Summer in Arizona

Oh my gosh, I didn't realize that it has been so long since I have posted. It looks like I was the last one to post anyway. :(
It is summer and it is HOT here in Arizona. We have already had our first 118 degree day, we have had 2 giant habubs. We haven't had much rain though. Wish we would get more here in the valley.
Business has been slow. Either because of the summer or the economy. Don't get me started on that....
School will be back in session soon and I have picked up some work with back to school items like back packs and lunch bags. There are sure some cute ones out there.
I have a new line of tote bags coming out soon. I find more and more people trying to be "green" (I prefer "Blue" since we ARE the blue planet" ;)  I use tote bags for the grocery store or a quick run into Costco or Sams. I always have them in the car. Will have them on Etsy and Craigs list soon.
As always I am so Thankful to know the awesome women of SuperWAHMz.com.
Well, take care, have a great summer........ until next time. :)

To keep my business or not to keep my business

That seems to be the question I am asking myself these days.

Are any of you asking yourself that same question? Times are tough, nothing any of us don't know. My industry seems to be suffering maybe more than some. The first thing to go for a business is the little extras and embroidery seems to be one of those little extras. Even the local sports teams are having to cut back.

I totally understand but it does beg the question.... can D's stay in business another year. That is a question I never though I would ask myself, especially after 17 1/2 years.

In the back of my mind I continue to ponder opening a different type of business. I think I will always own my own business. I think it is in my blood. Just trying to figure out what that business might be keeps my mind turning.

Hope all is well with everyone. I miss the chatter.

It's been a long time

Been so long I almost forgot how to post to our blog. I say that with a sly smile on my face. Sorry for being MIA. Summers in AZ are so hot it is hard to wrap my mind around doing anything but hibernating. ;) Fall is quickly approaching though so there IS a light at the end of this tunnel.

Work has not been so good for D's Stitcheree.
I am hoping that the summer months have been better for all of you running your own business. The economy is tough, we all know that. I do have a question though for anyone who might like to chime in.

How is the economy effecting your OWNING your own business.

I just got a notice from my bank that effective Oct. 1 they will start charging a service charge of $15.00 a month on business accounts that carry under $1,000.00 daily balance. Since moving to AZ I have not had to pay a service charge with my bank and I have never held a daily balance of $1K. It is only $15.00 but in months where I might only make $100.00, that is a lot of money. I will see how the rest of this year goes then I am seriously considering closing my 17 1/2 year old business. I thought I would always work for myself but I may soon join the ever growing number of people unemployed.

Thankful Thursday

THE best thing I have to be thankful for this week is that my dil does not have cancer. How could I possibly hope for anymore. Well, I could but for now I will just be so thankful that that new was good news.
A long time ago I was watching Oprah and she was doing the Thankful Journal. I started a TJ at a time when my son was in the 1st Gulf War...... well, he wasn't actually IN the war but he was in the area at that time. Anyway, some days its was really hard to find things to be thankful for but if I remember right, Oprah said we should be able to find at least 3 things to be thankful for. There were days that just waking up in the morning was one of my 3 things. LOLOLOL How sad huh. My son was gone, my business was growing, I had a teenager. What more can I say.
Now I wake up every morning just so darn thankful for life. Life is good. Even when it is blazing HOT here in AZ, I don't have any work and I STILL need to loose weight. I really think life is what we make of it. As the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemon-aide. :)
I am taking this HOT weather, lack of work time to clean my garage. I have boxes and boxes of inventory. I am really making a dent out there and now find that I have a lot of items I can use for the holidays so..... keep an eye on D's Stitcheree for all things Holidays. Of course I will still do custom orders. If last year was any indication I will have to have a cut off date for custom orders so if that is something you are thinking about and would like to chat about, drop me a line.

Work, Work and More Work.

How does a self employed wahm stay organized and get things done? Really. I need an answer. I seem to be more productive when I am busy with orders, than when I am slow. Sort of. I guess I get more painted, but that's because I have to.

Here is my problem....I work all day. I paint, I pour, I pack. I usually work until dinnertime. I take a lunch break, but that's about it. My day is filled with pigs.

After dinner, I try not to work. But....BUT after dinner I still have paperwork to do. And computer work. Stuff I didn't have time to do during the day. My website hasn't been updated for months. Emails need answered. Papers need filed. But I feel guilty if I start to do that stuff after dinner.

And heaven forbid if I take some time off and don't work for 2 days in a row (like weekends). Then I am so far behind I can't see the light....I swear, more orders come in when I take some time off and try not to work.

Just when am I supposed to have family time? Or when am I supposed to get everything done? Or when can I have time to myself? Is there a way to do it all without going crazy? DOES ANYONE OUT THERE HAVE THE ANSWER??????? I need to know!

Guest Article: The 10 Crucial Differences Between Being a Small Business Owner and an Inspired Entrepreneur

By Nick Williams

When I was stuck in the corporate world many years ago, I dreamed of escape to the freedom of running my own small business. Eventually I plucked up the courage to leave and started my own small business, with the goal of training and inspiring people. In order to run my business, I taught myself how to do VAT, keep my books, do my accounts and keep stock of products. While I was free of the pressures of a boss and organisational structures and politics, but I still didn’t feel very free and I even felt a little disappointed. I felt a slave to my business, and had left the corporate world to work for love, but seemed to end up working for money, and working for my business, rather than my business working for me.

Today I see there is a big difference between the small business owner that I was then, and the inspired entrepreneur I have become today. I realise I had the heart and soul of an inspired entrepreneurs, but was trying to squeeze myself into the straightjacket of being a small business owner. Below I am sharing what I have identified as being the ten main differences between being a small business owner and an inspired entrepreneur.

Difference one - Inspired entrepreneurs follow their inner calling.

Inspired entrepreneurs have found the work they were born for, and are following their particular and unique calling. There is a great fit between what they do and who they are, and feel they are constantly drawn forward to become the person they were born to be.

Difference two - Inspired entrepreneurs create a business that supports their own talents, passions and lifestyle.

Inspired entrepreneurs create businesses that supports them and their lifestyle and don’t sacrifice their lifestyle to their businesses. Many small business owners sacrifice their own needs in order to be successful. Inspired entrepreneurs know their business can be a vehicle for discovering and expressing their own unique gifts and talents.

Difference three - Inspired entrepreneurs have a higher purpose than just making money.

Inspired entrepreneurs love making money and are very willing to make money, but that is not the sole purpose of their business. They didn’t set up a business to become an expert on tax and bookkeeping. Inspired entrepreneurs are motivated to create and contribute and that much of the conventional stuff needs to be done well, but is for the maintenance of the business, but not the purpose of the business.

Difference four - Inspired entrepreneurs are always evolving their business.

Inspired entrepreneurs love working on their business as well loving to work in their business. Small business owners tend just to work in their business, doing what needs doing to make the business work. Inspired entrepreneurs intrinsically love what they do, but also love stepping back and thinking creatively about their business, how it can be more fun, inspiring, profitable and effective.

Difference five- Inspired entrepreneurs love growing themselves.

Inspired entrepreneurs love learning and growing themselves through running their business. They know that running their own business is the best personal growth seminar on the planet, becoming a mirror to highlight both their strengths and their weaknesses. They are curious about what they can become and love discovering what they capable of. They are less interested in being competitive and more interested in realising their own potential.

Difference six - Inspired entrepreneurs are fuelled by inspiration rather than motivation.

Motivation is often about getting pumped up by some external force, whilst inspiration is about being lit by a fire within that can burn forever. Inspired entrepreneurs don’t need to pumped up, but they know they need to regularly kindle and rekindle their flame of inspiration, by going to their own wells of inspiration and inspiring themselves.

Difference seven - Inspired entrepreneurs love understanding how they find and attract their ideal clients.

Inspired entrepreneurs are endlessly curious about how to attract and serve their clients better. They love serving and contributing, and believe that what they do makes a difference. They enjoy getting the word out about what they do, and getting people to act, but only in ways that are grounded in honesty and integrity. They are willing to give up being anonymous.

Difference eight - Inspired entrepreneurs work in inspired, smart and strategic ways.

Inspired entrepreneurs know that hard work alone is no guarantee of success. They don’t confuse being busy with being strategic. They have shed the prevailing belief of the protestant work ethic and know that success doesn’t come from pain, struggle and sacrifice, but instead know it comes from brilliant ideas, well implemented. They know that “time out” to generate new ideas and think strategically is often more valuable than another hour at their desk.

Difference nine - Inspired entrepreneurs navigate their life by using joy as their compass.

Small businesses tend to be more mechanical and repetitive, whilst inspired entrepreneurs navigate their business and life through a sense of joy, inspiration and aliveness. They also have a sense of destiny and rightness about what they do, knowing that their particular talents are being used to the maximum and that they and their business evolve through a sense of ongoing revelation about their next steps. They hate being bored and are always asking, “How can I inspire myself next?”

Difference ten - Inspired entrepreneurs value their heart and their thinking.

Inspired entrepreneurs know that they bring the love and the money together by marrying their inspired heart together with their brilliant entrepreneurial thinking. They become potent by using one to support the other and not have them be enemies. They use great business strategies to support their inspired ideas.

So start inspiring yourself and setting your sights higher by become an inspired entrepreneur rather than a small business owner. It is one of the best ways on the planet of being happy, inspired and fulfilled, and making the contribution you were born to make.

Nick has created a free 8 part transformational e-course “Secrets of an Inspired Entrepreneur” (value £79.99) You can sign up now by going to www.inspired-entrepreneur.com right now.

Nick Williams is one of the world’s experts on inspiration at work and is passionate about helping create a new kind of entrepreneur. He is the best selling author of five books including The Work We Were Born To Do.

Guest Article: The 10 Crucial Differences Between Being a Small Business Owner and an Inspired Entrepreneur

By Nick Williams

When I was stuck in the corporate world many years ago, I dreamed of escape to the freedom of running my own small business. Eventually I plucked up the courage to leave and started my own small business, with the goal of training and inspiring people. In order to run my business, I taught myself how to do VAT, keep my books, do my accounts and keep stock of products. While I was free of the pressures of a boss and organisational structures and politics, but I still didn’t feel very free and I even felt a little disappointed. I felt a slave to my business, and had left the corporate world to work for love, but seemed to end up working for money, and working for my business, rather than my business working for me.

Today I see there is a big difference between the small business owner that I was then, and the inspired entrepreneur I have become today. I realise I had the heart and soul of an inspired entrepreneurs, but was trying to squeeze myself into the straightjacket of being a small business owner. Below I am sharing what I have identified as being the ten main differences between being a small business owner and an inspired entrepreneur.

Difference one - Inspired entrepreneurs follow their inner calling.

Inspired entrepreneurs have found the work they were born for, and are following their particular and unique calling. There is a great fit between what they do and who they are, and feel they are constantly drawn forward to become the person they were born to be.

Difference two - Inspired entrepreneurs create a business that supports their own talents, passions and lifestyle.

Inspired entrepreneurs create businesses that supports them and their lifestyle and don’t sacrifice their lifestyle to their businesses. Many small business owners sacrifice their own needs in order to be successful. Inspired entrepreneurs know their business can be a vehicle for discovering and expressing their own unique gifts and talents.

Difference three - Inspired entrepreneurs have a higher purpose than just making money.

Inspired entrepreneurs love making money and are very willing to make money, but that is not the sole purpose of their business. They didn’t set up a business to become an expert on tax and bookkeeping. Inspired entrepreneurs are motivated to create and contribute and that much of the conventional stuff needs to be done well, but is for the maintenance of the business, but not the purpose of the business.

Difference four - Inspired entrepreneurs are always evolving their business.

Inspired entrepreneurs love working on their business as well loving to work in their business. Small business owners tend just to work in their business, doing what needs doing to make the business work. Inspired entrepreneurs intrinsically love what they do, but also love stepping back and thinking creatively about their business, how it can be more fun, inspiring, profitable and effective.

Difference five- Inspired entrepreneurs love growing themselves.

Inspired entrepreneurs love learning and growing themselves through running their business. They know that running their own business is the best personal growth seminar on the planet, becoming a mirror to highlight both their strengths and their weaknesses. They are curious about what they can become and love discovering what they capable of. They are less interested in being competitive and more interested in realising their own potential.

Difference six - Inspired entrepreneurs are fuelled by inspiration rather than motivation.

Motivation is often about getting pumped up by some external force, whilst inspiration is about being lit by a fire within that can burn forever. Inspired entrepreneurs don’t need to pumped up, but they know they need to regularly kindle and rekindle their flame of inspiration, by going to their own wells of inspiration and inspiring themselves.

Difference seven - Inspired entrepreneurs love understanding how they find and attract their ideal clients.

Inspired entrepreneurs are endlessly curious about how to attract and serve their clients better. They love serving and contributing, and believe that what they do makes a difference. They enjoy getting the word out about what they do, and getting people to act, but only in ways that are grounded in honesty and integrity. They are willing to give up being anonymous.

Difference eight - Inspired entrepreneurs work in inspired, smart and strategic ways.

Inspired entrepreneurs know that hard work alone is no guarantee of success. They don’t confuse being busy with being strategic. They have shed the prevailing belief of the protestant work ethic and know that success doesn’t come from pain, struggle and sacrifice, but instead know it comes from brilliant ideas, well implemented. They know that “time out” to generate new ideas and think strategically is often more valuable than another hour at their desk.

Difference nine - Inspired entrepreneurs navigate their life by using joy as their compass.

Small businesses tend to be more mechanical and repetitive, whilst inspired entrepreneurs navigate their business and life through a sense of joy, inspiration and aliveness. They also have a sense of destiny and rightness about what they do, knowing that their particular talents are being used to the maximum and that they and their business evolve through a sense of ongoing revelation about their next steps. They hate being bored and are always asking, “How can I inspire myself next?”

Difference ten - Inspired entrepreneurs value their heart and their thinking.

Inspired entrepreneurs know that they bring the love and the money together by marrying their inspired heart together with their brilliant entrepreneurial thinking. They become potent by using one to support the other and not have them be enemies. They use great business strategies to support their inspired ideas.
So start inspiring yourself and setting your sights higher by become an inspired entrepreneur rather than a small business owner. It is one of the best ways on the planet of being happy, inspired and fulfilled, and making the contribution you were born to make.

Nick has created a free 8 part transformational e-course “Secrets of an Inspired Entrepreneur” (value £79.99) You can sign up now by going to www.inspired-entrepreneur.com right now.

Nick Williams is one of the world’s experts on inspiration at work and is passionate about helping create a new kind of entrepreneur. He is the best selling author of five books including The Work We Were Born To Do.

Talk about it Tuesday

I would like to talk about the Pink elephant sitting right smack dab in the middle of my house. It is called the Economy. Conversations have been taking place in various business groups I belong to about the economy and how it is affecting our business's. Being an embroidery business, something most people don't need very often, some never, is tough in the economy today. I have seen my business slow down to a stop. Looking for an outside job is hard to do since I have been working at home for 16 years AND there aren't any jobs to be had anyway. There are so many people out of work.
We have been discussing the fact that we have given up any trips this summer just to put gas in the cars. This is not a happy subject in my house because our grandkids live in CA and we are in AZ.
So.... what have you given up just to make ends meet. What are your priorities??
Maybe your business is doing really well. I would love to hear about it and how you keep things going in the economy of today.
A while back we had the discussion about Made in America. It is interesting how the two subjects have overlapped. I don't know if we can have a survey on this blog but I would find it interesting to know, how do you choose a product. Price or ??
I had a dream once to produce Heirloom products that could be handed down to family members. I am seeing that dream fade away. Not only because of the economy but because it seems that some people don't care so much any more about passing down family heirlooms. I find that so interesting.
hhmmm I gues I have chosen a couple things to Talk about Today. It will be good to hear your opinions.

Custom Embroidery

For Fantastic Friday I would like to share the completed

custom embroidery project that I have been working on. I ran into a little trouble yesterday when I was running the custom design because I had made it a little too large and the needle hit the hooping frame. Thank goodness (Thankful Thursday) that I had bought extra fabric. Once I redid the design to fit properly, everything ran smoothly.

The frame did not have a matting so this morning Nick and I went to Michaels and purchased a matt. I think framed art work looks so much nicer matted.
My customer is on his way. Hopefully he will love the results of this custom embroidered project. I would love to hear your comments.

Guest Article: The Power of Asking

This week's Fantastic Friday post will be a guest article from my favorite professional speaker and author, Jack Canfield. I listen to his "Success Principles" on CD whenever I need a boost in my productivity.

The Power of Asking; 7 Ways to Boost Your Business
by Jack Canfield

The gift called "asking" has been around for a long, long time. One of life's fundamental truths states, "Ask and you shall receive." Kids are masters at using this gift, but we adults seem to have lost our ability to ask. We come up with all sorts of excuses and reasons to avoid any possibility of rejection.

Yet the world responds to those who ask! If you are not moving closer to what you want, you probably aren't doing enough asking.

Here are seven asking strategies you can implement in your business (and in life) to boost your results and your bottom line:

Asking Strategy 1: Ask for Information

To win potential new clients, you first need to know what their current challenges are, what they want to accomplish and how they plan to do it. Only then can you proceed to demonstrate the advantages of your unique product or service.

Ask questions starting with the words who, why, what, where, when and how to obtain the information you need. Only when you truly understand and appreciate a prospect's needs can you offer a solution. Once you know what's important to them, stay on this topic and find solutions for them.

Asking Strategy 2: Ask for Business

Here's an amazing statistic: after giving a complete presentation about the benefits of their product or service, more than 60 percent of the time salespeople never ask for the order! That's a bad habit, and one that could ultimately put you out of business.

Always ask a closing question to secure the business. Don't waffle or talk around it—or worse, wait for your prospect to ask you. No doubt you have heard of many good ways to ask the question, "Would you like to give it a try?" The point is, ask.

Asking Strategy 3: Ask for Written Endorsements

Well-written, results-oriented testimonials from highly respected people are powerful for future sales. They solidify the quality of your product or service and leverage you as a person who has integrity, is trustworthy and gets the job done on time.

When is the best time to ask? Right after you have provided excellent service, gone the extra mile to help out, or in any other way made your customer really happy.

Simply ask if your customer would be willing to give you a testimonial about the value of your product or service, plus any other helpful comments.

Asking Strategy 4: Ask for Top-Quality Referrals

Just about everyone in business knows the importance of referrals. It's the easiest, least expensive way of ensuring your growth and success in the marketplace.

Your core clients will gladly give you referrals because you treat them so well. So why not ask all of them for referrals? It's a habit that will dramatically increase your income. Like any other habit, the more you do it the easier it becomes.

Asking Strategy 5: Ask for More Business

Look for other products or services you can provide your customers. Devise a system that tells you when your clients will require more of your products. The simplest way is to ask your customers when you should contact them to reorder. It's often easier to sell your existing clients more than to go looking for new ones.

Asking Strategy 6: Ask to Renegotiate

Regular business activities include negotiation. Many businesses get stuck because they lack skills in negotiation, yet this is simply another form of asking that can save a lot of time and money. Look at your vendors and suppliers and see if there are areas where you can be saving money. Just ask.

All sorts of contracts can be renegotiated in your personal life, too, such as changing your mortgage terms and rate, reviewing your cell phone plan and requesting a policy review with your insurance agent. As long as you negotiate ethically and in the spirit of win-win, you can enjoy a lot of flexibility. Nothing is ever cast in stone.

Asking Strategy 7: Ask for Feedback

This is a powerful way to fine-tune your business that is often overlooked. How do you really know if your product or service is meeting your customers' needs? Ask them, "How are we doing? What can we do to improve our service to you? Please share what you like or don't like about our products." Set up regular customer surveys that ask good questions and tough questions.

HOW TO ASK

Some people don't enjoy the fruits of asking because they don't ask effectively. If you use vague language you will not be clearly understood. Here are five ways to ensure that your asking gets results.

Ask Clearly
Be precise. Think clearly about your request. Take time to prepare. Use a note pad to pick words that have the greatest impact. Words are powerful, so choose them carefully.

Ask with Confidence
People who ask confidently get more than those who are hesitant and uncertain. When you've figured out what you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence.

Ask Consistently

Some people fold after making one timid request. They quit too soon. Keep asking until you find the answers. In prospecting there are usually four or five "no's" before you get a "yes." Top producers understand this. When you find a way to ask that works, keep on asking it.

Ask Creatively

In this age of global competition, your asking may get lost in the crowd, unheard by the decision-makers you hope to reach. There is a way around this. If you want someone's attention, don't ask the ordinary way. Use your creativity to dream up a high-impact presentation.

Ask Sincerely

When you really need help, people will respond. Sincerity means dropping the image facade and showing a willingness to be vulnerable. Tell it the way it is, lumps and all. Don't worry if your presentation isn't perfect; ask from your heart. Keep it simple and people will open up to you.

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America's 1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.freesuccessstrategies.com/

Custom Embroidery

Here at D's Stitcheree I am usually embroidering company logos. I like to specialize in small companies. As a small company I know how hard it is to advertise and you need to make every penny count. I think that I can preform a service to other small companies by offering promotional items at a reasonable price. If you are close you are more than welcome to bring in your own apparel, if you are far, I have an online catalog you can access for apparel and accessories.
Sometimes though I am given the great honor of doing a Custom Embroidery job. Custom jobs are exciting and time consuming but the end product can be an exceptional piece to be cherished by the recipient.
A few years ago I was asked by a mom to design a project for her daughter who was getting married. There is a lot of back and forth when designing a custom piece. Thank goodness (Thankful Thursday) for email. Once the piece was embroidered I shipped it to the mom rolled around a cardboard core. She took it to the cleaners and had it pressed and framed.

I am now working on another Custom piece. The process can be long but in this case I only have 3 days. The original drawing is rough but someplace to start.
I turn the drawing into embroidery on my computer. Get an approval and then go forward with the embroidery.
I will do the embroidery today and post more pictures tomorrow.

Talk about it Tuesday

OK, that was weird. I got kicked off blogger. I am back now so here goes.
I have owned and operated D's Stitcheree for 16 years now. Over the years I have been very very busy and then sometimes not so busy. This is all OK but..... I think I have repetative motion issues now. Since I hoop A LOT and cut A LOT it seems that my right wrist is now very weak, my right shoulder hurts more times than not. The reason I bring this up is because if you are like me you may be living without insurance. Be it medical or disability insurance. I am thinking now (a little late huh?) that I should have purchased disability insurance years ago. For us small business owners this is probably something we put off because we can't afford it. Think about it now though OK. I am going to look into disability insurance because I still have years to work.
So, for Talk about it Tuesday. Talk about it. Do you have insurance? Do you think about it?

Monday Motivation 2

So, with that in mind, my weekly to do list is as follows:

1. Schedule Camp Physical for Daughter
2. Get Daughter Ready for Camp by Sunday
3. Read Article My Husband Asked Me to Read
4. Increase Sales by 40% over Last Week
5. Issue Gift Certificates to Customers that Sent Us Photos to Use on our Website
6. Work on new Table Pricing
7. Email Authorized Dealers Regarding Table Pricing
8. Make List of Needed Repairs on New Shop
9. Fax list to Real Estate Agent
10. Freight Bills for this Week's Shipments
11. Thank You Notes
12. Pay Personal Bills
13. Color Hair
14. Pay for Girl Scout Troop Trip to Johnson Space Center
15. Have Lunch With Noelle!!! Woo Hoo!
16. Walk the Dogs at least TWICE this week - it was so much easier when there was just one!
17. Figure out how Lynn puts lines through what she's finished!

Home Bra Clinic

Today I hosted a home bra clinic. 4 of my friends joined me for wine, cheese and uplifting merriment. Pun intended. I wish I took before and after photos! The transformation was amazing. All of our clothes fit so much better with our new bras because the bras FIT! I think all of us were in the incorrect size. It's amazing. We went into the "fitting room" complaining about how nursing our babies had changed our figures then came out with rib cages and waistlines again!

Visit Jeunique for information on your own custom bra business. I don't know anything at all about the compensation plan, I'm not a Jeunique rep. I do know that the bras are amazing and every woman I know needs a good bra.

Of course, you should do your own due diligence when considering any networking marketing business. Just as you would if you were considering starting a traditional company.

Fantastic Friday: Building Better Links

It's Fantastic Friday again! How did a week speed by so quickly?

Today, I'm going to chat about building better web links.

Work at Home Moms are usually the chief cook and bottle washer in their business. You need to know how to help people FIND your website so that you can sell more and ultimately hire someone else to wash those bottles, so to speak.

We've all heard that the best way to drive traffic to your website via GOOGLE placement, is through link exchanges. This is because Google takes into consideration how many other websites are linking to yours to determine your websites relevancy to a particular keyword phrase. There are lots of other factors, but inbound links seems to be Googles' number one consideration.

When people are searching for your products, do they already know the name of your business? If so, then you want your inbound links to reference your company's name. For example, my business is called Shaka Studios. We sell much of our furniture through independent retail stores and we put our brand name on everything we make. So, it does make sense, for our particular company, that we promote our brand name through links.

However, if you do not sell wholesale, you most likely do not have a way to promote your brand awareness, so you need to go a different route. You need to concentrate on relevant search terms for your goods and services.

Shaka Studios makes custom furniture. Custom furniture is a very broad search term with 1.5 million Google results. So, while it is true that custom furniture is a relevant search term for Shaka Studios, there is too much competition for that term and it is not worth competing in that market.

The best links are specific, highly searched keywords, with little competition. Here is your step by step action plan:

1. Use Googles' External Keyword Tool to find relevant terms for your goods and services.
2. Search each term on Google to find out how stiff is your competition. If a particular keyword phrase turns up more than 500K results, cross it off your list.
3. Pick the 5 to 10 most important keywords left on your list. Those that pertain most to the products or service that make you the most profit or give you the most pleasure to craft.
4. For each of your 5 to 10 most important keywords, create a separate web page that uses the keyword in the URL, title and Header1 fields. If you do not know how to do this, ask a web designer for help. It is worth paying a professional to do it correctly. Most shopping cart software will do this automatically. I created a page for the keyword phrase cherry queen size bed because the phrase had less than 500k Google results. Notice my link points directly to that page. (This is called a linked keyword phrase.)
5. Find directories, websites, blogs, networking groups that are relevant to your industry and place ads, exchange links, blog, network with the group using your keyword phrase in relevant sentences making sure the phrase is linked to the page you created in step 4. You also want to make sure you use the linked keyword phrase on other pages of your own website. If you do not know how to do this, ask your web designer to show you. It is in your web designer's best interest to help you, because she has placed a link to her website on your website and the more people that see your site, the more that will see hers.
6. Stay on top of your keyword phrases and adjust them as necessary.

It takes time and patience to develop your list of keywords, create the web pages, and find good places to put your links, but it is worth the effort if you want to drive more traffic to your website.

Have a fantastic Friday!

My Favorite Planner has been Discontinued!

All the SuperWAHMZ know and appreciate Suzie, the owner of The Busy Woman. She has decided to discontinue her amazing day planner system. I have been using her system for 8 years now. It's not to late to try her system as she still has some inventory available at 75% off. Here is a note from her website:

"All planner products are on closeout. We have plans are in the works for a new website and new ideas. We hope you'll stick with us for the ride. Up to 75% off on The Busy Woman's Daily Planner® pages! Get the Best day planner on the market for women at the lowest prices."

I am going to buy a couple years worth of planner pages just so I don't have to try to find a replacement too soon.

Fantastic Friday

Yea! I see Lynn figured out how to add our SuperWAHMz logo!

We have set a schedule and Friday is my official day to post to SuperWAHMZ. What shall I call my Friday posts? What else starts with F?

• Furniture
• Frenzy
• Fun
• Fish
• Funky
• Fantastic

Oooooh... Fantastic, that's a good one. Fantastic Friday.

Sidebars are in purple: My 9 year old just walked in the my office wearing a long pink skirt with silver sequins trimming the bottom, a camo cammy and a pink knit shrug. I'm glad she has her own sense of style. It shows she is comfortable with herself.

Let's see. What shall I chat about?

Since this is basically my introductory post, I guess I'll talk about myself.

I sell custom furniture. Unlike the other SuperWAHMz, I do not actually create and make the items my company sells. My husband, Shane, is the creative one. Before Shane, (a time I like to refer to as BS) I was a buyer for a chain of specialty ski shops. Before that, I was a Territory Manager for The North Face. (Yes, I belong to the TNF Alumni Club.)

Check out Plaxo. It's a nifty tool to keep my address book up to date. It also helps me reconnect with people I USED to know. All of a sudden, I have found all sorts of old TNFers and am amazed at what some of them are doing. I had one buddy, James, that was the only person that would eat Thai Food with me. After he left the corporate office and went into outside sales, we still made a point to eat one Thai meal together when we were at trade shows. James and I have reconnected and he is now a journalist specializing in "lifestyle storytelling." Check out James's website: http://www.theoutdoorprofessional.com/ and listen to his podcast interview of our mutual buddy, professional climber, Conrad Anker.

Uh oh. I stopped talking about myself. What else?

I've worked at home for over 7 years. Before that, I took my daughter to work with me. The company that I co-own with Shane is as old as our marriage: 10 years. Which reminds me, this is our 10 year anniversary, so I should be throwing a big hoopla over it on our website, eh?

We just have the one daughter. 2 dogs. 2 cats. We live in Texas. I've been in Texas for 12 years. Came here for the buyer gig.

The transition from working at a glamorous company like TNF - to a bankrupt 20 store chain - to a mom & pop operation wasn't the easiest. I have tried really hard to approach our business with corporate objectivity. It's not easy. Especially since Shane has never worked for anyone but himself. Yes, that's right. He started making and selling his custom furniture at 17 and has never had to seek other sources of income.

Two more things before I blog off:

1. I am a HUGE supporter of Girl Scouts.
2. Yesterday I achieved my Competent Communicator designation with Toastmasters International. I will post my speech here soon.

Smooches!

Kandas

Business Emergency Plan

My FIL recently passed away. We had to really search to find the papers we needed, just to take to the funeral home. Then finding insurance papers....that was another problem. A problem that could have been avoided.

That all got me thinking...what would happen if something were to happen to me? Or my kids? Or Hubby? Or even my mom or dad? What if I couldn't work for a while? What if I had to leave the business for a while? What would happen? Who, if anyone, could take care of things?

My business is manufacturing/retail. I handmake a product, then sell it online. The retail end is solely online. I have auto deposits set up, auto debits to pay bills. Other bills I have to pay manually.....but I still pay those online. There is not a single bill I mail anymore. I love the convenience of the internet.

My business is a sole proprietorship. I am the sole proprietor. Hubby is not part of this. It's just me. Me, myself and I. I have part time help I hire when I need it. But that is only during the busy times, and it is only to do things I don't need to have control over.

So, if something were to happen.....heaven forbid....who could take over? Or let people know things would be delayed? Or even close things down?

No one.

No one knows how I run things. How my bills are paid. What my user names or passwords are. Who to call if something happens and I can't work for a while. I thought about this years ago, and now that I am getting older, I really need to take the time and write.things.down.

Hubby is not computer savvy in the least. Not even a little bit. Without step by step instructions, he can't even check his bank account. He has no email account and wouldn't know how to check email if he had one. So, I am going to have to make this a very basic and easy to follow emergency plan.

He will need to know how to contact my webhost, merchant account provider and current customers. He will have to know my usernames and passwords for my bank accounts and bills I pay. There are a lot of little details that are going to need recorded. Someone needs to know how to shut things down, if circumstances call for it. Or my automatic debits will continue until my bank account is empty....

So, if you work at home, or are self employed, do you have an emergency plan? How do you have it set up and where do you keep it? Is there someone who can take over and keep your business going, if need be? Or would your business have to be shut down until you are able to get back to it?

Also posted at After the Dust Settles...