CPSIA - Contacting your representatives in Washington

I forgot to add this to my list w/ my Congressman.  Click to find the contact information for your representatives - Congress  and Senate.  

Interestingly enough, I've been contacting mine a lot lately.  The past 6 months have really changed my attitude on being a citizen.  I love our country.  I'm proud to be an American, not just when I sing the song, but every day.  We fly our flag proudly, not just "because".  I've decided to make my voice heard on lots of issues, from Drill Here, Drill Now to Small Business issues and local education issues.  

I'm letting my children know what I am doing and why.  How it impacts them and our family, our safety and our country.  It's important that we stop sitting around complaining, but letting OUR officials know what we think about what they are doing.  Regardless of what political party you are part of, Sarah Palin was right - they work for US!  

Trust me, I feel better every time I write a letter or make a phone call!

CPSIA - Update and Testing Costs for comfycozy.com

Well, as if a small business owner has NOTHING better to do with her time than spend hours on the new CPSIA, I have just completed todays research.  Thought it would be interesting to share with you what I've done and NO, none of these things were on my "to-do list" for January 9th!

1)  Emailed Joe Pitts, my PA Congressman

2)  Emailed John Kerry - my small biz advisor suggested I ask him about effects on small businesses

3)  Read more info on CPSIA - good source for info is Fashion-Incubator site

4)  Emailed links and info to my small biz advisor at the Kutztown Small Business Development Center.  

5)  Talked to a neighbor that is also a WAHM and makes kids products.

6)  Called a  CPSC approved testing company here in PA.  More on that conversation below.  Find one in your area at the CPSC site here.  

7)  Ok, I haven't done this yet, but I will after I get some orders out and make some money, I'm going to contact my local paper.

So, more on my conversation with my new friend at the testing company.  First off, even the testing companies aren't totally clear on what the act requires and are working their way thru this as well.  Apparently, we should all be going to get a job at a testing company or open up a new one!  Since my products do use paint, he says they'll need to get tested.  Yes, even if the manufacturer of the inks has already had them tested and certified.  Now the fun question - how much will that cost Comfy Cozy,inc?  It seems that EVERY color ink will have to be tested.  Now, that may not sound so bad, until you add up all the different colors of inks I use in my designs - there's around 60!  OK, so I like to change things up, use different shades.  Get ready folks because the Comfy Cozy line of glow in the dark pillowcases is going to be down to 6 colors!  Cost of testing - PER COLOR - between $60-90!  I'm going to need to sell alot of personalized pillowcases, toddler pillows and keepsake calendars to come up with the $5000 tab on the testing. 

OK, now take a deep breath everyone.  I'm not panicking and am not going to overreact to this.  I have between February and August to get this done.  My contact thinks that the CPSC will have to revise this act to let companies do spot testing instead of every color, so long as all the paints are the "same".  Now, he isn't saying the will, just due to all the hubabaloo going on, like most of us, he foresees changes coming down the pike.  

For now, I'm going back to doing "my job" and selling some glow in the dark pillowcases, toddler pillows and keepsake calendars.  Stay tuned, superwahmz will stay on top of this issue.

CPSIA - Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act

Small businesses have had a tough time lately.  2008 wasn't so terrific for a lot of small companies and the last thing small business owners need, namely those of us that are work at home moms that are designing and making products for children, is the long arm of the government breathing down our necks.  I'm talking about the CPSIA - the new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act that was signed into law in August 2008. 

While the act was created to address the unacceptable and dangerous levels of lead that was showing up in children's products (mainly imports), no one in our government seemed to realize how it would affect small businesses, designers and crafters.  It's one thing to demand testing and certification by large multi-million dollar manufacturers of products that use materials that could contain lead.  It is a completely different one to demand small, very small businesses such as many WAHM companies, like mine, Comfy Cozy,inc., to spend thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars we don't have, to have our products tested and certified or we can't sell them.  Many of thesse products don't even use materials that could possibly include lead, but that doesn't matter. 

For my pillowcases, I know there isn't lead in the inks we use.  If the manufacturer of the ink has already had the ink tested, why do I have to do it again?  It's not like the screen printing process will magically (or chemically) create lead in the designs.  One thing that gets me is that waaay back in 1994 when I came up with this crazy idea to create glow in the dark pillowcases, I wanted to be able to assure my customers that they were safe for kids.  So, I had them tested for flammability and durability.  Mind you that the company I had do the testing told me that I didn't HAVE to do this testing.  It wasn't required by law and that it was expensive.  None of that mattered, I wanted my customers to know that their kids safety mattered to Comfy Cozy,inc. 

Under the new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, ANY company that produces products that are made for children under the edge of 12 must comply.   The first deadline is February 10 - yikes!  This will effect hundreds of WAHMS and small business owners.  Many of the cute, adorable, original products that consumers like may be ripped off shelves, web sites will shut down and we'll be forced to sit around all day watching General Hospital and eating bon bons!  OK, we all needed a little levity here!  

During a time when products MADE IN USA should be shouted from the roof tops, when those of us that are using domestic materials and domestic labor should be heralded for even trying to compete with imports, we are staring down the barrel of a gun being aimed at us by our own government.  Don't get me wrong, I'm the mom of 2 young boys, I have 16 nieces and nephews and countless friends with children - I'm all for safety, rules and regulations.  But forcing small American companies to pay for the sins of large foreign companies that really don't care about the well being of my children or yours, doesn't seem like the best solution.

So, please forward this post to your friends, family and all the WAHMS you know.  If you love the cool items you can find on Etsy, contact your senators and congressmen.  Ask them if they read the legislation and understand what it's effects will be.  Maybe they'll earmark some of that trillion bucks for us to pay for the testing and certification!  For details on the CPSIA, please click here.  

I know this was a long post and I thank you for reading it:)

Happy New Year

2009, I can hardly believe it. This year I will turn 57, I will celebrate 40 awesome years of marriage to my best friend and I will have owned D's Stitcheree for 17 years. I would have never thought that I would do anything for 17 years. LOLOL

2008 was hard on my business as I am sure it was for many businesses. I am a positive person though so I believe that 2009 will be better. I will be making some changes to my business but I am positive that they will be for the best.

I wish for you all (anyone reading this blog) best wishes for the new year. Stay positive and keep positive people around you. THAT is my resolution (which I NEVER make) for this year. Out with negative energy sucking people and in with the positive. Not that I have a lot of negative people around me but there are some so............

Here is to 2009, raise a glass and toast all that is good in the world and Thank God that we live in the United States of America and for all our blessings. SW'z, I love you. :)

New Day, New Life, New You - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I'm looking forward to 2009. Looking forward to a New Day, the opportunity to create a New Life and the chance of self renewal. This pillowcase design says it all. I tossed in as many positive affirmations, feel good mantras and motivational phrases that I could. The pillowcase is meant to start the day off on a good foot and go out and "be" the best you. The glow in the dark pillowcase design help end the day feeling positive about yourself. A lot can happen in a day. I open my eyes every morning in a good mood, it's tough sometimes to maintain that - especially when my 2 boys are arguing over cereal at 7 am. Sometimes, all that we are supposed to be thankful and appreciate for, ends up being the downfall of our cheery outlook on life!

Every day is a NEW day I tell myself. But, there are still days that I'd rather stay in bed and pull the covers over my head! I'm not all sunshine and roses here LOL

So, join me in the New Day, New Life, New You revolution! Is it too pushy to say "click here" and order your pillowcase? No, you say - cool, click here to order. There are lots of other glow in the dark pillowcase designs at Comfy Cozy that you can choose from, for yourself, your kids or friends that just might need a boost to get out of bed in the morning.

If your a WAHM or WAHM "wanna be", have a great New Year! Get out there and make this a great year! Keep checking in with us here at the superwahmz blog. We'd love to hear from you and help you make your dreams come true!

Dog the Halls

Merry Christmas!

To all the superwahmz out there, have a great Christmas. May your choice to work from home be the greatest gift you've given yourself! I know it is mine. Even though my business doesn't thrive as I would like it to, Comfy Cozy is doing just fine. Lots of children and grown ups are enjoying some magic with my pillowcases - all over the country. That makes me proud. But the choice to be a wahm, means that I can be home w/ my husband every minute that he is here and take my kids to the bus stop and pick them up at school. I haven't missed very many moments in their lives and am thankful for that gift. The gift of not having to rush home for my sons viola concert or not having to worry about what the boss says when I have a sick little boy are beautiful things. I could do without the gift of hearing every argument and listening to every fight my 2 boys have though LOL!

Merry Christmas! We'll be welcoming the birth of Jesus with warm hearts and lots of love. May you enjoy a peaceful few days and stay away from your computer - at least on Christmas Day!!

Fantastic Friday: Facebook

I joined Facebook a month or so ago. Put in my school and previous work info and voila! I have over 100 friends. Some are folks I haven't spoken with in over 20 years. It's wild catching up with folks.

Last night I discovered that I can create a Facebook page for my business! Then folks can become FANS of my business, Shaka Studios! How cool is that?

With a Facebook business page, you can upload photos & videos, create a calendar of events, start a discussion, link to your website... and I'm sure there are other neat features I haven't figured out yet.

So you are probably thinking? Who has time for Facebook? Here's the rub: There are now over 100 new people that now know about my custom furniture business. The beauty of social networking is that because they know, soon their friends will know, and so on.

It took me about 30 minutes to set up my Facebook business page. I'm going to sit back now and see what happens.

Now back to baking cookies and addressing cards... HO HO HO!

Full

This time of year is so full

Our plates are full of too many things to do
Our minds are full of so many great memories
Our hearts are full of warm wishes for good friends and family
Our stomachs are full from too many Christmas goodies
Our credit cards are just too full

I want to wish all of you a holiday season full of all the good things this time of year brings and enough time to enjoy them all.

Fantastic Friday: Overcoming Difficult Clients

My husband and I have been running our custom furniture business together for over 10 years. We have shipped furniture to over four thousand happy customers all over the U.S. and even a few other countries, as well.

Every once in a while, a client comes along that for whatever reason, throws a monkey wrench in the works. Luckily, I can say this has only happened a handful of times in the past 10 years. However, it is hard not to take it personal.

The thing is, we know we do a great job and make a fine quality product. We also know that no matter we do, these difficult clients will never be happy because they are miserable in their own lives.

Each situation is different and there is no magic cure all for overcoming difficult clients. The only thing you can do is to post your terms and conditions on your website, make the best product you know how to make and stand behind your terms and your product. Open up the machine and yank that monkey wrench out and then move on.

It also helps to keep a file of letters from satisfied clients that you can pull out and read to lift your spirits! Post your testimonials to your website and be proud of a job well done!