of course when first talking to yourself on your camera. This is the new age though and people do not just want to see pictures they want to hear your voice, see you, learn what your personality is like. SHOW THEM and be real. (This is where that large glass of wine comes in.)

The three C’s of Branding – Clarity, Consistency, and Constancy.

Establish a following and get to know your target audience. Do not be afraid to ask questions. What do they like? What do they want to see more of? Who are they? GET TO KNOW THEM.

Creating your personal brand is so special and so exciting. Dive in, go with your gut and learn as you go. What worked? Do more of just that. What flopped? Cross that out of your game plan. Move onward and upward and let no-one stand in your way. (Most of all the noone is ourselves.)
YOU ARE WORTH IT!