Minding Her Business

Book Spotlight: Step Into The Spotlight!

The title of this book is something we should all think about as we promote, market and sell our products and services out there.  All too often, women business owners tell me that they are afraid of going into stores to sell their products, or too shy to network.  The reality is that no one can sell you and your products better than you!

Step Into The Spotlight is a guide to getting noticed. The major challenge facing a business today is standing out from the crowd, getting noticed in a noisy overcrowded marketplace. This book offers a fun, fresh approach to attracting the spotlight. Branding, positioning, public speaking, publicity & writing & performing a 30 second informercial are all covered from the perspective that All Business is Show Business.

Tsufit, the author of Step Into The Spotlight is a Toronto-based former litigation lawyer, who left the corporate world and is now a coaching dynamo.  I met Tsufit at our Ladies Who Launch Live! event in Toronto last Fall, and she is funny, engaging, and works a room better than anyone I have ever met before.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and it reminds us all that we need to infuse everything we do in business with that extra spark to stand out and make an impression, and ultimately build our businesses to even greater levels of success.

Get your copy here by CLICKING HERE.   

And the winner is!

Ok everyone, the winner of the Style Statement book giveaway is Gail Clark! Gail, please email me your address, and Carrie & Danielle will send you your own personally signed copy of their fabulous book.

I loved reading about how all of you try to"live authentically".  For me, to "live authentically" means that I listen to my intuition a lot.  I use it to guide business decisions, understand personal relationships, and generally live my life according to what I know is right for just me at any given moment.  For many years I worried too much about what other people thought about decisions I would make, but with maturity,  my intuition is now my compass, and things happen for me so much more naturally than they ever did when I didn't just follow what my intuition told me to do in the first place.

Blog Giveaway! Win a Copy of Carrie & Danielle's Style Statement Book

Carrie & Danielle have a gift for you!  Readers of this blog have a chance to win a fabulous signed copy of their new STYLE STATEMENT book (see post below for book details and more about these two awesome women).

Here is what you have to do!

1. Think about what "living authentically" means to you personally.
2. Leave a comment on this blog entry and let me know what it means to you. Deadline is Friday, May 2nd at 11:59pm EST.
3. The random winner's name will be posted on this blog on May 3rd, and your signed book sent to you directly by Carrie & Danielle.

Easy Peazy!  Good luck to all!

By the way, reading the book and doing the exercises was such a cathartic experience for me - I also determined that my own personal Style Statement is (insert drum roll here):

INNOVATIVE SPARK

 

--Cynthia

Carrie & Danielle - Inspiration x10

Still on a buzz after an inspirational evening with two Canadian women that motivate me, inspire me and make my vision for what I can do seem limitless!

Carrie & Danielle spoke at our Ladies Who Launch conference in Toronto last September, and at the time they were putting the finishing touches on their new book, Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design. The book was just released this month, and the ladies are now making the rounds publicizing their book to rave reviews.  Carrie and Danielle were kind enough to share a special evening chatting with our local Ladies Who Launch group here in Toronto, and signing copies of their new book!  I love these ladies, and I can't wait to finish the book and figure out what my own Style Statement is....  Wanna know more about the Style Statement?  Check out their website at www.carrieanddanielle.com or click on this great video with their message:

Minding Her Business Interview: Faire Frou Frou

I stumbled across Gail and Alison Rubke's beautiful lingerie boutique Faire Frou Frou  in Studio City, California via another blog which I visit regularly.  This dynamic mother and daughter duo's eye for retail design and merchandising was what really caught my attention - the colours, furnishings, and details in their boutique really make their space a delightful treasure for shoppers.   Gail and Alison were kind enough to do an interview with us to fill us in on how Faire Frou Frou came to be, and what they have learned during the process of launching their boutique.

Name Of Business: Faire Frou Frou

Year Started: 2005

Website/Blog URL: www.fairefroufrou.com 

Industry Type: Retail

Please provide a brief description of your business:  Faire Frou Frou is an award-winning lingerie boutique that specializes in the finest brands in intimate apparel, with collections from the finest intimate apparel designers from around the world!

What type of services or products do you offer? Intimate Apparel for the mid-range to high-end consumer.

Why did you start the business? Faire Frou Frou is truly a labor of love!  This mother-daughter business was developed as a result of a mother and daughter wanting to combine their talents and work together.  Gail, the mother, was an artist/art instructor, and Alison, the daughter, was a CPA with a worldwide accounting firm.  They always knew they wanted to own a boutique, but their niche in lingerie developed after discovering amazing intimate apparel brands in the European magazines, but no stores in which to purchase them.  Everything really fell into place once Gail & Alison discovered their focus on high-end lingerie.   

What makes your business unique?  We always say that Faire Frou Frou is only as unique as the brands it carries.  We give a tremendous amount of credit to the talented designers that we represent.  We have a very specialized selection of inventory, and the shop is unique in its design, layout and focus on the high-end market. 

How did you come up with the branding for your business? We just tried to do what makes sense, gaining inspiration from stores/brands that we liked and considered successful.  It took us a few weeks to figure out what our store name & logo would be, and ultimately it was Gail (the mom) that discovered the phrase Faire Frou Frou (from faire du frou-frou) and she drew the logo. 

Does creativity play a role in your day-to-day business activities? If yes, how so?  There are a lot of places to buy lingerie, so we need to let potential customers know what sets us apart.  We needed to create a business that was destination-driven, making our boutique, inventory, shopping bags, etc. so enticing that it would draw in customers from around the world.   

What is one major stumbling block that you have encountered in your business start-up history?
We felt like we were faced with quite a few stumbling blocks when getting started; namely we didn’t have any experience or knowledge of the retail industry.  We didn’t even know that there were lingerie tradeshows or wholesale showrooms.  There was an incredible learning curve.  Another obstacle, though not really in our control, was that our landlord promised us that we could open our boutique in November 2003, but his issues with construction delays and permit problems didn’t allow us to open in that space until February 2005! 

If you could start-up all over again, what is one thing you might have done differently?
We bought too much inventory!  We didn’t want to say ‘no’ to a lot of people, so we ended up buying way too much of everything.  We have since learned how to graciously decline a sales pitch. 

Do you belong to any professional business organizations or networking groups? If yes, which ones?  Alison is currently a member of the Junior League of Los Angeles.  This is a women’s volunteer organization focused on assisting women and children in need.  Other than that, there’s a lot of online networking!

What inspires you? The beauty of the brands we carry, color, fashion, design, blog reading, fashion magazines.   

What is one website you visit daily? http://absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com 

If you could sum up your business in just two words, what would they be? Sophisticated lingerie.

 
 
all images via Faire Frou Frou.

Desktop Wallpaper

If you are like me, you have at least 40 different applications and folders on your Windows desktop.  Half the time, I can never find the folder or software icon I need - very frustrating!  I came across a cute desktop wallpaper that makes it easy to sort your folders and icons so you can get your work done faster, rather than spending time searching for icons on  a busy computer desktop.  Once you download it, you can just move your icons that are used frequently into the software or folder space - saves me precious minutes each day!

Click HERE to download (and then PC users can press right-click, set as desktop to save).

Designed by TrulyAce.com  which has some very nice design work as well.  You can also read Amanda's blog here which has some great design advice for business owners: http://trulyace.com/blog/

Business Printing on the Cheap (but surprisingly great quality)!

I have a fantastic resource for business printing that almost sounds too good to be true, but keep reading, it truly is a good deal and a resource that I use all the time! How about getting your business cards printed for 4 cents a piece, in full colour back and front, with optional rounded corners for no additional charge, a super cool aqueous matte waterproof coating, AND the cards are shipped to your door via FedEx for free within about 7 days?  I know, sounds crazy, but this amazing little company called Print100.com (in Hong Kong of all places), has some really great pricing on business cards, postcards, and just this week announced they can print these nifty memo sticky pads which have been too expensive for small print runs in the past!  You can check them out here: www.Print100.com

I have placed numerous orders for business cards and postcards over the past two years, and have been consistently happy with the results, and fast turnaround.  They are a digital printer, so you have to be careful with your colour selections - as with any digital printing, there may be a slight colour variance, but the results have been very consistent when I have worked with them.  The letterhead and envelope pricing are not as cost effective (in my mind), but for printing small runs of business cards, event tickets, postcards, www.Print100.com the super-quick turnaround, and ease of ordering couldn't be more straight-forward for the small business owner. 

Minding Her Business Interview: RedStamp.com

Today we are launching a brand new interview series here on the Minding Her Business blog.  Over the next few months, we will be featuring some of our favourite women-owned businesses and learning a little more about what inspires them, what challenges them, and what makes them unique.  The thing that I love most about women-owned businesses is the passion and creativity that I see in the branding, aethestics, and products and services that we offer collectively.  One of my favourite online sites is RedStamp.com.  This brilliant company (owned by Erin and Renee below) is dedicated to providing stylish correspondence.  They feature some of the most luxurious stationery and paper products available, all available on their beautifully designed website.

Enjoy the interview with RedStamp.com owners Erin + Renee and check out their website at RedStamp.com.

   

Name Of  Business:  RedStamp.com

Year Started: 2005

Website/Blog URL:  www.redstamp.com

Industry Type:  E-commerce

 

What type of business are you in?:  Online stationery store specializing in the very best in stylish correspondence + desk accessories.

 

What type of services or products do you offer?  

Products

• Personalized Correspondence
• Social Stationery
• Occasion Cards
• Invitations + Announcements
• Calling Cards
• Desk Accessories
• Gift Enclosures + Wrap
• Hostess + Holiday Gifts
• Journals + Notebooks

Services

• Business Correspondence
• Social Secretary
• Secret Admirer
• Wedding Thank You Notes
• Personal {Card} Shopper
• Essential Etiquette

Why did you start the business?: 

Inspired by the thrill of gorgeous paper + the kindness of a hand-written note, we launched RedStamp.com with a mission to make stylish correspondence a reality for busy people. After introducing beautiful products + valuable services, we have been amazed by the positive response, indicating that the return to paper from e-communication is upon us. It has created the perfect entry for a new business opportunity.

 

What makes your business unique?: 

RedStamp.com is the only on-line stationer of choice for busy people who wish to demonstrate style and grace in each and every communication.  With the breadth and depth of our products and services, RedStamp.com is the modern day social secretary.   

 

How did you come up with the branding for your business? 

All of our marketing and branding has been an outreach to our core clientele. From the name RedStamp.com to the look and feel of our website to our carefully selected products + services, we strive to be consistent in our message of stylish and graceful communication.

 

Does creativity play a role in your day-to-day business activities?  If yes, how so?

Creativity reveals itself in many ways at RedStamp.com. We are constantly developing products + services to address customer needs and desires.  Much of our time is spent brainstorming innovative ways to build and retain customer loyalty.  In addition, we work on a daily basis with the dozens of extremely talented designers whose beautiful products we carry keep us ahead of the trend in the marketplace and inspires an aesthetic appreciation we all covet.

 

What is one major stumbling block that you have encountered in your business start-up history?

The steep, ever-present learning curve that goes along with building + maintaining a strong, flexible website. It's been a challenge to expand our technical base at the rate we want and need in order to deliver what our busy clients demand. It has emphasized the importance of finding smart, talented people to work with us every step of the way.

 

What is the best exposure that you have received for your business so far? 

Third party endorsements from outlets such as DailyCandy.com, InStyle, The Today Show, Real Simple, Design*Sponge, Money Magazine, Forbes, Parenting and many more have done wonders in building name recognition and producing a viral attraction to our site.

 

Do you belong to any professional business organizations or networking groups?  If yes, which ones?

NAFE {National Association for Female Executives}

Minnesota Internet Retailer Association

 

What inspires you?

• Talented designers
• Organized living
• Paris
• Letterpress cards
• Simon Doonan
• Thoughtful people
• Our children
• Smart, strong women

What is one website you visit daily?   www.designspongeonline.com 

If you could sum up your business in just two words, what would they be?   Style + Grace

Some stills from the RedStamp.com website:


images courtesy of www.redstamp.com

Minding Her Business Ideas: Private Members' Clubs for Moms

This week, I am starting a new regular feature on Minding Her Business - a spotlight on hot, new business ideas for women.

This week - a fantastic concept that was "born" in the UK - private members' clubs for Moms seem to be popping up all over.  Meant to be havens for Moms, these new clubs cater to everything a Mom needs - decadent baby-free spa space, seminars on wellbeing, classes for little ones, cafes, meeting space for doing business, and at  Cupcake Mum  launching in London this April, is what every Mom craves, their own personal "Mumcierge" that streamlines information and resources for time-starved Moms.

Millions of new Moms are looking to connect and have a little "me" time, and we love this idea!

image via www.cupcakemum.com

Inspiring Workspace of the Week

Check out this lovely workspace courtesy of Interior Designer Anna Spiro at Absolutely Beautiful Things.  Love the colours, and that orange laptop is just perfect for a creative workspace. Click image to zoom in.

image via http://absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/