The Business Mums Network is holding their second annual Business Mums Conference in Melbourne, Australia, this weekend - July 12th and 13th. In a wonderful gesture of generosity and appreciation for what she gained from last year’s conference, Kylie Short from Tilda Virtual Services (and Business Mums member) kindly offered a Big Girls Boots Scholarship for someone deserving to attend the conference.
In a similarly generous statement, Lucie Battaini from MultimediART also paid another member to help her to be able to attend this weekend’s conference.
I think these two ladies have demonstrated wonderful acts of generosity and I know the recipients of their gifts are incredibly grateful.
In another act of generosity, I checked my mail today to discover a lovely gift - a bottle of wine from Mandy Stevens of Direct Digital. This was a ‘thank you’ gift for something I helped Mandy with last week - something that was very simple for me to do and really didn’t require any form of payment or thanks. Receiving the gift has really made my day (and will be very much enjoyed!) - THANK YOU! And yes, Mandy is also a Business Mum.
I recently found out that one of my long-term clients nominated me for Australia’s prestigious 2008 Telstra Business Woman of the Year Awards.
When I look back over some of the amazing women who have won this award in previous years, I can’t begin to imagine that I would win it. However I am over the moon by the fact that someone else thinks I deserve it.
I am truly honoured to be nominated. This, to me, is a reassurance that I’m doing things right and an encouragement for me to continue helping others to successfully establish and manage their own business.
For anyone whose business caters to Mother’s Day, I’m sure you are all set for this special day by now, having planned your promotions and special offers some time ago.
Did you ever wonder when the concept of Mother’s Day began? Apparently this day originates from Britain during the 17th Century. It was a day when servants and apprentices were allowed to travel home to see their mothers, usually taking a gift with them. The day became known as Mothering Day. If you would like to know more, read all about The Meaning of Mother’s Day at My New Shiny Shoes - it gives you all the facts and makes for an interesting read.
Here’s a great article I thought you might like - Being Grateful. This was written by Sharon Clark for her Dreaming Miracles website. When you read this, keep in mind that Sharon’s husband was recently diagnosed with Cancer so they’re facing a pretty rough time. Yet Sharon & Colin, most days, still share a positive energy, love and optimism with everyone around them.
I know sometimes, when my day doesn’t seem to be going that well, I can turn it around just by changing my attitude. This often begins by being grateful for the little things… the good things. This helps take the focus off the not-so-good things.
Next time you’re having a bad day at work, think about the good things related to your work - perhaps the flexibility, the pay, the benefits or the fact that you get to go home soon! If you’re having trouble balancing work and family responsibilities, start by being grateful that you have a family and that you have work. If you’re really stuck for ideas, be thankful that you’re breathing - that’s always a good start!
Right now, I am grateful to you for reading this post
Thank you Sharon, for reminding us to appreciate the little things; the things we often overlook.
I know many of you are going to love this - whether you’re male or female, it makes for very interesting reading.
This article, the 1943 Guide to Hiring Women, was printed in the September/October 2007 edition of Savvy & Sage. I am so glad we’ve come a long way since then!
Okay, I know I’m a bit late with this, but better late than never, right?
My friend, Ingrid Cliff from Heart Harmony, put together this video to share her tips for setting New Year’s Resolutions, infused with Ingrid’s personal style. Enjoy!
Recently I met Karin Bryer who runs Global Innovations. One of the products she supplies is this PORTAnoteBOOK (as well as PORTA-Books). This nifty gadget is ideal for resting your laptop on and has many benefits including being ergonomically friendly and helping to increase airflow (thus reducing the heat build up). Plus, it has built in storage space.
At such an affordable price I know I’ll be getting one.
Have a look at this video for more info or visit Karin’s site.
One of the Business Forums I’m a member of, Business Mums Network, have an optional Ornament Exchange each Christmas. It’s like a Secret Santa where all participants send a small gift of a Christmas ornament to another participant.
My received gift for Christmas 2007 is this exquisite hand-stitched ornament from Bernadette at the Needlework Boutique. My Mum and sisters all enjoy stitching so I truly appreciate the work that Bernadette has put into this (and feel quite lazy for buying my recipient’s gift from a shop!) I’ve taken a close-up photo to show you however I don’t think any photo will show all the intricate detail nor do it justice.
Thank you Bernadette.
For those of you who are into needlework, the Needlework Boutique is full of everything you need. If you hurry, Bernadette is having a huge New Year sale that ends soon.
Anne at My Day Off is this week hosting a fantastic All Women Blogging Carnival, with lots of great posts about pets, health and beauty, money, shopping, family and heaps more.
Blogging carnivals can be a fantastic way of ‘meeting’ more bloggers, attracting visitors to your site and building worthwhile relationships, not to mention learning about all manner of things! Best of all, there are carnivals to suit everyone - business, craft, women, pets, various hobbies and special interests.
So what are you waiting for? Start searching the blogosphere to find carnivals that you can participate in.
If you’re like me, you often go out of your way to help your clients, particularly those who have been loyal to you over the years.
One of my friends and business associates, Ingrid Cliff from Heart Harmony, certainly goes the extra mile for her clients and this Christmas was no exception. When one of Ingrid’s clients asked her to help them out “with a little job” for the local Christmas parade she willingly agreed… then she found out what this little job entailed!
Here is a photo of Ingrid aka Christmas Bon Bon. Good on you Ingrid, that truly is going the extra mile for your client
“Where the heart is willing it will find a thousand ways, but where it is unwilling it will find a thousand excuses,” Anonymous.
Next time you have an excuse for not doing something (or doing something perhaps), stop and think about why you’re really making excuses. Is it because you don’t want to do something and you’re trying to get out of it? If you really want something, you’ll find a way.
Here’s another video by Juliet Funt who presents great information with a humorous twist. This is her impression of a typical day… one I can certainly relate to!
I’ve just been looking at the blog for My New Shiny Shoes and wanted to share with you what a great place this is!
The site shares tips and information about various online shopping sites for men, women, gifts, jewellery, babies… they’ve pretty much got it covered. There are a few unusual items and quirky gift ideas to be found too.
“Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.”
Zig Ziglar, Author and Speaker
Next time someone criticises you, think about their reasons. Are you over-reacting to their well-intentioned feedback? Is the criticism warranted? Are they just trying to make themselves feel better by attempting to bring you down? When people ‘take a bite out of your success,’ perhaps just send them some good wishes… wishes that they one day find their own success!
I am often asked how to send large files over the Internet as quite often there is a size limit or timeout limit on general email accounts, particularly if you are using a standard home-usage account.
I love two companies - Send This File and You Send It for this type of thing. Please note: I don’t get any commission for recommending these companies, I just do so because I love the service they provide.
They work much the same way. Basically, you select the file you want to send, click a couple of buttons, then your file is uploaded to a private area on their site and they will email a message with a download link to your selected recipient/s. The recipient of the file will receive this email saying that their file is ready for download; they click on the link and download the file. Easy!
This is fantastic when you have a file containing lots of high quality graphics, audios or videos.
You can sign up for a free account to trial both these companies and for many, the free account is all you’ll need. However if you find yourself wanting to use the service more and more, there are various upgrades that may be more suitable.
Check them out now… once you’ve tried them, you’ll use them wherever possible!
