virtualmom

NYC Business Solutions

I am halfway through the FAST TRAC GROWTH VENTURE course that New York City paid for me to attend.  Thank you New York City!  

I applied for it through NYC Business Solutions and I recommend that any small business owner apply for future workshops.  I have found the course useful.

For me, the two main benefits include:  1) Focusing on your business.  2) Talking with the teachers and fellow small business owners about problems and techniques unique to small businesses.

The latter has been invaluable.  I have learned about outsourcing, fulfillment centers, virtual assistants, project management software--all necessary when you are at it alone!  Nowadays there are so many useful tools for the sole proprietor to use to help lighten the load of trying to do it all.  Nowadays, you don't have to do it all.  

What you should recognize about yourself is what you like to do and what you naturally gravitate to doing(ie, those tasks that you can always cross off your to do list) and then try to hire outside contractors to  do the other necessary tasks. 

In Contrast, A New Product in a Defined Category and Interest Already from Retailers!

I have a new and interesting product and before going into production and spending a whole lot of money, this time I decided to ask some buyers at large retailers if they had interest.  Not having any connections, I 'cold emailed' them.  I did not know what to expect except that I was hoping for some feedback.  To my delightful surprise, 3 buyers got back to me immediately saying they are interested.

This was a very good sign.  After years of not hearing anything about the vases, getting immediate positive responses, feel great.

Here is the funny thing.  Now I have to quickly make the product!  I need a name, packaging, a quick website, photos, a video showing how to use the product, and sales and marketing materials plus I am sure I am missing something.  

But I have got to do it.  When you get that type of response--you gotta go for it.  

I will keep you posted!

This could be fun and lord knows I need a HIT!

Vases don't fit in any specific Buying Category=Problem

This morning I am going to continue on my rant about big box retailers. 

 I love my vases but they have been a hard sell to large retailers, a fact that I underestimated when I started with them a few years ago.  I believed that because they are unique, low priced, store flat, and are simply just fun that I could get them into many, many stores!  How wrong I was! I have even talked with my competitors about this and they confirmed that they too have had trouble in this area.  

Why has there been reluctance to our vases?  One reason is that they don't fit into any particular merchandise category so buyers have not taken ownership of the product.  For instance when I approached Costco, the vase buyer told me that she only buys traditional vases and that our flat plastic vases wouldn't fit into her space within the stores.  She referred me to the floral buyer.  The floral buyer told me that he only buys perishable fresh flowers.  Where does that leave me and my vases?  IDK? Good question!  I mean does that simply mean that Costco just can not buy and sell my vases?  

Rejection Letter from 1800FLOWERS!

I wanted to share this email exchange with the Say It With Vases Community. I thought it was quite funny, considering that it has taken several years to make contact with someone at 1800flowers.  I FINALLY did reach someone and then got a rejection within ten minutes of sending the email!  

My Email:

Hi Jim,
I have only been trying for 3 years to get my vases into 1800 flowers!!!
Can't even get to the decision maker!  In the meantime, I have sold 
thousands of them elsewhere--but everyone always says to me:  "Your 
vases are great--they should be in 1800flowers".
Hopefully I am getting a step closer by emailing you!  In any case, I 
have always believed that my flat vases could be an option for your  customers to choose.  Shipping costs could be lower if they are given the option of a lightweight flat vase.  Another option would be to give a flat vase with each order--with your logo on it--that  promotes your business.  The cost is quite inexpensive. Can you please forward this email to the right person IF that person is not you?

Much Thanks,
Jill Stern

Here is his quick response:

Our Product Development Team has shown no interest in this item.
Thank you.
Best regards.
Jim 

______________________________________________________________________________________

I showed this to my 12 year old daughter and said that I can't believe they aren't interested and that TRUTHFULLY the vases would be perfect for them.  I continued by saying BUT, I guess they just don't see the value.  

You know what my 12 year old daughter said?  and G-d bless her for this!  She said, I think you should keep bugging them until they buy them!!!  She made me laugh so hard--she is too cool.  PLUS, she is totally right!  Onward and Forward in my pursuit.  It would be a great lesson to show her that perseverance pays!

Sara Gordon-Alice Cooper 1972??

Sara Gordon, do you remember going to the ALICE COOPER concert with me and my family when we were in second grade(Maybe 1971 or 1972)? Just curious if that concert left a lasting impression on you as well? He was loud, scary looking, shocking and my very first concert! I remember your parents hating my family for quite some time afterwards!

Update: Boring but Still Here

Today is April 20th-the days have been whizzing by, don't know where the first quarter went.  My primary focus has been to stay close to home, lay low, not bring in too many new stimuli, and get the kids settled into this new life of separate homes.  

So, excitement has been OUT for us this quarter and I must say, it's been a good plan.  The simple life has is working for us, I think we all needed it.  I am storing up my energy, replenishing for the near future.  What is in store in the near future?  IDK.  I do not have a plan, and it feels good.  No agenda.  It took a lot of energy to get me to this point and I am refueling.

Hope you understand what that means.  

My new friend Jenny. Jenny Craig that is!

 
 Here is the truth even though I am not proud of it.  I let some pounds gather on me this past winter--partly or mostly because of our separation.  The cold weather did not help either.  I too easily munched on food for comfort instead of watching what I ate.  

In any case, I took the first steps in getting the weight off--this time by joining Jenny Craig.  I say this time because my lord--there has been SO MANY TIMES!!!!  My weight has been yo-yoing since I had the kids.  Fo rthe most part, I stop myself before anything gets too out of hand.  

I have been a Weight Watcher many times and their program has worked for me.  This time I felt like I might have a problem with portion(weighing and measuring everything is hard) and journaling.  I also know that another friend Lisa just lost 40 pounds with Jenny Craig and she said it was fairly easy.  I needed a break from Weight Watchers because I have become too good at CHEATING on Weight Watchers!  By cheating I mean that the last time I did their program I did not journal and did not measure.

Jenny Craig does that for you.  You buy the prepared(OK frozen) meals from Jenny Craig they give you a menu for the week on a calendar that you tape up on the wall in your kitchen.  When you eat something, you just put a mark by it--thus eliminating the journaling and measuring.  Right now I consider this to be a HUGE help.  I am halfway through my second week and I would have to say that staying on program has been fairly easy.  Some people rave about the food being SO good.  I would not take it that far.  What I can say, is the best part for me is that there is no shopping, measuring, or planning.   Eventually I know that I need to take an active role, but in these crucial beginning weeks this is my speed.  

I have made a commitment to myself to stay on the program for one month.  At the end of one month, i will decide what to do next; continue or do something else.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant

My friend(I won't mention her name here) is paid to write blog posts for a doctor on his blog. She is not a doctor at all but she is being paid.  Others I know have hired interns to write posts for them or to send out tweets on their behalf.  

Is this cool?  Is this a new and necessary field of work?  Are we creating new jobs by outsourcing these tasks?  Do posts and tweets have to be authentic?  Do they  have to come from the original creators?  HMMM.  

I am not judging--just questioning!

Been A While

It has been a while since I posted here.  I am going to change the name of this blog but I can't decide what to call it.  I want the name to reflect my new status, that of being recently separated.  www.freeat45.com or marriedbutlivingapart.com or www.nomorecompromising.com  Any suggestions?  What do you think?

Or maybe I should switch my focus to mommy-ing 2 tweens in NYC?  I read this morning in the NYT's about Mommyblogging and the huge industry it has become.  Advertisers will spend 746 million on blogs by 2012. There are a ton of mommyblogs about staying at home, infants, toddlers--I need to know about the tween mommy blogs and the ones that talk about getting back into the workforce when your kids are that age.  When the kids reach a certain age, you do not need to still be at home.  The transition is hard.  Businesses do not want to hire women who have been out of the work force for so long.  

I am lucky to have my small business, it has kept me lively.  But I am currently looking to increase my income and I have to be enterprsing in doing so.  Lately I have been making money again with daytrading--but DUH--the market is going up so who hasn't been making money daytrading in this environment.  The money making right now has nothing to do with skill(I should not kid myself).  

THINK-THINK -THINK: How can I make more money?  How can I make more money???

A View from My Window

 
It is so White outside!