Storks & Berries Is One Year Old!

It's been a busy year for me. Busier than most - but I have also accomplished more than usual I think ... although I suppose some might disagree. I've grown and changed ... so has my business ... and my family.

I started my online business, Storks & Berries, a year ago. My son was about 6 months old when my meager little business went live online. Since then, I have spent much of my free time (what little of that a new mommy has!), working on my website, researching new products, and ensuring that Storks & Berries offers it's customers service the likes of which isn't easily found in today's era of online shopping and fast paces.

I have done well, although the perfectionist in me wishes that I had done better. It's a juggling act (as I am sure you all know) for a WAHM business owner, who also has a family and home to care for, as well as a career outside the home - one that is often emotionally and physically draining. Time is of the essence.

Storks & Berries is 1 year old this month! I still cannot believe it when I think of it. My son is about to be 18 months old, my second child will be arriving within the next couple of months, and I am the owner of a business that I love spending time growing. It is strange how life progresses so quickly, how there is always so much to be accomplished, how the world challenges you as you interact with it.

Storks & Berries started off selling a couple of brands of cloth diapers and a couple of types of baby carriers. Fast forward one year ... I offer 5 brands of cloth diapers (AppleCheeks, Baby Kangas, BerryPlush, FuzziBunz, and Monkey Doodlez) ... all of which I love using on my own son and which I love raving about to anyone who will listen. I still offer the baby carriers (CuddlyWrap, Mobile Mommy, and Cosy Baby Happy Mommy) - fantastic products which I wholeheartedly believe in. But I have, as I mentioned previously, grown. I now also offer my customers toys, environmentally friendly household products (laundry detergents, soapnuts, and rechargeable batteries), cloth training pants, and so much more.

I maintain the same basic goal for my business as I had one year ago ... to offer excellent customer service while providing customers with products that I love and use myself - products that I truly believe are the best of the best, that are manufactured responsibly by companies who genuinely care about the environment, the world, and the "little people" (my son and your children) who are, ultimately, the end users of the products they create. My goals, like my business, have grown in the past year, however. I have discovered, after months of personal experience, that both moms and dads are unbelievably busy people. We are constantly juggling the needs of our children, with the needs of ourselves, our spouses / partners, our work ... and so many other things. That's why I have been spending so much time researching new products for my store ... so that busy parents can get what they need without having to shop at numerous places.

I have a vision for Storks & Berries, it remains a work-in-progress. I suspect it will be such for a long time yet (likely forever?). I continue to work hard at growing my business and my product lines while maintaining that basic focus on providing exceptional customer service to people who want exceptional products. I look forward to my businesses 2nd year. I know I will continue to do well, to grow and learn, to enjoy this adventure I have started on.

I invite you to visit Storks & Berries when you have a moment (hopefully now :) ... register for an account and sign up for our newsletter (which offers exclusive coupon codes each month), take advantage of some of the great sales we currently have going. Come back soon as well because we will be having more great sales before the end of the year to celebrate our momentous 1st birthday so don't forget to visit Storks & Berries again soon.

Please also consider telling your friends / family / co-workers about Storks & Berries. I would appreciate your support and referrals and I extend an offer of a coupon code to all WAHMs who read this blog. Please use the coupon code "FIVE OFF" to receive 5% off your 1st purchase at Storks & Berries. This coupon code will be valid until December 31st, 2009. Please note, that it does not apply to sale items, clearance items, or cloth diapering kits.

Thank you for reading and allowing me to share some of my thoughts at this late hour :)

Dawn

Owner

Storks & Berries

www.storksandberries.ca

Greetings from the Owner of Storks & Berries!

Hi,

Welcome to my first blog ... ever!  I am excited to be joining the world of blogging ... and, to be honest, a little nervous as is to be expected when you do anything new.

I will start by telling you a little about myself.  My name is Dawn and I am the proud mommy of a wonderful 10-month old little boy, Griffin.  I am still amazed he is already 10-months old and by the time I grasp this concept he will be a year and my maternity leave will be over!  Time just flies so quickly these days.

I am also lucky enough to be the wife of a wonderful guy who I fell in love with and was smart enough to marry!

I love spending time with my son (mommyhood is like being handed a return ticket to your own childhood as you get to play all the games you haven't played in 30 years!), and of course my husband.  Outside is where I prefer to spend my spare time ... walking, skiing, playing, anything that gets me out into the fresh air!

In addition to all of this, I am also the owner of a great little online store called Storks & Berries (no biases here :), which is based out of Okotoks, Alberta.  Through Storks & Berries, I sell a variety of high quality and affordable baby products, including cloth diapers (which I am a huge fan of!), baby carriers, nursing pillows, skin care products designed specifically for babies sensitive skin, and a number of other really great products!  I opened up Storks & Berries (www.storksandberries.ca) at the end of December and have been working very hard since then to build my business.  So far, things are going well!

The idea for Storks & Berries was planted in my head when I was pregnant with my son.  I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers, but had a really hard time finding them locally, and an even harder time finding useful information on them online.  My initial goal was to fill this gap so that cloth diapering was more accessible for parents.  My product line has grown ... and continues to grow with some great new products on the way ... and I continue to work on the information part of my website.

I am proud of the products I sell.  I have a spent a great deal of time researching them, and have tested most of my products (and all of my cloth diapers!) out on my son.  I have chosen to offer only those products which have been able to meet my high standards.  I strive to maintain a focus on Canadian-made products whenever possible.

I hope you will read my future blogs to see how my business (and my life) is progressing.  Lots of exciting things have been happening and more are in the works.  Also, please visit my Storks & Berries at www.storksandberries.ca.  Your comments, feedback, and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.  I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

Thanks for reading!

Dawn

Owner

Storks & Berries

www.storksandberries.ca

The Dreaded Business Plan

Do you have one? After 5 years in business and knowing that they are the single most important thing you can do for your business I hang my head as I answer no, I do not have one. I've always had the intentions but you know how it goes; excitement at starting a business, getting it going, filling orders, having babies, filling orders, taking care of babies, filling orders......Ok, really it just sucks to write a business plan. It really, really sucks!

I'm a creative person! I love to create, dream, market, network. I don't want to talk financials! I don't want to talk about statistics and market shares. I don't want to talk lawyers and accountants! So, here I sit. Five years in and major growth happening. I've hit that point where I'm making more money, but I need more money to grow. What to do? Up until this point I've always followed the law of bootstrapping. Growing out of my profits. But that only takes you so far when you want to grow faster!

One thing venture capitalists and bank loan officers have in common is the question "Do you have a Business Plan?"
Your business plan is your company's calling card. It allows you to see your business through your investor's eyes. As the name suggests it is a plan of your business; your communication tool; selling your marketing, sales and operations. Every time you have a meeting with a potential lender/investor it is your business plan that will do most of the talking.
A business plan is the key to long term success for new and old businesses. Your business must have a foundation to start from and you have to give your business time as success will take longer then merely weeks.

Your reason forwriting a plan will be different for each situation:

• If you are starting a new business you will require a plan to clearly assess every aspect of the business and show how it will succeed.
• If you are buying an already established business you will need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the business to decide if you will be able to make it a success.
• If you are already up and running and in need of extra finance you will need a plan to convince those putting capital into your business that you can and will succeed.
• If you are applying for one of the many grants available.
• (In my case) If you need to sit back and reasses your business and figure out just where it is you want to go and what you need to do to get there.

I am currently "trying" to work on my plan. It's not fun, but it is necessary so I am making myself do as much as I can on my own then I am getting help with the areas that I'm weak in. There are a lot of resources out there for free where you can go for help with your business plan. There are even good templates you can find online that you can print off to help you on your way. I recommend checking them out and I definitely recommend getting help with your plan if you can. But most of all I recommend writing one in the first place. Those with an clear end goal are more likely to succeed then those who aren't sure where they are going.

Here are some great places you can go for help with your plan:

Business Development Bank Of Canada
Canada Business
Small Business Finance Centre
The Business Link
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

Bottom line if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This old saying has great merit and I encourage all business owners to write a business plan. It is an invaluable tool and usually directly relates to the success of your business.

If you don't hear from me for awhile...that's what I'll be doing!

Kristina
Bouncing Off The Walls

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to take a minute and say hello to everyone! I am have recently opened an online store for babies and kids Small Steps Eco Store, featuring Organic, Natural and Handmade Items with a focus on items made in Canada and also made by my fellow WAHMs! I am based in Saskatoon, SK and work mostly out of my house although I do help out at my Son's dayhome two days a week. I love being able to be at home with him and watch him grow up, he will turn three next weekend (OMG)! Along with running the site I also create some of my products and work in collaboration with Anna from Immogens Garden (on Etsy). I am so thankful to work with Anna she is an amazing Artisan and I am very privileged to work with her and carry her products on my site. As well I carry the Bare Organics bodycare line which are truly amazing products for your children especially those with any skin troubles. Another great line that I carry is the Bambu line of Organic bamboo bowls and utensils for your little ones a great alternative to plastic! I am very passionate about researching for the latest, safest and modern products for your children and I spend a great deal of time doing that in the hopes to provide you with products that are unique and of an exceptional quality. I have some new exciting things coming up in the next few months and can't wait to share them with you! I am also in the process of moving my store out of my bedroom and into the office we have just finished renovating for my store. So on that note I must get back to work have a great day!