Clever Mamma Profile: Vivacity Consulting

It gives me great pleasure this week to introduce you to a business mum who is personally helping this Clever Mamma move forward with her biz in 2013. It's mum of two, Fiona Redding from Vivacity Consulting! I could go on and on about Fiona's fab consulting and mentoring biz, but I'll let the lovely lady explain it herself below... And be sure to read on as Fiona has a very special deal for the months of December and January!

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your business... Vivacity Consulting offers business consulting and mentoring that is specifically targeted to help women in business, wherever they are in their business journey and whatever their level of business management skill and experience.

I launched the business in 2012, with the catalyst being a desire to create a challenging, innovative and rewarding working environment (and a scalable business) that was flexible around the needs of my young family.

2. How did your business begin? After months of fruitless searching for a good, meaningful part-time job, I realised that I needed to think more strategically and laterally about what I could do for work. It took months of research & planning to work out exactly how my background in strategic & business planning, HR, organisational development & change, and project management would translate into a business - and how I could help other mums set up and run their own successful businesses. It has been an amazing adventure.

3. The bits I love... The intellectual freedom, being my own boss, the financial rewards, working with and learning from other awesome & inspiring business owners, and the ability to dream big and make it happen!

4. The bits I not-so-love... Admin & financials

5. Any tips for other Clever Mammas? Do what you love and love what you do, and then do it really well.

6. Devonshire Tea versus Coffee & Cake??? Coffee and cake.

So go on, do yourself and your mum business a favour and check out Fiona at Vivacity Consulting. If you are serious about moving forward I'd highly recommend it.

And in those famous words... "But wait there's more!". Fiona is offering a very special deal for Dec 2012/Jan 2013.

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Want to get a head start on 2013? 
Would you like an independent, objective and insightful assessment of your business to ensure you are heading in the right direction?

With a Vivacity coaching session you will gain clarity & focus on your business direction, have clear objectives in place, feel inspired and motivated to achieve your goals, and most importantly receive an ACTION PLAN to help you take your business to the next level in 2013.

For a limited time Vivacity is offering a coaching session and action plan for only $199! That is a saving of over $75.

Simply mention this blog post and book your session for December or January to access this fantastic offer. Please note that places are limited and it will be first in first served.

Fiona's full contact details are on the Clever Mamma directory, so book your session and get your business on the right track for 2013!

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Clever Mamma Profile: First Step Virtual Assistant

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to brand new Clever Mamma, Anne Clark from First Step Virtual Assistant. Anne is keeping busy (but I'm hoping she is getting some R&R too) with Master 2 PLUS a new bub on the way in February. Based in Melbourne, Anne is able to support biz mums Australia-wide with social media, admin and project management plus lots more. Anyone else spending way too much time on social media? You know who to call!

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your business... My name is Anne Clark, I worked as a Corporate PA/Office Manager for 20 years before becoming a first time mum.  I am expecting my second child in early 2013, which is very exciting.
 
First Step Virtual Assistant is a support service for businesses.  I provide social media support, administration support, project management, electronic newsletters and lots more.
 
2. How did your business begin? First Step Virtual Assistant was established with the desire for me to be able to achieve a dream which is running my own business, be able to be at home with my children and continue to do what I love doing.
 
3. The bits I love... I love working with my clients, I’m very lucky as they are wonderful.  I love learning about their industries.  I take it upon myself to keep up to date on technology and services so that anything that can benefit my clients in the services I provide I can pass on to them.

4. The bits I not-so-love... The thing I don’t love is the constant ‘spam’ emails I get bombarded with and the hoax service seekers I get.  Surely they have better things to do. 

5. Any tips for other Clever Mammas? When trying to grow your business, utilise the free social media tools around such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn to attract your audience.  Take the time to understand your business direction/target audience and those social media tools.  It is important to try and get your audience onto your own database, you can’t solely rely on the social media platform because if it was gone tomorrow, you would have lost your database of potential clients and have to start all over again. 
 
6. Devonshire Tea versus Coffee & Cake??? These days I definitely prefer my coffee and cake! 

Thanks so much Anne for letting us know your biz story. Stay tuned for a bubs update early next year, but in the meantime do pop past Anne's listing on the CM directory for full contact details and see how First Step Virtual Assistant can support you and your business. Isn't it time to work "on" your business and not "in" it? 

Clever Mamma Profile: Healthy Personal Finances

Our latest Clever Mamma is the fabulous and super-lovely Stacey Price. Stacey, together with hubby Richard run Healthy Personal Finances. Based in the North West of Melbourne and with two young boys to keep them busy, they are able to combine both their professional skills and personal experiences to provide clients with solutions to achieve lifestyle and financial goals. Isn't that a breath of fresh air - A finance team able to relate and understand the financial challenges us families face!

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your business... My hubby and I started our business so that I could spend more time at home with our two lovely boys. I am a qualified accountant and hubby a qualified book keeper. We are passionate about sharing our financial knowledge and helping people become in control of their financial future. To be able to plan for holidays, weddings, retirement, buying a house, interest rate changes without fear and understanding how small changes can make a big impact. 

2. How did your business begin? Our business started off by producing individual cash management plans for ourselves to understand where all our money went and to help me save for our wedding. We then created a joint cash flow for our family, which includes our son’s bank accounts, the mortgage and our own personal accounts. We monitor our money each week of the year. We were then offering our plan to others and thought – we should be in business!

3. The bits I love... Seeing the smile on people’s faces when they realise they can achieve their dreams. Whether it be save for an overseas holiday, their first house, their children’s school fees or a comfortable retirement. Most of what we do is educate people and help them understand what can be achieved without making huge sacrifices. 

4. The bits I not-so-love... At the end of the day, we can guide people in the right direction, but we have no control over if they choose to follow the plans we create. People’s lifestyle and situations can change in an instant which effects what we have created so at times we need to start again from scratch.

5. Any tips for other Clever Mammas? People tell me not to work with family, but for us it works. It is great to bounce ideas off each other and we often see things from different perspectives. Sometimes a fresh approach is what is needed, and that is what we try to give our clients. Sometimes the answer is right in front of you, but you are too close to see it. 

6. Devonshire Tea versus Coffee & Cake??? Can I have both...but with a hot chocolate instead of coffee??

Thanks for spending some time with us Stacey, and letting us get to know you and your finance biz a little better :) So if you need help with budgeting, cash flow, book keeping or financial planning you know where to go! Healthy Personal Finances' full contact details can be found here on the Clever Mamma directory... What are you waiting for? Go check them out :)

We're giving away a free membership a day!

To celebrate reaching 600 "likes" on Facebook, Clever Mamma is giving away a membership a day!

Over the next six nights we will be randomly selecting an Aussie mum business to join the Clever Mamma online directory absolutely free. That's a 12 month membership valued at $120 each... And there are six to be won!

To enter, simply follow the three easy steps below:
1. Own an Aussie mum business.
2. Be a Clever Mamma Liker on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/CleverMamma)
3. Comment on this blog post with your name, your business name and web address.

Each night at 6pm a winner will be selected using random.org and notified. Giveaway begins Tuesday 16th October 2012 and ends Sunday 21st October 2012.

Do you know what makes Clever Mamma different from other directories? 
We offer additional perks at no additional cost:
- A company profile on the Clever Mamma Blog.
- Continuous Facebook and Twitter mentions and shout-outs promoting your business throughout your membership.
- The Clever Mamma personalised service we pride ourselves on, you are not just a name on a list!

So what are you waiting for? Comment now!

Clever Mamma Profile: Gigi's Buttons

Today I'd love you all to meet and say hello to our very talented Clever Mamma business mum Kathryn Hill from Gigi's Buttons. Kathryn is kept on her toes with the original Miss Gigi, Master H and a very naughty labrador called Bonnie, as well as finding time (mums are amazing!) to create gorgeous handmade quality clothing.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your business... I am happy wife to Ben and mum to Hamish, 6 and Greta (aka Gigi), 3. My day job is  nursing and Gigi's Buttons is my second job, actually make that my third! We live in Gisborne in regional Victoria on a couple of acres that is adequate for a silly labrador, lots of footy, cricket and mini-bike riding.

Through Gigi's Buttons I aim to make children's clothing that is beautifully constructed, age appropriate, comfortable and allows the child's individuality to shine through. I hand make all the garments myself at this stage - no outsourcing. I often use commercial patterns that are available to boutique sewers for a license fee. I only choose well garments that will be well constructed and allow for a wide use of fabrics and embellishments. I believe that when you buy a hand made garment you are buying something special and you know you won't see every second child in the same thing.

2. How did your business begin? I was taught to sew by my mum when I was younger but had not sewed much until Greta was born three years ago. I was so excited to have a little girl to dress but couldn't really find the styles I liked in stores. I started simple A-line dresses then my ambitions grew. Where I didn't have the skill or knowledge of technique I just visited "my ladies" on you-tube. To my delight, I have discovered a world of (mainly) woman who have videos demonstrating various sewing techniques. So with my new-found tutoring I embarked on more difficult garments. My sister had a baby around the same time and became one of my first and best customers. I started getting asked by friends and friends-of-friends to make things and eventually saw a future in starting the business. Once I made my first coat for Greta I was in love. There is something so special about a lovely coat.  I love looking at pictures of vintage children's coats and often find inspiration in the colours textures and styles. Making coats is becoming the specialty of the business.

3. The bits I love... I love working with customers on custom orders. It is very satisfying to know the garment the customer receives is exactly the garment they desired.

4. The bits I not-so-love... Any administration task - I feel like it just eats into the precious time I have to sew.

5. Any tips for other Clever Mammas? Set realistic goals and timelines to allow a good work-life balance. If you give every ounce of yourself to your business something else (like family) will suffer. You absolutely need the support of your family, they may be why you started in the first place. Don't feel pressure to be superwoman - they are a fantasy pushed by the media and parenting blogs. Yes it may take longer to get your business where you want it but at least you will be able to sustain it when you get there.

6. Devonshire Tea versus Coffee & Cake??? Devonshire tea. The more jam and cream the better!!

Thanks so much for stopping by the Clever Mamma Blog Kathryn! If you would like to get in touch and find out more about Gigi's Buttons gorgeous kids clothing, visit her on the Clever Mamma Directory.

Review: Kiss It Better Bag, First Aid Kit

Have you heard of the Kiss It Better Bag? It's a first aid kit with a difference. As the name suggests it's not just bandaids and gauze. This kit includes some special little extras that will make a difficult and teary situation a lot easier on mums, dads, carers and most importantly, the littlies.

A few months back I purchased one of the wallets as I wanted a small-ish kit to throw in the car, and this one was designed by an Aussie mum (yes I'm super-proud to say she is a Clever Mamma!!) with training credentials in first aid so I was pretty sure it would do the job. When it arrived in the mail I checked it all out, pulling bits n' bobs out of all the compartments and I'm happy to say it came up trumps!

First off was the compact design of the wallet. Measuring at around 14x20cm, with a width of 10cm-ish, there were no probs fitting it in my glove box or even my nappy bag. Looking at everything that came out of it, it was hard to believe it all fitted in there, and thank goodness was easy to pack it all back in. The wallet itself has four compartments, one which is attached with velcro so you can easily put your essentials in it and pop it in your smaller handbag for those "just in case" moments. Other clever bits I was delighted to discover include a handy hang-up clip and an easy to keep clean black exterior.

Secondly I found the contents were perfect for a parent with a young child. Special treats for injured kids include jelly beans, stickers, and novelty band aids combined with essential bandages, dressings, gloves plus lots more, to make sure physical injuries are treated effectively and as creator Vanessa Williams says, "tears can be dried in record time". And that's what this first aid kit is all about, ensuring little souls are soothed as well as scrapes and bumps. As a big "let mummy kiss it better" mum I LOVE this. And yes, if items run low (possibly the stickers and jelly beans??) refill kits are available.

Thanks to the lovely Vanessa I have secured one Kiss It Better Bag Wallet (valued at $40) to giveaway to a lucky reader. To be in the running all you need to do is comment below and tell me the name of the Clever Mamma who created this fantastic first aid kit. A random winner will be drawn on Monday 30th April 2012 and published and notified via Facebook, Twitter and email on that same day.

And as a super special for all our fabulous Aussie Clever Mamma Blog readers, you are able to purchase either the wallet or the shoulder bag and receive FREE postage. Kits will need to be ordered via email info@firstaid4all.com.au and you must mention that Clever Mamma sent you over.


THE LOWDOWN:
The wallet kit I purchased retails for $40 (plus P&H) and there is a larger shoulder bag available for $75 (pus P&H).

The actual contents of the wallet are:
Gloves (large, vinyl, slightly powdered)
Band Aids (assorted colours, shapes and cartoon figures)
BURN AID burn gel 3.5g
Triangular Bandage
Conforming Bandage (5cm)
Wound Dressing (size small)
Low-adherent Dressing
Saline Wash x 2
CPR key ring mask
Cleansing Wipes x 2
LEUKOFIX Tape
Disposable Thermometer
Pad and Pen
Jelly Beans and Stickers
Emergency Numbers Magnet

To find out more including the contents of the shoulder bag visit http://kissitbetterbag.com

Clever Mamma Profile: Recipes 4 Success, Independent Consultant and Group Leader for The Chef's Toolbox

All has been busy at Clever Mamma HQ but I'm delighted to be back on the CM-Profile-Train and have a fabulous mum in biz for you all to meet. This week I have the pleasure of introducing you to Clever Mamma Josie Campese, from Recipes 4 Success, an Independent Consultant and Group Leader for The Chef's Toolbox. Based in the north western suburbs of Melbourne, Josie is a passionate and proud business mum who loves what she does!

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your business... I am a mum of a sixteen year old daughter. Almost 6 years ago I went along to a cooking party, mainly because I was promised food and wine! I had a great, fun afternoon but most of all I was so impressed with the obvious difference good quality cookware, knives and bake ware can make to the results I get in the kitchen. I learned to make a fabulous risotto without stirring and also yummy sticky date puddings, all in about 30 minutes

2. How did your business begin? I joined because it was a fun way to earn some extra money and I still had the time to spend with my daughter and have the time to be involved with her at school.

3. The bits I love... The social interaction with guests at my parties, the money to spend on family holidays, rewards like the overseas and national travel - I have been away on fully paid trips with The Chefs Toolbox every year and especially the rewards like knowing that I help other women to have the benefits of being mums at home with their kids, while developing their own home based businesses and contributing to the family income while they gain things like confidence and independence.

4. The bits I not-so-love... The perception that I am available 24hrs a day because I work from home.

5. Any tips for other Clever Mammas? Set and diarise your work time, social time and family time and stick with it.

6. Devonshire Tea versus Coffee & Cake??? Devonshire tea.

Thanks for stopping by the Clever Mamma blog Josie! It's been great getting to know you and your business a little better. If you would like to find out more about Josie and her fabulous business, be sure to sneak a peak at the listing on the CM Directory. You will find more details plus a link to Josie's website. What are you waiting for? Go on... hop to it!

"Does Mummy work?"

While playing cars and trucks with my two and a half year old son yesterday, he was telling me that one of them was daddy on his way to work, and then he went through his nearest and dearest; his grandparents and his beloved aunty, explaining to me that each of them were in his little vehicles off to work. I thought I would ask him a question to see what he felt about what his mummy does... "Master 2, does mummy work?". His response without batting an eyelash was "No." He then went on to continue playing while I had one of those "mum" moments.

At this point I wasn't sure how I should feel about his answer. A part of me was fuming and thinking about all the work I do in the house to keep it's day to day running as smoothly as possible, cooking, cleaning and everything else in between. Not to mention the running around for Playgroup and Gymbaroo each week. And then there is the two actual businesses I run from home in my spare (?) time.

And then it dawned on me... the reason I have chosen to run businesses from home is so that my day to day time with my son is not in any way effected. While household tasks are at any time of the day, I only "work" when he is sleeping or being looked after elsewhere.

In time he will come to realise what "work" mummy does, but I'm happy for his first few years to be oblivious to it, and for us to just enjoy the precious time we have together. So while my stress levels at times may be high and my mind full of things to add to my to-do list, I'm happy to know that it is not effecting the most important people in my life. And isn't that the reason I'm doing it in the first place?

Drumroll please...

Firstly, I would like to send a huge thank you to all the clever mums in business who entered the Clever Mamma '3 for 300 Giveaway'. The responses were so good that I had trouble deciding (my 30 week prego brain may have also been a factor)... So as we are so close to hitting 400 likes on Facebook, I took it into my hands at the very last minute, 10pm last night to be exact, to change it to the '4 for 400 Giveaway'.

So what does this mean? I have chosen four talented mums and their businesses to each win a 12 month membership to the Clever Mamma Directory instead of 3. This includes a Clever Mamma Blog Business Profile, continuous Facebook and Twitter mentions throughout their membership, as well as the Clever Mamma personalised service we pride ourselves 0n. Each membership is valued at $120 but these lucky ladies receive it absolutely free.

So without further ado, I'd like to announce... Drumroll please... Kathryn Hill from Gigi's Buttons, Kym from Virtual Marketing Manager, Kelly Northey from Bamboo Bubby and Kate Christie from Babysitters and More. Congratulations ladies, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your responses and finding out "What you love most about working with other mums in business".

Over the coming weeks I will be showcasing the winning entries plus those that came extremely close (via Facebook and Twitter) and you will be able to pop over to each of these amazing women's websites to find out for yourself how talented they are and also support their business.

Thanks again ladies for reinforcing why I began the Clever Mamma community, for business mums to connect and support fellow business mums!

Need help with marketing your biz?

Now is the perfect time to get marketing advice for your small business! Our very talented Clever Mamma, Melita from Envious Solutions is offering 20% off all marketing services during the month of February.

Envious Solutions is a small business servicing small to medium sized businesses with all their marketing needs. They understand the daily challenges you face and what it means to be the one “wearing a number of hats”. Let Envious Solutions take the burden out of marketing your company – it’s what they do best! As the name suggests they help you make your competitors green with envy.

With over 10 years experience Envious Solutions know how to target the right audience for you. Contact Melita today for a chat and to see how she can help increase your sales and get more customers through your door. Services include marketing plans, event management, promotions, advertising, copywriting, corporate branding and Facebook setups.

Be sure to call before 29 February 2012 to receive 20% discount off all services. Be quick time is running out! And while you are at it, you can also find out more about Melita and this fantastic biz in the Envious Solutions profile found here.

3 for 300 giveaway!

What a way to kick off 2012! To celebrate Clever Mamma reaching over 300 likes on Facebook and over 300 followers on Twitter, we would like to send a big thank you to YOU, the lovely peeps who support us! We have met some amazing mums in business over the past six months and continue to grow our community of Aussie biz mums. We are constantly amazed at the huge number of mums who have taken the plunge into running their own business and are doing such a great job of it, we certainly are a talented bunch!

So as a big, big thank you, we are giving not just one, not just two, but three lucky mums who run their own business, the opportunity to join the Clever Mamma Directory for 12 months absolutely free (valued at $120 each), and we are calling it the "3 for 300 giveaway!"

All you have to do to enter is comment on this post with your answer to this question...

In 25 words or less, What do you love most about working with other mums in business? Now I know I can think of a thousand answers to this one, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The best three responses will receive a free 12 month Clever Mamma membership as well as all the perks that go with it (CM Blog Business Profile, continuous Facebook and Twitter mentions throughout their membership, as well as the Clever Mamma personalised service we pride ourselves 0n). The top responses (not selected as winners) will also be featured on both Facebook and Twitter accompanied by your business web link, so even if you don't win the big prize you can also receive some free publicity for your business.

So what are you waiting for? Comment on this post with your response NOW to ensure you are in the running for this fabulous prize. Don't forget to add your web link too! Entries close Wednesday February 29th 2012 and winners will be announced via our Blog, Facebook and Twitter pages Monday March 5th 2012.