Mom-Owned Small Businesses To Shop At Online

Happy National Small Business Week! Did you know that more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business? I had no idea! As a small business owner myself, I wanted to celebrate by featuring other small businesses that are owned by moms (it is Mother’s Day week after all). Whether you are shopping for yourself or looking to find a gift for someone else, supporting one of these small businesses directly helps another mom. I haven’t personally shopped at all of these (yet!!) but all of these businesses ship nationally so happy shopping :)

PewPewLasercraft

I love the name of this Etsy shop, created by a fellow blogger, and can’t type the name without making the laser sound in my head! Lizz makes laser cut accessories for everyone in the family. Her earrings are beautiful but the items that really stood out to me were these Star Wars engraved pencils. My little fans would love them! She also has Harry Potter pencils and a listing to create custom engraved sayings as well.

Check out the Etsy shop here.

InBooze Cocktail Infusion Kits

Ashleigh wanted to create a way for everyone to enjoy cocktails from the comfort of their home. After seeing mixes on the shelves with funky chemicals and ingredients, she created InBooze cocktail infusion kits using dehydrated fruits, veggies and herbs. 5 of the 7 kits are sugar free (great for low carb or keto diets) and I love that I can pronounce everything on the ingredient lists! Right now she offers Classic & Spicy margaritas, Moscow Mule, Sangria, Old fashioned and Bloody Mary but more fun summer varieties are coming soon. I think these would make a nice hostess gift!

Shop for cocktail infusion kits here. Use the code ‘HAPPYSIPPING’ for 20% off. Oh, and shipping is always free to the US!

Within The Pines

Raquel, from Within The Pines, started making baby moccasins when she had a baby with chubby feet who needed shoes. (Fellow mom of a chubby foot baby here!) Now she creates high quality handcrafted soft sole moccasins to suit any style and budget. They are available in hundreds of unique prints like baseball, elephants, and boho floral.

Find cute moccasins for your little one here.

B.Stamped®

B.Stamped® was created by Brittany, a mom of two boys. What started as a hobby soon turned into a full-time business that allowed her to stay home with her kids (which sounds very similar to my own story!) She loves creating special pieces for others, whether it be a piece of mommy jewelry, a set of bride and groom wedding forks, or an inspirational wrap bracelet. I love this bracelet for a teacher and this money clip would make a wonderful Father’s Day gift!

Shop all hand-stamped items here.

The Divatude Collection

Michelle created The Divatude Collection, home of inspiring t-shirts for all Divas. I love the relaxed fit of this Diva long-sleeved shirt that clearly defines what a diva is: someone who is driven, inspiring, victorious, and called to action! Michelle also sells jewelry on her site like these Work.Slay.Pray. earrings. WANT. Have a little diva? How about this ‘Smart Girls Are Pretty’ pouch?

Get all your diva gear here.

The Confetti Post

Leitia started The Confetti Post after she had finished throwing her daughter’s first birthday party and found herself already in plan mode for the next one. Since life gets busy she decided to put together parties in a box for others. Parties in a box are the perfect gift to put smiles on faces. They have carefully chosen themes and curated gift packages for every occasion like Hello Baby, Mother’s Day, and Feel Better. As someone who loved themed parties and gift boxes myself, I think this is such a fun idea!

See all the thoughtful gifts here.

The Glamper Life

Devon, a content creator, started an Etsy shop that features fun merchandise for those who love glamping. As someone who enjoys cabin camping myself, this shop features shirts that are right up my alley! I personally have to have this “coffee, campfire, messy hair” tank top for those summer mornings around the campfire. They also make these “Netflix, Campfire, Starbucks” shirts which honestly sounds like the best way to camp!

Find all your Glamping attire here.

Arabella Chic Bowtique

Alexandra makes handmade hair accessories and tutus. Most of her bows have embellishments on them which I think makes them pretty unique. My favorite in her shop is this pineapple one and what kid wouldn’t want to pretend to be Moana with this floral crown? I also think this 2019 bow would be cute for a young graduate.

Shop all the bows here.

American Sign Language T-Shirts

Linda, a deaf mom of four, designs American Sign Language t-shirts (like this “unapologetically deaf” shirt) in addition to blogging. Know any soon to be graduates? This 2019 Senior shirt would make a nice gift. Personally though, I’m loving this “it’s too peopley outside” t-shirt that I need to add to my wardrobe asap because it basically explains why I hate going anywhere that is going to be too crowded!

Check out all her ASL t-shirts here.

Little Threads Boutique

Jenna sews custom handmade harem pants, skirts, shorts, bloomers, and more for children. She also offers coordinating onesies and hairbows so putting outfits together is a no brainer. I’m in love with all the fabric patterns she has like this flamingo print and this watermelon print.

Find an adorable item for your child or grandchild here.

Stay-At-Home Gamers

My blogging friend Darcy loves gaming so much that she (and her husband) created the Stay-At-Home Gamers site and curate quarterly family game night boxes. My family enjoys games as well so I think this is such a fun idea! Each box features 1-2 games plus a few fun extra items such as geeky collectibles, gaming accessories, or something to help with your game time snack. This box is perfect for those with little gamers in their family and this Extraordinary Adventure Family Game Night Box seems like it would be perfect for game night with tweens.

Order a game box here to start the fun!

The Paisley Hanger Boutique

Dawn has a great line of shirts for moms. I’m particularly fond of her baseball mom t-shirts like the ‘Love baseball’ one featured above and this one that will have you singing the classic 90’s tv show theme song it’s words are similar to. I feel like every shirt in her shop is relatable to my life!

Shop for mom gear here.

FENNOFashion

FENNOfashion by Megan is a collection of handmade accessories designed & created in Cincinnati that you’re sure to fall in love with. Founded in 2007, you’ll find a little of everything from sparkling crystal-filled earrings to one-of-a kind Momma Bird Necklaces & each piece of handcrafted jewelry is made to withstand the test of time. Personally I love this gold Ohio necklace to remind me of my time away at college!

Find the perfect piece of handcrafted jewelry here.

Pretty Paisley

Jennifer makes trendy clothing and accessories for little girls and boys. Judging from her company’s Facebook page she makes a lot of coming home outfits and birthday outfits but she also makes items for holidays, big/little siblings, and personalized stuffed animals. I wish I would have known about her items when I was pregnant with my youngest because this personalized sleep sack is adorable! I’m already checking out her first birthday outfits now, even though Emma is only four months old. This first birthday outfit for a baby girl is so sweet and this bright circus themed outfit is adorable!

Get more ideas of personalized kid’s clothes you can order here.

A Girl’s Gotta Spa!®

Shannon started her beauty blog, A Girl’s Gotta Spa!®, in 2005 and since then has launched a bespoke cruelty free bath and body line to promote the mission that everyone deserves to be pampered. This Himalayan Salt Scrub looks like it would be amazing for a spa day at home!

Find all your spa essentials here.

Passports and Purpose™

Courtney founded Passports and Purpose™ with a collection designed to serve travelers with both a sense of humor and a sense of adventure. The store has expanded to include affirmation themed apparel and accessories. My favorite item is their ‘Travel is my self care’ shirt.

Shop all of the shirts, hoodies, and lifestyle items here.

CraftyShan Creations

Shannon creates a number of custom items from mugs to signs to pillows and everything in between. I’d love one of these family name signs in my entryway and this plant stand would look absolutely adorable on a front porch. Thinking ahead to Christmas already? These state ornaments are beautiful!

Look at all of the custom pieces Shannon can create here.

Golden Slumber, LLC.

Golden Slumber, LLC is an Online Baby Boutique, offering handmade organic baby items. Each item is carefully sewn by Alyssa, a mother of three.  She has been sewing for more than 25 years and is delighted to share her dream of a natural, yet playful line of baby items. From teethers to knotted baby gowns to little overall shorts and more, there are lots of adorable baby items to choose from!

Find your next baby gift here.

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Owning Your Own Business With A Franchise

As a blogger I love owning my own business. It’s a lot of long hours and hard work but it’s amazing knowing that I can help support my family. Today I am working with Supercuts to share about a different business model: Franchising.

Until recently I didn’t know much about franchising but, as I’ve learned more, it seems like a great way to start a business. I like that it’s an established brand that is already known. While you still have to advertise and promote your business, franchisees don’t have to start “from scratch”. It’s hard to get your name out there and establish it. It took over a year before I was being contacted by brands who had found me. Before then I had a tiny readership that consisted mostly of my family and friends. I’m still working on getting my “brand” known and I’ve been at this for over 5 years so starting a business with a brand name already established would have saved me hours and hours of time.

Another thing I like about franchising is that you are working with a company that knows the business. They know what works and what doesn’t. As a business owner my biggest fear would be to fail. It would be awesome not to have to go through the trials because someone has already done it for you.

Over the next couple months I will share more about franchising and Supercuts franchises in general but I’m interested to hear your thoughts. Do any of you own a franchise? What do you like (or dislike) about it? Have any questions about owning a franchise?

(Disclosure: This is a compensated post but all thoughts are my own.)

It’s All About Relationships In Business

You may have heard the term “ROI” or “Return On Investment” which has been used a lot in business over the years but today I’m going to talk about another return- “ROR” and the new book out about it called Return on Relationship.

Here’s a little more about the book from the back cover:

Social Media drives engagement, engagement drives loyalty, and loyalty correlates directly to increased sales. Is your company currently focused on gaining brand advocates and building its social media credibility? Do you question whether or not using Facebook, Twitter, or blogs is a worthwhile investment of your time and resources? In Return on Relationship, Ted Rubin and Kathryn Rose present real world, practical ideas that will help businesses maximize their potential through using community-focused tools on the Internet. You’ll discover why ‘That’s the way it’s always been done’ will leave you without any customers. In this book you will also discover:

  • How to Maximize your potential by using the right  community- focused tools on the Internet
  • The importance of moving from convince and convert to converse and convert
  • What main problems will keep you from seeing dramatic results
  • How building engaged and responsive communities around your brand will significantly impact your bottom line

Whether your business is just starting out or if you’ve been a leader in your field for years, in Return on Relationship, Ted Rubin and Kathryn Rose give you a guided tour to taking your company to the next level.

***

The book is available for sale on Amazon {find it here}. I am excited to read the book because Ted, one of the authors, is one of my bosses at Collective Bias. I’m so blessed to learn from him and watch him develop relationships using Social Media. It’s amazing to me that he has 100,000+ followers and has built relationships with so many of them. He truly practices ROR in his daily life and knows what he is talking about when it comes to marketing and social media.

About the Authors:

Ted Rubin knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Marketing and Social Media. He has been the Chief Marketing Officer of ELF cosmetics and Open Sky and is currently the Chief Social Marketing Officer of Collective Bias. Collective Bias is a content marketing company that weaves organic social content into real-life stories for brands and retailers. Ted is the #1 followed Chief Marketing Officer on Twitter. Follow him at @TedRubin and follow his hashtag #RonR.

Kathryn Rose is an award-winning, best-selling author, speaker and social media strategist and trainer with clients ranging from multi-million dollar corporations, to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Kathryn has a 20+ year career in sales and marketing that includes successful track record of using a collaborative mindset to increase sales. Follow Kathryn on Twitter at @katkrose.

(Disclosure: I am receiving a copy of Return on Relationship but all thoughts in this post are my own.)

Spark & Hustle Book Review

As a small business owner, I was happy to receive a copy of Spark & Hustle: Launch and Grow Your Small Business Now. This book that came out in June was written by New York Times bestselling author, Tory Johnson, a well-known entrepreneur who helps women turn their passions into profits. I have not read her two previous books but so far I am loving this one.

The book is split into eleven chapters and covers everything from overcoming obstacles {including your own negative thoughts!} to creating a budget to marketing. I like that she features women-owned businesses throughout the book. The stories are encouraging because they show real women succeeding and provide examples of Tory’s advice in action.

I am still working through this book but as I am reading through it I am discovering a renewed passion for my business. I’m also asking myself questions that I never thought about before. This is definitely not a sit down and read it all in a day type book. Throughout the book Tory gives mini-assignments and then each chapter ends with an “act now” list that goes over key points of the chapter and how you can expand upon what you have just read.

I’ll end with a quote from Tory: “If there is a common trait among the women I meet who make it, it’s this: they believe in themselves and what they are doing. That’s the most potent fuel for an entrepreneur. Follow their lead and believe unflinchingly in yourself.”

Want to learn more? Check out Tory’s Spark & Hustle events or purchase the book on Amazon.

(Disclosure: I received a book to review but all thoughts are my own.)

Small Business Saturday

Today, November 26, is Small Business Saturday. It’s a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. This day is important to me because I work with small businesses {most of which are mom-owned} every day as the Co-Owner of Living Your Moment.

Check out this wonderful song by Anita Renfroe about shopping small and local: