Coming up!

I'm super excited that this Thursday I'll be attending a networking event with the ladies from Girl Power Hour. GPH is a women's professional networking group in Seattle that throws super fabulous events every few months.

I'm excited for this month's topic, "Girls Just Wanna Have Funds". It's right up my alley, with speakers about financial priorities, "why we buy", and "money makeovers".

Looking forward to reporting back on the blog on Friday!

Eggo in the Oven: Profile of a Small Business Owner

Kim Wells and her son Colby in her home office.

Kim Wells, a stay-at-home mom from Lake Stevens, Washington, has always been crafty. After her son Colby was born last fall, she started her at-home business, Eggo in the Oven, creating and selling custom baby clothes and accessories. Since her business launched on January 1, she has fulfilled more than 200 orders, and has more than 1,400 followers on her company's Facebook page. 
I chatted with Kim recently about what it takes to make an at-home business work. (And, read to the bottom of this post for a giveaway!)

How did you get the idea for starting Eggo in the Oven?

"I have always loved crafting.  Scrapbooking, photography, sewing, and more.  A few years back when my friends started having babies, I decided to make blankets and burp cloths for them as gifts.  I continued to make more handmade gifts, and started branching out - creating onesies and nursing covers.  People kept telling me that I should look into selling the items that I make.  I shrugged it off.  When I found out I was pregnant with Colby, I joined an online group for women due in September 2010.  We did a few gift exchanges with that group, and again, people kept saying I should sell the items.  So I started to look into it!  Around October 2010, I really got serious.  I applied for my business license, and started working on ideas, products, and my Facebook page.  I was still hesitant to open, but friends, family, and strangers continued to suggest I open a shop.... so I finally did!

The name came about due to a nickname my husband Jimmy came up with for my son when I was pregnant -- Eggo the Embryo (just because of the alliteration, not because of the waffles!)."  

How do you get the word out about your business? How did you get so many facebook followers so quickly?

Onesie and 'L'eggo' (baby legwarmers) set.

"The girls I met online through the group for gals due in September 2010 has provided AMAZING support and have done tons of marketing for me! I have also participated in many giveaways through other businesses on Facebook.  I have found that many of them very helpful - I have networked with other great businesses, and gained a bunch of fans and new customers.  Getting more people to come and take a look at the items I sell eventually turns into more sales!"

What advice do you have for other people who want to start their own business? 

"Be prepared for it to take over your life! Since opening Eggo in the Oven, I've probably worked an average of 10 hours or more a day, 7 days a week.  Keep in mind I have a little one to take care of during the day, too, but I tend to work from when I wake up until when I go to bed! I now spend my "free time" shopping for fabric online and creating new applique designs,

I would recommend looking into the rules and regulations about starting a business in your area.  Many people who sell online choose to do it "under the table".  This works for some, but I went into this with the mindset that I wanted to try my hardest to do it by the books so that if I was successful, I wouldn't have to go back and re-learn how to run my business!  I'm so glad I did that.

Also, I found a few blogs of people who own companies that started out small and have grown immensely.  They had great advice about pricing, marketing, expectations, etc.  I found them to be very helpful, and continue to reference back to them on occasion.

Keep in mind it's not likely going to be cheap to start up your own company.  You'll need to pay for your business license and any other fees, materials, possibly new equipment (I bought a new sewing machine one week after my grand opening!), shipping supplies, and so many more things you aren't even thinking of!  I read one blog that said you likely won't actually start turning a profit or paying yourself a paycheck until about six months in.  I would agree with that.  At this point, I'm seeing a small profit, but I think that Eggo in the Oven has taken off much quicker than many companies do and it's still slow going!

Don't expect instant success - it will likely take a good amount of time, money, energy, and many failures before you hit your stride! 

Be proud of what you do, and decide what is important to you - it may be pricing your items as low as possible to give people a deal or maybe you want to create high-quality items and need to charge more,  or you may want to focus on increasing your customer base.  Whatever it is, develop a plan and stick to it... and don't let others talk you out of it!

Finally.... try it!  Start small, and see what happens.  You'll never know until you try, and it could turn into something HUGE!"

Kim's short term goals include finding a better work-life balance, and selling her products in local craft bazaars. She hopes her business will be successful enough that she can continue to stay home with her son, and eventually, she would like to launch her own website to sell her creations. In the meantime, you can find her on Facebook here. Best of luck, Kim! 

Giveaway from Eggo in the Oven!

Giveaway!! Kim from Eggo in the Oven is giving away one of her great creations! Become a follower of my blog, and comment on this post to enter. We're giving away a custom onesie or toddler tee, with either the ladybug or necktie print, and you get to choose the fabric from anything she has in stock! Enter to win today! These make great gifts too if you don't have any little ones of your own. I'll announce the winner here on the blog on Sunday night! 

Deal alert: What did I say!

Mere hours after I posted about the great deals to be found on denim at my friend Staci's Portland Boutique Mapel, I received her weekly "happy hour" email. Guess what this week's deal is... 20% off all denim, all week! Check out the email here.

A few words on Mapel. Not only do they have great designer denim, they also offer great clothing and jewelry from lesser-known, local Northwest designers (and free shipping ALWAYS!)

Also, as I mentioned back in November, I think it is so important to support small businesses. Check out Mapel today. 

Never buy designer jeans full price...Seriously, don't do it!

Consider this your public service announcement for the day. Don't ever buy full price designer denim. Guys' or girls'. (One possible exception might be if you have to have a new pair to wear tonight--but then again, unless you are a 6-foot-3 Amazonian supermodel you'll probably need them hemmed anyway.)

I have a love of designer denim, and have also recently pulled the Mr. onto my bandwagon, as he is currently rocking his first pair. However, I haven't paid full price for a pair of Sevens, Paiges, Joes, etc. in at least three years.

It takes patience, grasshopper. But the feeling of sweet success when you get a pair of $200 jeans for $67 can't be beat. Check out my favorite places to score denim deals:

• Nordstrom Rack. It may take a few trips to find the perfect pair, but they get shipments in all the time. Sign up for their mailing list and they'll send you postcards letting you know when new shipments are arriving. 
• Amazon.com and EBay. Before ordering online, make sure you've tried on the specific style, color, and size that you're looking for. 
• Mapel. This is a local Portland, Oregon store (at Bridgeport), but they do tons of online selling as well. They have a huge stock of designer denim, and the have amazing deals every few months on their  daily "Happy Hour" (More about them in a separate post in the next few days too.) Oh, and they have free shipping ALL THE TIME! Not to mention that they have lots of other cute stuff at different price points. 
• Subscription sites like Rue La La, Gilt Groupe, and Ideeli. More on them later as well. 

Head to the comments section and let me know if you have any other great places to score great deals! 

Weddings: Everyone has a budget

There are lot of expenses that young adults face, and for a lot of people, a wedding is one of them.

Shameless plug: This blog is a re-post from my company's blog--I own a marketing & events company with a business partner and we help a lot of brides and grooms navigate the world of weddings. Check it out. 

I thought it was a pertinent topic here, as well.

Reading wedding magazines or watching shows like "Say Yes to the Dress" may make you think that you're the only one on a budget, and that every other bride (or groom) in the world can spend, spend, spend on an over-the-top wedding.

In real life, however, everyone has a price point. Every couple we've worked with has a limit, regardless of who is paying for the wedding. It's important to keep a little perspective as you're planning.

Here are our top five wedding budgeting tips that we always tell all of our clients.

1. Spreadsheet, spreadsheet, spreadsheet. The very first thing you should do (after calling all of your family and friends, of course) is talk about your budget. No, it's not glamorous, but you must do it. Knowing how much you are willing to spend from the start will help you navigate all of the options in front of you, and be realistic about what you can afford.

2. Stop comparing yourself to other couples. So what if you went to a wedding last weekend where you drank from a Cristal champagne fountain, the bride wore a custom-made Vera Wang gown, and U2 was the live entertainment. Who cares. Your wedding will be special, because it's yours. The rest is just details.

3. Decide what is most important to you. Maybe you love photography so you want to book the city's most famous wedding photographer. Perhaps you love the look of letterpress and calligraphy invitations. Whatever it is, every couple has one or two must-haves on their list. That's great--fit them into your budget if at all possible, but something's got to give. Decide which wedding details aren't that important to you. Maybe you have a friend who can do the flowers. Perhaps you don't even like wedding cake and can settle for cookies from a local bakery. Sit down and make a list, from most important to least important, and go from there.

4. Always ask for discounts. Anytime you are in conversation with a vendor, ask if they have any specials. Many photographers will throw in a free session of engagement pictures. Your venue may give you a better deal if you get married in low season, or on a Friday or Sunday. Ask your florist if they can substitute in-season flowers for exotic ones that have to be flown in. Worst case, they say no, but at least you've tried!

5. Pay for a day-of wedding coordinator. We're not just saying that because we want your business (which we do). You've spent months planning your big day, counting your pennies, and scrutinizing your guest list. Don't let all of your hard work go to waste. Save enough money in your budget to hire someone to handle all the details on your big day. You want to enjoy the time with your new husband/wife, hang out with your wedding party and family, and really ENJOY! You only get to do this once, after all!  And a bonus: We provide unlimited phone and email contact to all of our day-of clients. We can help you find great vendors, give advice on budgeting, and more.

On Sharing Money

It's a well-known fact that I'm a huge fan of Slate. I love it for its fresh take on news, its advice columns, and its interesting blogs and bloggers.

There is a regular column called "Home Economics" about personal finances, and recently there was a 5 part series about a couple deciding how to manage their money together (or separate).

She broke couples up into three types: Common Potters, who have one joint account for everything; Sometimes Sharers; and Independent Operators, who maintain their separate accounts throughout life.

The Mr. and I are Common Potters--we joined our accounts when we bought our house, before we were married, and never looked back. However, the data calculator says that, in our demographic, 50% of people are Sometimes Sharers, 40% are Common Potters, and 10% keep separate accounts entirely.

Check this out:

• Common Potters have, on average, been together 11 years (we're at a whopping two).
• Percentage who are married: 94.1% (got it).
• Average age: 34.5 (our average age is 29.5...close enough).
• Percentage with children: 45.8% (not yet!)

Read the rest of the article here. It's a little different for everyone. What works for you? Let me know in the comments below!