Inspirational Gift

I would like to introduce you to our next Ms. Biz, Elaine Stephen of Inspirational Gift Gallery.

Q: Tell me a little about your business (or businesses).

Elaine: I sell inspirational gift products that I truly believe express God’s word, Christ’s sacrifice and inspire us with messages of love, comfort and joy.

Q: What is your best selling product?

Elaine: Inspirational Jewelry.

Q: How did you come up with the name?

Elaine: I looked at keyword phrases that applied to the goal behind selling my gifts and how tough the competion would be for being listed at the top of the search engines.

Q: When and why did you start the business?

Elaine: I am a Christian woman who for many years dreamed of having a baby and starting my own business. Unfortunately, I never conceived and a brick and mortar retail store required more upfront investment than I had. Even if I did have a baby and a business, I wondered how I could give both a child and a business the attention they both needed at the same time? Finally, it was time to stop dreaming and wondering and start investigating. My mother always said, “God helps those who help themselves.”

My husband and I decided to adopt a child and I decided to start an online retail business. An online business offered low start up costs and the ability to work from home. As my husband and I created a profile for our adoption, I created a new business.

Through prayer to God and Jesus Christ for guidance and patience, my dreams came true. In November of 2002, I held my adopted son in my arms for the first time and my first web site was already profitable! My current web site, the Inspirational Gift Gallery, was published in 2005.

Q: What was the hardest part for you?

Elaine: Finding drop shippers of unique inspirational gifts and keeping my product offering up to date. I advertise on my web site for product submissions but must find the time to search online for and contact drop shippers of new and unique products as well. With almost 500 products offered from many different suppliers, I must set time aside to keep checking for temporariy out-of-stock, discontinued and new products as well as product price changes.

Q: What motivates you to keep going?

Elaine: Faith in the Lord that I am following the right path in my business and personal life to succeed at both and fullfill my dream. Hope for continued and greater success of my business. I pray for wisdom in the decisions I make for my business and how it compliments my personal life. Finally next to God and family my business has become my passion that strives to spread the words of our Lord and the love comfort and joy that belief in Him bestows upon us.

Q: Any advice for other women wanting to start their own business or ones who have just begun?

Elaine: The main ingredients are research, hard work, trial and error and don’t give up! I truly believe that God wants us to succeed. He simply asks us to plant the seeds of our business, harvest the grain that is available to our business, prepare the flour for our business, mix the dough in our business and bake the foundation of our business before we get to savor the bread of our business, which is our success!

Q: Tell me about you - hobbies, favorite things, etc.

Elaine: Taking pictures of my son, campfires at night in the summer, candle night at home in the winter, sewing and crafts projects. Some day I am going to find the time to make scrapbooks for each year of my son’s life, LOL!

Q: Do you have a discount you would like to offer the readers?

Elaine: I would love to offer a 10% coupon code to anyone who reads this article, visits my Inspirational Gift Gallery web site and chooses to place an order and spread a little Christian love, comfort and joy!

Enter the coupon code: IGGBLOG at check out.

Thank you, Elaine, for taking the time to answer our questions!

Beads of Hope

This week’s Ms. Biz is Staci of Beads of Hope!  Please stop by her site for some beautiful jewelry and to help raise money for Childhood Cancer Research.

Q: What kind of business do you have?  (what you sell, service provided, etc.)

Staci: I hand make beaded jewelry. Nothing is made until it is ordered.  Each piece is unique just like each child is unique.  Most of my jewelry is with meaning.  I love expression on jewelry.  I also have a lot of awareness jewelry that is perfect for gift giving.  My favorite bracelet is the “I’m worth it”  Made with Swarovski crystals and a message bead of faith. I wear that almost everyday.  It reminds me God has a plan and his plan is greater than mine.

Q: What is your best selling product?

Staci: My best seller would be the Continuous Hope necklace.  As we all have hope for the future no matter what we have been through or are going through there is hope.  It can be made in 18 different colors to represent a lot of different causes.

Q: How did you come up with the name?

Staci: God.  I woke up one morning after having a dream/vision.  Knew what to call the company, how to make everything, where to buy the products. God had everything laid out.

Q: When and why did you start your business(es)?

Staci: I started this business in January 2002.  However it has not been a top priority since Jakob’s health had to come first.  I have now made it my top priority.  I pray Jakob is on the mend and only going to get healthier.  If not I have wonderful friends that can help me now.  I started it after my son was born and prayed God to show me a way to bring awareness to how common childhood cancer was becoming.  This was his way.  Every woman loves jewelry.  Most have children or nieces, nephews, cousins.  So generally everyone can relate to the struggles of a child.

Q: What was the biggest obstacle you faced?

Staci: Managing a new baby, a son with hearing and speech problems and son still on chemo.  Resources of people that knew what to do & not to do so costly mistakes aren’t made.  Money!

Q: What motivates you to keep going?

Staci: My children.  If they can over come all the obstacles that they have in their short life, I can overcome mine and keep moving forward.

Q: Advice for other women wanting to start their own business or ones who are just beginning?

Staci: Seek out help first.  Get a mentor!  Don’t ever give up.  There are plenty of millionaires that went bankrupt before they made it.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Then jump in and enjoy the ride.

Q: What would you like for the readers to know about you?  (Your background, hobbies, the little things you find important, etc)

Staci: I have a wide background.  Family is the most important thing.  I love to go camping, swimming, travel and read when I get the chance which isn’t to often. Just enjoy each day and live it to the fullest.  Life is very short  Spend time with those special in your life. No matter what you are doing.

Q: Do you have a coupon code or special that you have going on or would like to offer to the readers?

Staci: They can receive 20% off their first order with coupon #FO2008.

Thank you, Staci, for being this week’s Ms. Biz!

MyMommysBracelets

This week’s Ms. Biz is Vanessa of MyMommysBracelets!  A great quote on Vanessa’s About Me page is: “Sometimes necessity opens doors to wonderful things!”  I think this quote summarizes the feelings of many work at home moms.

Q: What kind of business do you have?  (what you sell, service provided, etc.)

Vanessa: An upscale boutique that specializes in handcrafted, personalized jewelry for Mothers, Grandmothers, Little Girls, and Babies.

Q: What is your best selling product?

Vanessa: Personalized Mommy Bracelets

Q: How did you come up with the name?

Vanessa: My son did; he was 2 at the time.  Someone had commented about a bracelet I was wearing one day (one I had made that had his name on it) and he said “that’s my mommys bracelet.”  Who knew that soon after mymommysbracelets.com would be born!

Q: When and why did you start your business(es)?

Vanessa: For me, the decision to quit working as a nurse to be home with my premature son, brought with it the desire to start a work-at- home business.  While I knew I wanted to do something from home to bring in extra income, I wasn’t exactly sure what that ‘something’ was.  Then one day a friend showed me her amazing Mommy Bracelet and I fell in love with it! After thinking about it, I went online and researched how to make a similar bracelet for myself.  My first company mymommysbracelets.com was started around 4 years ago when I made my Mommy bracelet. I had so many compliments on it and many people were wanting one too! So, I decided that I would try to sell them on eBay. I had very limited jewelry design/making skills and decided that I would teach myself everything I could to turn this hobby into a business.  Here I am, 4 years later, and I have opened another business, Baby Girl Bracelets. Baby Girl Bracelets is also a jewelry boutique, but it
concentrates on children and even has a few baby gifts. Being a WAHM has given me the ability to stay home with my children and not miss a moment of their childhood.  That is important to me.

Q: What was the biggest obstacle you faced?

Vanessa: Juggling business and family, hands down.

Q: What motivates you to keep going?

Vanessa: My kids….they are my everything.

Q: Do you have any advice for other women wanting to start their own business?

Vanessa: Being a WAHM is a tough job. It takes lots of dedication and hard work. Success is within reach…it just may take a little time to get to it.

Q: What would you like for the readers to know about you?  (Your background, hobbies, the little things you find important, etc)

Vanessa: I have a wonderful and supportive husband of 9 years and 2 beautiful kiddos, 6 years and 2 years. I have been a nurse since 1995, but have not worked since my first child was born in 2002. I love being a nurse and miss it greatly. One day I will go back to work, but now probably part time since I have a new found passion.  My hobbies include scrapbooking/cardmaking, photography, reading whenever i get the chance (books aren’t always easy though, so it’s mostly magazines), cooking/baking, and spending time with my friends and family.

Q: Do you have a coupon code or special that you have going on or would like to offer to the readers?

Vanessa: During the month of May, save 10% on all orders over $50 using coupon code “FEATURE”. Not valid with any other special offers or coupons. Expires May 31 at midnight.  I always offer my customers FREE first class shipping to anywhere in the USA! I also offer flat rate international shipping for only $5!

Thank you, Vanessa!  Posting this feature has been a great way to end Mother’s Day!