Help Moms Stay at Home with their Children

For a while now I have been working on taking Buy By Mom to the next level…the site needs re-building and it needs a professionally developed Media/PR Package.

Well…Great News this week! I just received notice this week that I am a semifinalist of the Moms In Business Grant!

The National Association For Moms In Business’ grant program www.momsinbusinessgrant.com allows me to build my business ( Buy By Mom) capital by harnessing the power of crowd funding to take Buy By Mom to the next level so I can help even more Moms in business!

About my Venture
The purpose of BuyByMom.com is to promote moms in business and get them out on the web. My passion is for the moms who want to stay at home with their children while bringing in an income by selling the items they create or the products they believe in. A friend of mine started an online boutique and tried so hard to market it and get word out about the products that she offered. However, in over 2 years, she only ever made 2 sales from the boutique. She was heartbroken. All the time, money, and effort she was putting into the website was bringing her nothing in return. She was frustrated, to say the least, and decided to close up shop.

BuyByMom.com was born because I wanted to keep that from happening to other moms. I wanted to see mothers succeed in their businesses and be able to stay at home with their children. I wanted to spread the word about the amazing talents moms possess and I wanted to see them succeed beyond their wildest dreams in your business. I truly believe that by working together, we can make each mom a success.

This new way of fundraising process allows all persons, even those with very little to give, to show their support and be a part of something big.

The Moms In Business Grant is the first-ever crowdfunding business grant in the nation, and I’m one of the Top 10 National Semifinalists!

This is an exciting opportunity for me to grow my business and to have a chance at a $12,000 Grand Prize Grant Package. I’m literally one of the final 10 that were chosen out of dozens of business owners who initially applied.

I’m so close to winning, but I need your help.

I need you to pledge support for my business, Buy By Mom. Sharing the information about this with your friends and family would be very helpful too!

Statistics show that women business owners do not have the same advantage as male business owners in getting funding for their business. In fact, women business owners only receive 11% of venture capital funding, but woman-owned businesses tend to stay in business longer. This is exactly why the National Association For Moms In Business has developed this revolutionary business grant rather than giving the “traditional” kind of business grant. Due to the promotional requirementsto be successful in this grant, it’s a good way to identify those entrepreneurs who will go the extra mile to publicize and build their ventures therefore making them ideal candidates for our additional $12,000 grant support.

How does this work?

The “crowdfunding” platform is a way to raise money by attracting many small donations from a large group (friends, family, professional contacts) to meet a funding goal. “Backers” give contributions in exchange for rewards or perks offered by the grant applicant – rewards can be any product, service or experience to which the grant applicant has access. And example of crowdfunding is an NPR pledge drive - if you donate $25.00 to NPR, donors may get an NPR T-shirt or a coffee mug, or get to go “behind the scenes” at a special event, etc.

In addition, if I win, I will receive up to $1000 in additional funding. That means that every dollar you give to my project may be matched: dollar for dollar!

Step 1: Go to http://mibn.org/site.php/spgs/read/momsinbusinessgrant

Step 2: Click on button Back This MOM for Buy By Mom

Step 3: Click on button Back This Project

Step 4: Choose your reward option, for example Featured Sponsor Spot for 9 months or Featured Parent and Featured Sponsor for One Year and Enter Pledge Amount

The grant ends on June 15th, so please back my project today. And tell your friends!

I’m excited that I have the opportunity to participate in this program!

I am a Proud Mom in Business, and would very much appreciate your help.

ISafe Bag Review - A Great Way to Add Security and Peace of Mind

by Julianne Alvarez-Wish

In the 'good ole days' kids used to be able to play outside and walk places with very little to fear. I certainly did as a child. I would go out to play after school and had to be home by a certain time as did my friends. There was little adult supervision.

The same cannot be said of today's environment unfortunately. In the blink of an eye, children, young adults, women and even young men are kidnapped, attacked and worse. Also, there are children in school suffering from being bullied.

We do all we can as parents to ensure the safety of our families and nothing should substitute for that. However, adding good tools to our 'toolbox' for caring for our families is a terrific idea and I'm all for adding security and some peace of mind.

One such idea is the line of ISafe Bags. The ISafe Bags were created by a Chicago entrepreneur. He heard about a woman who was attacked by four men. The story upset him so much he decided to do something about it to help protect people from attacks.

In full disclosure, I did receive an ISafe Bag at no cost to review. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are fully my own and in no way influenced by the receipt of the bag.

ISafe Bags look like regular back packs, laptop backpacks, or laptop messenger bags. They come in an array of colors that will please children and adults alike. I reviewed the pink laptop messenger bag. My laptop fit in the bag easily as did a bunch of other things I carry with it. It's functional, pretty, light, durable and well-constructed. It has lots of pockets for storage and even has a handy removable key ring. I love it!

Hiding in each of these bags is an alarm system with a strobe light. The alarm is quite loud and the strobe light is very bright...they will easily attract help to whoever set off the alarm. Another great feature is that the alarm and strobe light system are very light, only adding 1/2 pound to the weight of the bag so you won't get tired carrying it around.

ISafe Bags are easy to activate and deactivate. ISafe Bags also have a replacement policy. When your bag gets worn out, you can purchase a pre-wired bag from ISafe Bags at a fraction of the cost of the original. Simply insert the alarm system into the new bag and you are all set!

The ISafe Bags web site is full of useful information from who should use the bags, common uses, to alarm system operating instructions. There is a link for personal safety tips for women and children. The web site will also feature a video on how to hook up the replacement bag to your alarm system.

The line of ISafe Bags are a terrific way to add some security and peace of mind to life using an ordinary item many use daily...what's not to like! I highly recommend them!

Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at Wishful Thinking. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.

Work/Life Balance Part IV - The To-Do List

by Julianne Alvarez-Wish

A to-do list is a list of tasks to be completed or steps toward completing a project. DUH! We all know this - so what's the point in going any further with this topic, right? Not so fast...

The reason we will continue is because it's hard to argue the benefits that come from getting your commitments out of your cranium and into a consistent format.

Let's begin by breaking down a to-do list by starting with the obvious: a to-do list should contain things that can and should be done. You say, DUH! again? You may be surprised to learn how many items wind up on to-do lists that don't belong there - as well as how many are missed. So let's continue on. To-do lists should have items on them that are:

• something for which you are responsible
• actions
• something that can be accomplished in a short period of time...say a sitting
• something that works toward achieving a larger goal

David Allen, in Getting Things Done, talks about the 'next action'. He defines the next action as 'the next physical activity that needs to be engaged in, in order to move the current reality toward completion'.

For example, most people might put something on their to-do list like 'get ready for the trip'. The reality is that this is really a project (here comes my PM background). Projects should be broken down into the activities required to complete it. 'Get ready for the trip' is too vague. Instead, it should be broken down into activities such as:

• call the kennel to make reservations for dogs from x/xx to x/xx
• take suits to the dry cleaners
• go to the post office to stop mail delivery until x/xx

These are specific and actionable - it's easy to determine when they are done. Notice theses are all physical activities. Breaking these projects down into physical activities will help you

• clearly and completely think through the project
• make it easier to complete the project
• make the project more manageable for you

By taking this approach and have a 'proper' to-do list you may find you're really not as busy as you thought you were (because you are now working smarter!), you're better organized and have a better handle on what needs to be done!

Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.

Work/Life Balance Part III - Get A Day Planner

Having a planner - whether it be paper or electronic - is the first step to getting yourself organized. However, just having a planner in your possession isn't enough - you need to use it and maximize it to make it work for you.

1. Size. This is largely a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer large 8 1/2 x 11 planner while others may prefer a slim electronic version. It should comfortably fit in your purse or pocket.
2. Views. You planner should have different views so you can look - at a glance - at a day, week, month, etc.
3. Location. Always have it with you. It won't help you if you always leave it somewhere.
4. Recording. Write everything in your planner. Your planner should be the first place an event gets recorded. If you follow this your planner will be up-to-date and a good central reference for you.
5. Access. Use a tab or paperclip to 'today' so you can quickly reference your schedule. Many electronic PDAs have this feature.
6. Lists. Have 'to-do-' lists and daily action plans. 'To-do' lists should be categorized. For example, home, family, social, business. Items from your 'to-do' list will will become items on your daily action plan so you can work toward accomplishing your 'to-do' lists.
7. Time. Learn to estimate time. When you add 'to-to' list items to you daily action plan you need to determine how long they will take to accomplish. If you're like most people, you underestimate how long this take. Be realistic.
8. Color code. This is one of my favorites. Not only does color coding make you planner visually appealing, it makes it easy to see - at a glance - what your day, week, month is bringing. Use general topics for colors: family, finance, health, personal, spiritual, etc. Use a different color for each topic. Use highlighters for paper planners and different color fonts/highlights on your PDA.
9. Contingency Planning. Take into account 'what-ifs' when planning. Things pop up - phone calls, traffic, long lines. Don't pack your day so full that you cannot possibly get your list accomplished. When scheduling appointments, allow enough time in between for travel, meals, etc.
10. Changes. Changes are OK! You have the right to change plans and priorities. Your planner works for you!

Your planner is not rigid. Be realistic - your planner works for you - not the other way around. Your planner should be a tool to help you achieve your goals.

Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.

Vote for Buy By Mom

Buy By Mom is entered into the StartUp Nation contest to become one of the top 200 mom owned business for 2010. Please vote for us! You can also sign up on the site to have a voting reminder sent to you daily with a link that will take you to the Buy By Mom page.

As we gain more exposure, so do you...all of our Featured Moms, moms that host giveaways, Featured Sponsors!

Please take a moment right now to vote for Buy By Mom! Click here to vote!

Work/Life Balance Part II - All About YOU!

As parents, we often put everything and everyone else's priorities above our own. Our 'to-do' list grows daily and anything personal on that list either perpetually moves down or falls off all together never to be seen again.

It is extremely important to remember to make some time for yourself - a little bit each day or maybe once or twice per week. Do something that is just for you - whether it be pampering, reading, taking a walk, taking a nap, listening to your favorite music, connecting with special friends, etc.

If you are not taking care of yourself - physically, emotionally, etc., then the people you love will suffer as will your business.

We all need to be in top form if we want to maximize what we do for our families and businesses.

Right now - take a few minutes and look at your schedule (yes, you should have one and that's another post entirely that is coming soon) and block out some time for YOU!

Here's to a happier, healthier, more productive YOU!

Work/Life Balance Part I - Love What You Do!

Being a work at home mom and/or dad can be challenging. There are a lot of things that require, even demand, you attention every day and most, if not all, of them are probably high on your priority list. It is easy to get burned out, discouraged and give up - don't!

One of the keys to being a successful work at home parent is to love what you do. You should be passionate about your work at home job or business.

For example, I have several things I am passionate about: family, helping parents work at home so at least one parent can be home full-time with their children, politics and writing. To tee myself up for success I have combined these passions - the way I have implemented them in my business is in a manner that they support each other.

Family is extremely important to me, as is helping parents work from home for the sake of their children. To combine these and have them work to support each other I did several things. The first is I partnered with an INC 500 company whose focus is enhancing people's lives by helping them attain their goals. They are privately held, have no debt, have an A++ rating and have been inducted into the BBB Hall of Fame. They have always been 'green' - long before it was 'en vogue'. Their sales have consistently grown every year regardless of the state of the economy due to their exceptional product line. This makes this a stable and reliable company to partner with and one I can confidently recommend to others.

Another way in which I can help parents work from home to be with their children is through the work I do with Our Milk Money (OMM) as their Director of Communications. Our Milk Money is a national search directory that lists ONLY self-employed parents. OMM is also a community resource dedicated to helping parents who want to stay at home find financial opportunities and support.

OMM's institutional ethos is built around a common goal to provide for our children. In this society, the average family is faced with a challenge to provide for their families with no less than two incomes, and are sacrificing their commitment to raising their own children. As a result, many parents are forced to give the people they work for more of a commitment than they are able to give their children.

OMM envisions a situation in which we are able to reinvent ourselves as parents and entrepreneurs, and where we are able to adequately embrace our family values and support one another by working towards a lasting solution. OMM's rationale is based on a concept that brings the community of self-employed parents together: by purchasing only each other's products and services and by promoting our unity as an organization. OMM wishes to see a vibrant change in the choices we make as consumers, to appreciate the VALUE of what we purchase, and to support the parents who have chosen to earn alternative revenue for their family by working for themselves.

Another passion of mine is writing. I love sharing what I have learned with others - it's always good to be able to learn from others...it can increase our learning curve and productivity! I am passionate about our country...the companies I have partnered with are great examples of the ethics and moral values I share. I combine my love of country and helping others with my love of writing.

An additional way I combine all of these passions is by featuring work at home parents on my Buy By Mom Blog. I also review their wonderful products. I get to write and they get the benefit of free publicity!

All of these are things I love to do. I am passionate about them. Doing what you are passionate about helps me to keep going even in the face of challenges and challenging times. In fact, when you are passionate about what you do, those challenges can even spur you on to further success...they do for me!

If you are stuck in a job or business that you are not loving but need to help support you and your family here's a suggestion: while you working at that job or business out of necessity, continue to search for something that ignites passion in you. Don't give up on that...it may take a while but with persistence you can find it!

Said Albert Schweitzer: "Success is not they key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

Here's to your success!