Tuesday 23 July 2013

Been gone a while...

So, as you can tell, I haven't written for a long while. This has been due to illness, so had to take a break from the business and look after myself for a while. Anyway I'm back, well almost, slow and sure. I am looking to reconnect with my followers and  likers. (thanks for sticking with me)  Hopefully there will be some collaborations with other small businesses, on the horizon. Should be good, so keep watching this space....


Saturday 15 June 2013

Success Through Failure!

As you can see I haven't wrote in a while. This is due to a few things, I have been busy with the business. I've been selling at markets around London. Which has has its successes and 1 big epic fail! (Brick Lane was 7 hours of my time = 0 sales). It was at that time that I learnt the most about myself and the business. Even though I wanted to lay in bed the next day feeling sorry for myself. I realised that is actually strengthen my belief in my product (What's wrong with everyone?...Why weren't they buying my stuff...? were some of my thoughts). I analysed why I  thought it went wrong (wrong crowd, not my target market, wrong pitch..etc). I had to redo my strategy. So my next two markets stalls were at baby fairs. One in East London and one in West.  I decided that I was just going to talk to other mothers and fathers. Talk about my passion for my product and the reason behind the concept. And guess what? its worked. I sold some clothes!!! It was amazing! Mums and dads really responded well in my interactions with them and they LOVED my product. It was great to know that I had designed and produce something that others liked enough to BUY!  A fabulous feeling. So thats what I am going to continue to do. Sell my story and hopefully my baby clothes will come along for the ride.

Hugs Lisa - Mumpreneur





Thursday 23 May 2013

Is Boasting Bitchy?

I haven't written in a while. Sooo busy! I have been doing the usual things i.e raising a child! Plus I have been building networks and buying stock for the business. I am still constantly checking Twitter and Facebook. But I'm proud to say that I have reach both my milestones (500 followers and 100 FB likes) Hooray. Thank you everyone for your support so far.
     Great News...I will also be selling my wares outside of the internet. Yep in person on a market stall in Brick Lane, London. I also have 2 baby shows lined up. I am super excited as well as super nervous that people won't buy my things. But ploughing on regardless. I've started this roller coaster ride, so I guess I can't get off now, that I'm strapped in!
      I realised in this process of starting up, that it is hard for me to 'blow my own trumpet'. I was thinking if it was just me. Or are women in general, told that they are supposed to self deprecating and humble. That if we boast and brag we are seen has 'loving ourselves' or 'bitches'. I'm finding it hard to shout about how 'fabulous' my product is (even writing that is hard!) But it is, so there! I think womankind does tend to see all the negatives in ourselves, instead of shouting about all the positives. But I am gonna to have to learn to go against my mental grain and boast, boast and boast some more. So if your near East London, come and see me to buy my gorgeous and unique baby wear. If your not in London, buy from me on Facebook. (Shameless self promotion I know!)

xxx Lisa - Amazing Mum and Business Owner

Friday 10 May 2013

Is The Grass Greener?...

I never thought I'd be a blog writer, let alone have people reading it! But it's strangely addictive and ideas for the blog come to me at such random times. Usually when I'm just about to go to sleep, then I have to jump up and write it down. Recently I had a friend over, who has been struggling to write their own blog (the usual thing I suppose, not sure what to write, scare no one will read it). As I was helping them out with my 'just go for it!' gusto. I realised that we are too self critical. Always thinking that someone else has it better. That the grass is greener on the other side.
   I do it all the time, as a mum and as a new business owner. Thoughts like, why is my 9 month old not crawling yet?, why has she not got any teeth yet?, why is she not a walking, talking genius  (well maybe not the last one. But its along the same lines). With the business, my thoughts are, why haven't I sold a billion baby grows yet? why has that other business got more twitter followers or Facebook likes? As a female, my thoughts are, why is she married? why as she got a bigger house, brand new car, beautiful clothes, the best job, the cutest kids?.... The question we really should be asking is WHY do we do this to ourselves?    
   Everyone has their own triumphs and struggles. We win some and we lose some. But ideally we should all be grateful for what we have, at this moment in time and stop stressing about what everyone else is doing. I'm grateful for a loving partner, a healthy child, a opportunity to sell my wares and great friends, family and good health.
   So next time you find yourself comparing, STOP! and list all the things you have in you life, that you are grateful and lucky to have.

Hugs
Grateful Mother of 1
Lisa xx




Wednesday 8 May 2013

I'm a Business Mum...eek!

So I've told my boss that I'm not coming back to work. It's scary now, this is it! I am no longer employed. I'm a business owner! I know I decided to do this, but everyday it becomes more real to me. THIS HAS TO WORK!  My job - Lisa - Business owner, crazy ay?
  Anyway on a less scary note. I have been dabbling in the idea of baby grow cupcakes. Some samples below. Let us know what you think. The more feedback the better. Please comment below.

Hugs - Lisa - Business Mum. x

Tuesday 30 April 2013

Girls wear PINK and boys wear BLUE!

Girls wear PINK and boys wear BLUE, WHY? I've been doing a bit of research into this. Apparently it started to come into popular culture just before World War 1.  Its not very clear where it came from. But somebody out there decided that blue was a masculine colour and pink feminine. Well I say Boll#@ks to that, plus other expletives!. Let's start bucking the trend. I want to put my little girl in any colour I choose and I want to be able to buy any colour easily. This is why is started my business. Don't get me wrong, I think my little one looks great in pink. Thats not the problem, the problem is that when I go out on to the high street, I have a very limited choice. (pink, light pink, hot pink and pastel pink, is not the choice I want!).
   
The revolution has started! Say NO to gender specific clothing colours and YES to multi coloured and cute.
We must stop the brain washing of our children and allow them more freedom of choice. This is across the board, regarding toys, attitudes and stereotypes.

Thats enough ranting for now. Off to play with my blue wearing, truck playing, strong minded daughter now lol!

Hug Lisa (Mum trying to take over the world!)

 

Saturday 27 April 2013

SUMMER SALE!

I'm started a summer sale today on all my dresses and hoodies. They are now £9 for dresses and £8 for hoodies. (Usually £15 each). I'm planning on ploughing back any profits into new stock for the business. The Facebook page has more likes, which I'm happy about. Twitter followers are great too over 400 now. So I feel I'm building the networks slowly. So again the waiting game commences... Fingers crossed!



Thursday 25 April 2013

Sleep Deprived!

I'm tired, I'm tried and oh did I mention I'M TIRED. As a stay at home mum trying to flog some baby clothes on the internet, some people may think I don't have much on. But I can tell you I DO! I have a teething 9 month old that is driving me up the wall! What do you do when she has taken to hating her cot and hollas every time you lay her down? What do you do when she plays cot acrobats and ends up random positions? What to you do when the Calpol doesn't seem to be working and you don't want to overdose her, by giving it to her every ten minutes! (lol, joking peeps,don't go calling social services on me). What do you do when your tired and your patience is wearing thin? Well so far I've learnt to talk to other mothers (baby clubs and events), read other mother blogs (someone else is definately going through the same thing). Take a break, have a cup of tea/coffee or glass of wine (late nights only, when they finally succumb to sleep) and get out and about where possible (trips to the shops, park etc).
     Whats that I hear.....silence... at last she is sleeping. Cup of tea anyone?
Need Coffee
http://invisiblebread.com/


Hugs Lisa (Tired Business Mum)

Monday 22 April 2013

All babies start out looking like Aliens..

The weekend was really busy getting ready for the launch. With mum duties never stopping I am now shattered. I got my beautiful daughter to model my clothes...so funny trying to get her to keep still, while taking a billion shots on numerous cameras. But I think she makes the clothes look great. They are on now on Facebook and I've twittered, pinned and contacted everyone I know to get my name out there.
     Ok, you may be thinking, why and how I chose my designs (or maybe your not thinking that, but I'm gonna tell you anyway!). Well the idea came to me quite quickly, it was the process that was long. I wanted something unique, different from the High St designs. The alien is modeled on my daughter. Oh dear you might say. But let me explain, her birth was a amazing and thankfully a short experience. But when my gorgeous girl was first laid upon my chest, she looked up at me with her big brown eyes... and I thought ummm she looks like a little alien gremlin (all wrinkly and pale). Now don't get me wrong ladies, we love our children like nothing else in this world. But you have to admit, when they are newborn, they're not that attractive yet! (chuckling). Anyway she was this long limbed, pot bellied, big eyed, cute little alien and I wanted that design on my clothes. So there you go, the long and short of it.

I introduce you to CB (Colourful Babies) the Alien.
 
       There will be more designs to come. I'm basically going to put CB in all the situations (i.e playing with building blocks) that my daughter has and will be in, on my products. I hope you love them.

Love Lisa
Mumpreneur (hopefully a successful one)
https://www.facebook.com/Colourfulbb


Sunday 21 April 2013

New Prints Are Out There!!!

The new prints are launched !! yippee. So now I wait..... Check out my Facebook page to see what I'm on about. Your feedback would be most welcome....Excited
Colourful Babies Products  https://www.facebook.com/Colourfulbb

Friday 19 April 2013

Crisis of Confidence!

Its a Saturday (last week). Its 7.30 am. I had just finished feeding my daughter and put her back it bed. I was trying to sleep. (a nap really before she woke up again in about an hour). Could I sleep....NO! My mind was racing and questions that couldn't be answered where on a loop. Questions like, where else can I advertise for free? What product design to do and print next?, Will I actually make any money from this? Am I neglecting my daughter and partner? What am I doing? Can I get a holiday away from my mind?  and so on and so forth...You get the gist. So I got out my notepad and wrote down what I could. I am guessing many business people and mums have the same crisis of confidence. But I not sure I should have them so early on. Please get in touch with me if you have been in the same situation. I'm hoping this will get better. I would like to return to sleeping at night.  Running a business and a home sleep deprived is not good.
     At present I'm feeling very positive about the biz, especially since I have my prints back and they look fab, fab, fab! Launching this weekend.(Woohoo) Let us know what you think. Any feedback is most welcome.


Will the business do this?



Tuesday 16 April 2013

SUPPORT is key!

Okay so I'm still waiting on my printed products to return from my fabulous printers. And while I wait nervously, I continue to plug away at getting my name out there. Furiously tweeting, pinning and Facebooking away! The response, thus far has been great, due largely to the very supportive mothers out there. I received some lovely personal messages and tweets of support. Which I have found amazing being embraced by the 'mums is business' community. It got me thinking how without 'support' I wouldn't get very far. Without the support of my friends, family and especially my partner, I wouldn't have even started this venture. I realised that if I want support, I also have to give it. We should buy locally as much as possible, support local businesses spend less at large corporations that don't know our names or care about us. (Please note I said buy less at large corporations, I do live in the real world! The economic climate doesn't allow us all to buy organic, free ranged, recyclable high priced products) But where we can afford it, we can make changes. Then you know what your getting and where its coming from... ('she clears throat and mutters under her breath "horsemeat"... Enough said). It feels good to know your supporting your community and buying from someone who hopefully appreciates your business.....ok I'm getting of my soap box now.
           Anyway let me give you a example of why I talk about support and community. When I was looking for a printers for my ideas I found that my 'small order' was not appreciated by some of the larger well know printing establishments that I approached. People couldn't be bothered to take the time, to discuss what I wanted on the phone. They would ask me to send a e mail, then not reply. Now I don't know about you, but that's just rude!!!I got dishearten, thought I would never find one at a decent price or that would fulfill my order. Until I spoke to my current printers. He was AMAZING!, chatty, friendly, kind, patient and most of all supportive. He discussed my options, emailed my back straight away and was super helpful. I felt he appreciated my business and wanted to help with mine. He offered great customer service and we should expect nothing less. So if you buy from me expect the same.


Lisa - Entrepreneur in training!

Saturday 13 April 2013

WE'RE AMAZING!

I've taken to adding inspirational quotes of the day to twitter. It's to help myself, as well as others through the day. So if you need motivation today just remember your AMAZING! I'm talking especially to mums here (sorry guys, your amazing too). But as a new mum, I now have a deeper appreciation for what my own mother has done for me. She raised 2 kids ALONE. And when I mean alone, I mean alone. She was in a foreign country away from her family and friends. So I am now in awe of her coping skills and ability to be mum, dad and friend all in one. I am lucky enough not to have that problem. I have a lovely and loving partner of 6 years. I can't imagine bringing up my daughter without the support of my partner, family and friends.
     So mums out there WE'RE AMAZING! Just getting through each day loving, caring, cleaning, educating, feeding and supporting our children is amazing.
     Keep up the good work ladies. xxx

Hugs Lisa



Thursday 11 April 2013

Designs, Printers and Retail Therapy!

Long day today, but very productive. Finally got my products to the printers! Hooray. My new designs should be done over the weekend. So hopefully at the start of next week, they will be online to view. Excited and anxious at the same time. I hope you will all love them as I do. Please let me know, your feedback will be most appreciated.
OK I have a confession to make. I didn't spend the whole day at the printers. I ended up on a shopping trip to Lakeside Shopping Centre. Now, I like to call it market research myself. Scoping out the competition and looking for potential customers. Others may call it a excuse to buy more things for my daughter! I'll let you decide. I was surprisingly restrained and didn't buy anything at all. (I know, crazy!!!) But getting out and about was good for the soul. Well they do call it 'retail therapy'.

Monday 8 April 2013

Running a business..running being the operative word

Okay, today has been mad. I have got no work done towards the business, due the fact I have workmen in my house and a teething daughter to contend with. Trying to keep up with all my social media productions proved impossible. Which is why I am sat here at 10pm bashing out this blog and trying to Facebook and Twitter at the same time. LOL. Mad ay? I'm loving it though. Working for myself, even in the fledgling stage is great. Onwards and upwards. Probably won't get to the printers until Thursday now, if i'm lucky. New designs will have to wait. Patience is a virtue they say...shame I don't seem to have it these days.

om..om...om the best things come to those who wait...om ..om
 

Friday 5 April 2013

Designs in Progress...Excited!

I'm currently working on some prints for my baby clothes. The first designs are done and I'm well excited! Just need to get to the printers. Finding a printer for a reasonable price was exhausting to say the least. But I got there. I'm gonna try to get to the printers on Monday. Soooo look out on this page for when they are ready. Its short and sweet today... gotta run my daughter is crying. All working mums out there I salute you. xx

Wednesday 3 April 2013

How do I get a Work/Life balance when starting my own business?

Soooooo I've managed to leave the house after days on the computer, furiously trying to get my name out there!. Its going well, lots of support from friends and family, which I'm totally grateful for. Plus acquired some new business links, excited!. So I was lucky my partner was here over the Easter weekend to help look after my little one while I was obsessing. But he is back to work, so now what? Okay I can bash out this blog at the mo because she is sleeping. But on those days when she is cranky because of teething or unwell, what then?  I'm starting this business for a better future, but don't want to neglect her in the interim. Anyone who knows me, knows i'm quite organised. But doesn't stop me from worrying. Why do us mothers do this to ourselves? Right enough said, gonna get on with it! positive thoughts " I can do it, I can do it.. " she chants.

I got new designs and prints in the pipeline so watch this space.

Now on pininterest

love Lisa x
#mothertryingnottoriphairout
Tearing hair out

Sunday 31 March 2013

Obsessive Complusive

So my Facebook page has been launched and I've put myself on as many free ad pages as possible. Now what? the wait, the wait is killing me. I'm obsessively checking my Facebook page every 2 mins to check how many likes I have. (35 at present, many thanks everyone) but I want MORE!!! (evil cackle). So the next step is to get myself out there in the physical sense, to do as much networking as I can. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. I am in the process of getting prints put on my products so what this space for more info. So now its Easter Sunday and I need to get out of the house, so that I stop checking my pages. Yeah good luck with that!  Happy Easter everyone.

Lisa - Mother and Entrepreneur (lol)



thanks



Saturday 30 March 2013

Daunting task, can I do it?

So as a new mum to a 8 month old on maternity leave. I decide that I don't have enough going on already!! So why not start a small business from my bedroom. When I was pregnant with my little one I didn't know what sex of the baby was. So buying clothes for the baby was difficult. Why? because if you don't want to buy a pink or blue outfit the only options on the high street seem to be, beige, white or cream. Exciting colours I know. But not what I wanted. So I am starting my online business in colourful baby clothes and accessories. Starting in baby grows, dresses, hoodies, bibs and blankets. But sooooo scary. Will it work? who knows but I am going for it anyway. Wish me luck, just launched on facebook yesterday so lets see how its goes......

Hugs
Lisa  - owner/operator of Colour Babies