TOP 3 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY IN YOUR MOMPRENEUR BUSINESS

Happy Wednesday Mompreneurs! With Summer coming to an end, it's time to kick your productivity up a notch when it comes to your business now that the kiddos are back to school.  

Even though you may have a few more hours in your day to work your business, those hours can go by pretty quickly and can often get away from you if you are not careful.  

How can you maximize your productivity and stay focused on your Momprenur business, especially while the kiddos are at school? I have some tips just for you!

TOP 3 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY IN YOUR MOMPRENEUR BUSINESS

1. Organize and Prioritize Your To Do List

Every morning I prioritize my to do list and write in my Daily Routine Printable Planner the Top 3 things I would like to get done that day.  I focus on those 3 things throughout the day and if I end up checking them off my list, then it has been a productive day.  

Anything else after that is considered gravy.  Don't try to take on the world and approach each day with a huge to do list.  You will be left feeling frustrated and disappointed. 

2. Complete Harder Tasks During the Day

Complete your harder tasks, goals and deadlines for during the day while your kiddos are at school and leave the easier tasks for your evenings and weekends when they are home. 

Do you write blog content or create Instagram Reels for your business?  Those tasks can require a lot more of your undivided attention. Save them for school days to lessen the chance of a kiddo walking into the room while you're recording a fun reel asking for a snack.

3. Focus on One Task at a Time

Focus on one task at a time with little distractions. Even though the kids are at school during the day, working from home still has it's distractions.  Turn off your phone, TV or any other distracting screen. 

Set a timer for that one task you are focusing on. If your task is too large, break it down into bite sized pieces. It will not feel so daunting to complete.

If you don't end up finishing your Top 5 things that day, give yourself some grace and move them to the top of your to do list for the next day.  

One of the hardest things for me as a Mompreneur was the urge to cross everything off my to do list all in one day.  It's easy to fall into the trap that you can do "all the things", especially while the kiddos are at school. There are days it just isn't possible. Try not to set unreasonable expectations for yourself, it can lead to overwhelm and burnout. 

By only focusing on your Top 3 things, you will end the day feeling much happier and productive.

How do you stay productive in your Momprenuer Business?  Please share in the comments below, I can not wait to hear more amazing productivity tips!

TOP 5 REASONS TO SELL DIGITAL PRODUCTS ON ETSY

 

Hello Mompreneurs!  I hope you are all having a great week.  We are wrapping up the final 2 weeks of school, it's so hard to believe that this unpredictable 2020 school year is coming to an end.  It is certainly ending with a little more normalcy than when it began which I am so grateful for.  It truly is a blessing to see things slowly returning to normal, and with Summer on the horizon, life just feels a little more relaxed.   Although 2020 was a stressful one, I feel it forced us Mama's to pause and truly think about what we wanted for our future and for our families.  For me, I was looking to a make a career change.  As a "retired" Corporate Accountant, I had been out of the Corporate world for 8 years and was not looking to go back to the office anytime in the near future, definitely not during these uncertain times.  There is one thing that came out of 2020 that I am truly thankful for...building my Mompreneur Studio Etsy Digital Product Business.  I love the flexibility and stability that it gives our family and that I can truly work it into the nooks and crannies of our busy life.  Have you been thinking about selling digital products?  Here are my Top 5 Reasons for Selling Digital Products on Etsy.

NO INVENTORY

One of the biggest challenges of running a small business is the upfront cost and time of creating products to sell, the time spent packing orders and finding space to store your inventory.  With an Etsy Digital Product business, you create your product ONCE in Canva, download the item into a shareable jpeg or pdf file, upload the same file into your Etsy listing to be purchased over and over again.  There is absolutely no inventory involved when running an Etsy Digital Product business which will save you so much time, money and the need for storage space! 

LOW START UP AND OVERHEAD COSTS

All you truly need to start an Etsy Digital Product business is a laptop/desktop computer, the PRO version of Canva and Etsy!  Opening a shop on Etsy is FREE to get started and costs only 20 cents for every product listing you create.  When designing your digital products in Canva, I do recommend purchasing the PRO version, it provides you with the ability download digital templates for you to sell and only costs $12 a month.  As a former Corporate Accountant, I love that there is very little start up and overhead costs when it comes to building an Etsy Digital Product business.  After all, this is a business not a hobby and you want to keep your costs down, especially when you are first getting started! 

TIME EFFICIENT AND FLEXIBLE

As a busy Mom, you need a business that is truly flexible and one that can thrive right a long with your busy and unpredictable schedule.  With my kiddos being involved in #allthesports, I don't have the flexibility to be tied down to the tough demands of working a Corporate job or running an inventory based business.  If we are having a busy week, I do not have to stress out about finding the extra time to keep up with my business or sacrifice sleep staying up late to pack orders that need to be shipped.  My Etsy shop is already stocked with digital products to be purchased over and over again and needs very little intervention from me to continue to run efficiently.

PASSIVE INCOME

I have to admit, I love waking up in the morning to see that I have received orders from my Etsy shop while I was asleep.  That is exactly what passive income is, creating a digital product ONCE to sell it over and over again... even while you sleep!  All of your hard work is spent up front during the digital product designing and planning process, once your item is listed, you can sit back and let your Etsy shop work it's magic.

NO SHIPPING

Is there anything more stressful than taking kids to the post office? LOL! In all seriousness, selling digital products is so much easier than selling physical products for the simple reason that there is nothing for you to ship.  Once your customer purchases your digital product, it is sent to them immediately via email for them to enjoy.  You do not need to spend precious time away from your family packaging up orders, running to the post office with hundreds of boxes and children in tow or spending the extra time it would take to track orders lost in the mail for your customers.

My Mompreneur Studio business has been such a blessing to our family that I couldn't wait to share my knowledge and experience to help other Mompreneurs build a Etsy Digital Product Business of their very own!  Are you ready to start or do you currently sell digital products on Etsy?  I have put together a 70 Page Etsy Digital Product Planner for you! My amazing planner will help guide you through step by step to opening a successful Etsy Digital Product Shop.  If you have been wanting to start an Etsy Digital Product business but didn't know where to start, you're in the right place!

WORK FROM HOME TIPS

Hello friends! Happy Tuesday, I hope you are all having a great week so far.  I know there are so many of us trying to adjust to our new normal which also means learning to work from home...with kids.   Even though I have worked from home at some capacity over the last 9 years, this is something that is continuously evolving for me.  I am excited to share with you a few things that have worked for me over the last several years.  I have certainly had my fair share of exciting victories along with some very ugly major fails trying to balance my family's needs with my business needs.  I hope that by sharing a few of my favorite tips will help you run a more successful at home business or get through that never ending corporate workload.  Balancing a busy family with a home based business is one of the biggest challenges I have ever had to take on, but with a lot of perseverance, planning and hard work, you too can achieve success and live a life you love.

• Wake up before the kids.  I love getting up early in the morning, this is my ME time: it's quiet and my phone isn't chiming with endless alerts.  My house is cozy and I get so much done.  This is also my time to sit down and plan out my to do list for the day without interruption.

• Get a good planner and use it.  In order to remember all of my business commitments, children's activities, school schedules and Jeff's work schedule, I needed a good planner to keep us organized.  Every Sunday I set aside an hour to go over my planner for the week, review what we have planned and schedule business activities around my family's schedule.  I also created a command center with a white board calendar system in our kitchen so we always had our family's schedule in front of us.  My husband loves to glance at our command center calendar every morning to see what we have going on as a family once he comes home from work.  It helps to keep us all organized and on schedule.

• Keep an organized to do list.  Every morning I prioritize my to do list and write in my Daily Routine Printable Planner the top 3 things I would like to get done that day.  I focus on those 3 things throughout the day and if I end up checking them all off of my to do list, then it has been a productive day.  Anything else after that is considered gravy.  Don't try to take on the world and approach each day with a huge to do list.  You will be left feeling frustrated and disappointed.  Set reasonable expectations for yourself always putting the primary focus on your family.  Their needs come first.  If you don't end up finishing those 3 things, give yourself some grace and move them to the top of the to do list the next day.  One of the hardest things for me as a work from home Mom was that I always wanted to knock out everything on my to do list all in one day.  With the distractions of having 2 kiddos at home, it just wasn't possible.  By focusing on only 3 things, you will end the day feeling a sense of accomplishment and like you didn't ignore your family's needs in the process.

• Create a functional work space.   One of my most favorite rooms in our home is my office.  I have completely made this space my own by painting the walls my favorite spa blue color and have everything organized to my liking.  I am truly the happiest and most productive working at my desk because I know it is the one thing in our home that is mine.  I also love to start my day off with a clean desk, be sure to keep your work space clean and decluttered.  Each morning I file away necessary paperwork and put items back in their proper place before tacking my to do list.  If you don't have a designated room in your house that functions as a home office, find a corner of your home that you can declare as your designated work space.  

• Set business hours and stick to them.  One of the hardest things I have had to do when working from home was to know when to "clock out" and to finally end my work day.  I would work all day long if I allowed myself.  I am a natural people pleaser and would find myself answering work related questions at all hours of the night.  By setting specific business hours and communicating them, you have now set the expectation that you will not be responding to questions until the next business day.

• Get dressed every day as if you were going into an office. As a former Corporate Accountant, I used to LOVE dressing up every day.  Ann Taylor and I were total BFF's.  My favorite quote as a career girl was "dress for the job you want, not the job you have".  Once I became a stay at home mom, I slowly turned into that yoga pants wearing Mom and barely ever got dressed or did my make up.  It just wasn't a priority and some things just had to be sacrificed in order to get everything done.  I slowly found that when I did make an extra effort in my appearance, I would also make an extra effort in my business.  I became more confident in what I was doing because I felt better about myself.  Now with Facebook Live and Instagram Stories playing such an important part in our work from home businesses, I make it an effort almost every day to do my hair and make up incase the opportunity presents itself to hop on Facebook Live or create a small video.

• Designate a power evening one night a week.  I allow myself to stay up late (2-3 hours) one night a week to knock out a few items on my to do list that I can't seem to get done during the day.  I also save the tasks such as filming YouTube videos, writing newsletters or blog posts that require full concentration and without the constant interruptions from the kids.   I found that I would accomplish more in one power evening than it would take me in a week due to the constant daily interruptions from my family.  I would have to drink an extra cup of coffee the next day, however,  it was worth it knowing how much I had accomplished the night before.

• Turn your home office into a Post Office. Back when my kiddos were little, I dreaded the task of taking them to the Post Office.  Standing in that long line and keeping my kids focused was like herding cats into a box.  My son would stand next to me for about two minutes and then run off while my daughter struck up a conversation with the woman five people in front of us.  I was literally out of breath and red with embarrassment by the time we got back into the car!  I then discovered an amazing gadget called a Postage Scale and never have to go to the Post Office again.  It's like having a Post Office right inside your home!  The mailman and I are now BFF's, he knows to expect a lot of packages from me.  And if you have too many to mail out, leave him a little note in your mailbox asking him to pick up the remaining packages from your front porch.  This has truly been a game changer for me.

Here is what you need to transform your Work At Home Office into a Post Office:

1. Dymo Postage Scale.
2. Avery Internet Shipping Labels.
3. Pay Pal Ship Now Account.
4. Scotch Bubble Mailers.
5. Catalog Envelopes

Using the Postage Scale is so easy!  Here is what you do:

1. Pull together your package to be mailed and weigh it using your Postage Scale.

2. Go to the PayPal link.  If it does not automatically bring you to the 'Ship Now' portal, you will have to key http://www.paypal.com/shipnow to get you there.

3. In the Address Information section, fill out your customers address and your email so you have a record of your shipment and purchase.  

4. In the Shipment Information section, there will be two drop downs you will need to select from.  I always choose First Class Mail Parcel 2-5 Days and Package/Thick Envelope.  You can certainly change these options depending on what you are shipping, however, this is what I use most of the time.

5. Fill out the weight of your package, the second boxes is the ounces which is what you will mostly use.

6. Click on Continue.  It will bring up a screen with your postage rate.  Then click on Print Label.  Another Pop-Up window will show asking you if you want to print a sample label.  I printed a sample label with my first couple of packages as I was getting used to the process and to see how my printer worked with this system.

7. Print your label!  I have to cut mine out of the Avery label sheet.  Peel and stick. 

8. Do a happy dance to your mailbox knowing that you do not have to drag the kids to the Post Office.

I can practically hear all of the Mama's rejoicing as they read this.  Have you discovered a work from home tip during this uncertain time that has changed your life?  Please share in the comments below, I can not wait to hear more amazing business tips!

Have a great day!

XOXO

Karen

Let's Connect on Instagram,Twitter, or Facebook

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRAND YOURSELF

 

Why it's Important to Brand Yourself

Hey there Mompreneurs!  I hope you are all having a great week.  Today I wanted to chat with all of you about why it's important to brand YOURSELF as a Mompreneur.  After spending 9 years in the industry, I have found it is one of the primary keys to success. In a noisy on line world, you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of your audience.  If you are inconsistent in your branding and not setting yourself apart from the crowd, you will quickly go unnoticed. How do you grab your audience's attention to keep them from scrolling by? Branding is the key!

Branding is more than just fancy fonts or logos, it is also your authentic voice and what makes you, YOU!  A clear brand will allow your clients to get to know you, your personality and your message. Clients typically buy from people they know, like and trust which is the ultimate goal when it comes to building your own unique brand.  Branding yourself also sets you apart from the other consultants in your company and from your company itself.  It shows you are a true professional who takes their Mompreneur business seriously and that you are not just another sales consultant trying to sell products.

How to Brand Yourself
When first establishing your brand, begin by establishing your personality and on line voice.  Whether you want to come across as someone who is fun and upbeat or a more serious expert that provides value, be sure you are portraying your true authentic self.  Being authentic helps your audience to better connect with you and builds trust, however, you don't want to get too personal by oversharing every little detail of your life.  Always keep your branding message upbeat and positive regardless of what is going on in your personal life!
Colors and fonts play an important part when establishing your brand.  I recommend choosing three to six colors and two to three fonts to use.  An easy way to bring your brand message to life is to utilize a brand board.  A brand board is an easy way to organize all of your fonts, colors, patterns, and logos to ensure that any graphic you create is cohesive with your brand.
Once you have decided on colors and fonts, it's time to create a logo using your key branding elements.  Choose a logo that is easily recognizable and is consistent with your branding message.  I highly recommend using your logo to watermark all of your images, it marks your ownership of that image and helps a potential customer to easily circle back with you.
One thing to keep in mind when building your brand is to identify your target market and who you want to market to.  It's important for your brand to align and "speak to" this target market.  This is called defining your niche market.  Defining my niche helped me to:

• understand my customers specific needs
• become the expert 
• stand out from competitors
• build trust and credibility
• stand out in a saturated market

Not everyone is your customer, when you try to speak to everyone, you speak to no one.  Once you identify who is, you can speak to them specifically and focus on their needs through your brand message.  

What to Do Once You have Established Your Brand

Once you have established your brand, be consistent with it across all of your social media channels.  Your audience will not always see every post you make, which is why your brand message must always remain the same when they do happen to scroll by.  Posting frequently on social media with a consistent brand message will help you to become easily recognized and leave a lasting impression with your audience.  Did you know it takes a potential client to see something at least 8-10 times before they will actually listen?  It also takes someone listening to your message 21 times before they will actually buy.  Consistency and frequency in your branding message is the key to your audience recognizing and remembering you!

Have you branded yourself within your Mompreneur business yet or do you still need a little direction?  I would love to help you build the brand of your dreams and to help you stand out in this noisy on line world.  Please feel free to contact me at mompreneurstudio@gmail.com with any questions or check out my shop to see some of my pre made brand boards and logos.

Don't forget to sign up for my Top 40 Digital Products to help get you started!

Have a great day!

XOXO,

Karen

For even more tips for your Mompreneur business, follow me on Instagram,Facebook

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE CREATING REELS

Hello Mompreneurs!  I hope you are all having a great week!  If you have been spending any amount of time on Instagram lately, you may have noticed your feed looks a little different.  The endless trail of static photos is a thing of the past, you are now welcomed with catchy little dance numbers and short video clips everywhere you scroll.  This latest craze to fill your Instagram feed is called Reels, Instagram's newest feature and it has taken the Mompreneur business industry by storm!

Instagram Reels was first introduced in the Fall of 2020 and is quickly growing in popularity as evident by the number of Reels that are currently visible in your feed.  Similar to Tik Tok, Instagram Reels are short video clips that allow you to use text, music and filters for you to show off your unique personal brand and products in a fun new way. Another reason you are seeing so many Reels in your feed is that Instagram is also giving them top priority over any other feature.  As a busy Momprenuer such as yourself, this allows you to reach even more potential customers and to share your products in a whole new way!  Are you ready to start incorporating Reels into your Mompreneur Business social media strategy?  Here are 5 Reasons to Why You Should Be Creating Reels.

1. INCREASED VISIBILITY OF YOUR ACCOUNT

As evident by the number of Reels popping up in your feed, Instagram has been rewarding early adopters who are utilizing this new product with higher visibility rates.  This means that anytime you post a new Reel, Instagram is highly favoring it in their algorithm over any other feature. Capitalizing on using this new feature NOW will position your Instagram account and Mompreneur business for significant growth.

2. SHOWCASE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

Utilizing Reels for your Mompreneur business allows you to connect with your viewers on a more personal level and for them to see a real face behind the brand.   Creating Reels will not only provide you with a fun new way to share your products but you can also take your viewers along on your journey as a Mompreneur.  This will help your clients get to know you, your personality and your message which builds trust. People typically buy from businesses they know, like and trust which is the ultimate goal when it comes to building your personal brand.

3. ESTABLISH YOURSELF AS A LEADER IN YOUR NICHE

Instagram Reels is a great way to establish yourself as an authority and leader in your niche by delivering value and sharing tips in a fun, new way.  You don't have to recreate the wheel with brand new content, just repurpose the helpful tips you have already been sharing on social media.  When creating your Reels, always focus on adding value by solving a problem or teaching your viewers something new.

4. FUN AND EASY TO CREATE

With a little practice, Reels can be a lot of fun and easy to create.  I highly recommend when you are first starting out to keep it simple and try not to overthink it.  Stick to content you are already an expert on, this will give you some added confidence when creating your first Reel. One less thing to worry about!  Record your Reel as one single clip until you become familiar with the technology.  Add a fun song to your video and keep the text to a minimum.  After publishing your first few Reels, you are now ready to try stitching together a Reel with multiple clips.  That is when the fun truly begins!

5. REELS ARE EASY TO FIND ON YOUR HOME PAGE

Instagram has positioned it's new Reels feature front and center of your home page, which makes it easy for your viewers to find them.  What an awesome opportunity to show off your personal brand with beautiful Instagram Reel Covers!  A beautiful and cohesive Instagram feed is not only visually pleasing, but can greatly improve brand recognition.  Instagram Reel Covers are also a great way to grab the viewers attention with a catchy title of what your Reel is about.

Instagram Reels are proving to be the easiest way to increase your audience, your brand and your connections on Instagram.  Are you utilizing this new Instagram feature to grow your Mompreneur business?  Leave a comment below, I would love to hear how you have been enjoying Reels!

For even more tips for your Mompreneur business, follow me on Instagram,Twitter,Facebook