A Day in the Life of Planning Life

As a mompreneur, I tend to wear multiple hats with multiple outfits and multiple mindsets. I have to be doctor, counselor, disciplinarian, assistant, chauffeur, cook, and so much more as a mom. When I throw being an entrepreneur in the mix, it just gets even more interesting. I wanted to share a day in planning my life as a mompreneur to encourage - and perhaps entertain those who have made the choice to wear all of those hats along with me.

Kids Just Don't Understand

Will Smith came out with the song, "Parents Just Don't Understand" in 1988 (Yeah, I'm telling my age). The song was the new anthem of pre-teens like myself, and at times especially now, I think that my kids just don't understand. Case and point:

I'm over 40 okay? So when I'm in my work "zone," I'm in. My creative juices are flowing like crazy, spitting out genius like nobody's business. I mean, I'm amazing myself that this stuff is coming from my brain, and then it happens... "Ma!" The kids need me... now. So when I can finally turn back to my computer screen, I can't even remember my last thought. This awesome e-book that I was about to publish is gone, because I can't even remember what content I was going to share! They don't always understand how crucial it is for me to push through my hundred million ideas in my head to focus and develop just one. The idea of being balanced can be a challenge, but it is possible. Learning how to communicate boundaries and structure systems with even your children was one thing that I really found valuable, and it is a constant teachable moment with them, because as I grow, they grow. We're growing and planning together.

Adding To The Plate

As a single mompreneur who runs her business solo, the stress of it all can be so overwhelming that I have to just sit in my car just to get a breath in. It seems like everything and everyone needs me. No matter how I try to downsize and manage my tasks, I always end up adding something to the plate.

Someone asks for help on a project that is due... tomorrow. Now I love the opportunities to make money, so I usually just say 'yes.' And then I'm stressed all over the place trying to squeeze a new project onto my already full plate. My mindset is fixed to not passing up opportunities, because I need the experience and the money. And it's not their fault I said yes, but it doesn't make me feel any better about looking at my plate.

The Pressure

I don't know about anybody else, but as a mompreneur, I feel pressure. I feel pressure to be perfect as a virtual assistant and mom. Case and point: two months ago I had a deadline to get some tasks done for a client, and it just so happened to be the week my kids had activities out of the wahzoo. I was so stressed trying to be there to represent them, but make time to be the super VA that my client tends to believe that I am, and it was making me crazy. The pressure to be perfect had me all over the place, and it kept me from being 100 percent for either of them.

Planning Life

There is no planning life. But there is developing systems that can help make it easier. Life happens to us all, but as a mompreneur, we have to have endurance and seek balance. When you're trying to do it all - business and family, the stress can make you feel like you're not reaching the mark. And that leads me to my next point: Define your mark. Set goals. Set attainable goals for your business and your family. We all want to be superwomen who save the world in stilettos, but the truth is we have only 24 hours a day, and 4 of those are usually dedicated to sleep. What I have learned, and am learning, is to set small weekly goals - no more than 3 a week. There is nothing worse than setting goals that you don't achieve to make you feel like you're unaccomplished! Plan to succeed, plan to make the most out of your day, and plan to make the most out of your life.

Get your goal planning worksheet for free right here! GOAL PLANNING WORKSHEET

Need To Meet? Scheduling Software Can be a Lifesaver

Have you ever had so many meetings going on that you couldn't tell your left from your right, and you manage to overbook yourself? I know that has happened to me often, when I've forgotten to write an appointment down, logged the appointment on the wrong calendar date, or was in such a hurry that I didn't notate it at all. I realized that I needed some help, and I have been scouting for scheduling software that can be a lifesaver to my business, but also be cost effective to my budget.

I don't know if you've heard of Need to Meet, before. But it is a beta-mode software that can be a great tool for mompreneurs, especially those who have virtual teams. In my search, I decided to blog about it. The first thing I like about this software is that it's free. I love free stuff, and I love being able to manipulate new tools into my business toolbox to make my business run smoother.

Setting Up Your Meeting

Need to Meet is user-friendly. In a matter of a few steps, you can easily set up a meeting, add your team members and select several days and times. This is a great feature, in that, I know with my experience with working with event planners, they have a team of people who are always busy, and it gets challenging to schedule time for all members to chat virtually. The choices are easy for team members to select, and attendees get a customized URL to the meeting. Now, what I like about this, is that this helps keep tabs on your meeting set-ups, and who attended your meetings. If you have a transcriptionist for your meetings, this helps a great deal in getting things done more efficiently.

Sharing Your Meeting

Sending out meeting invitations can be tedious. With Need to Meet, you can send out your invitations either through Need to Meet, or conveniently through your own email platform. This is a great feature in that it helps to streamline your email management, and if you already have your team members in a folder, all correspondence from your invitations go directly to that folder. It helps to manage your meeting even better. You also will receive notifications from your team members when they answer your invitation.

Scheduling on Different Platforms

iPhones are today's new computers, and some apps still haven't caught on in being compatible with mobile devices. I live by my phone (although I don't have an iPhone), and I conduct a lot of business from my Wifi, so having this software that is compatible on mobile devices, even on Microsoft Outlook plug-in is an awesome feature. You can plan your meeting from your desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone, or Smartphone, quick and easy.

Running Your Meeting

Busy team members are often double-booked themselves, even when they are active in your online meeting. So, this software gives them the freedom to see all comments in one place. Now, if you have to have a one-on-one with a team member, there are privacy features available with the advanced plan that you can utilize to prevent other team members from seeing your comments with one team members. This can be handy when you have a co-facilitator and want to discuss agenda items a few minutes prior to the meeting, or to address some issues even during the meeting.

Manage My Calendar

Need to Meet does integrate with your calendar, for the appointments to automatically add to your calendar, and it also can serve as an admin to show your calendar with team members to show them which meeting you're interacting with at which time. When you have multiple teams, and in search of finding the right date and time to plan for your business, you will enjoy having this premium plan feature.

How Can This Help Me

This software is a great tool for most business owners. Wedding planners can use this when working with the Maid/Matron of Honor in planning events for the bride or working with vendors, PTA/PTO groups for planning executive board meetings and fundraiser activities, finance committees in planning budgets for your business model, and those in marketing working with clients on developing marketing strategies and campaigns. Just about anyone in business, profit or non-profit, can find this tool useful to streamlining order as well as providing great time management for their business. I'd love for you to try it, and share with me your opinion to using Need to Meet for your appointment scheduling.

Don't forget to download your virtual agenda planner tip sheet right here.

How to Plan Your Business Mompreneur Style

How many times have you tried to scratch your head to figure out how in the world are you going to have an important meeting, yet have a busy 3-year-old asking you what does the "Del" key do on your laptop - while two seconds away from touching it and deleting your entire project? Being a mompreneur can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be the end all of end all. You probably wish you could even schedule a play date while you work! I'm going to give some tips on how to plan your business, while working around your bubbly bundles of joy.

Tips You Can Use

1. Schedule during a time you know your child is about to wind down for nap or resource time. Planning a FB Live tutorial video, watching a webinar, chat session with a new client should be planned around the time when you know it is time for the kids to give you some free time. It can be quite difficult to share tips and tricks of the trade when you have baby screaming their head off in the background.

2. Schedule when you are most focused. The great wonders of online businesses is that you can be flexible with your work hours. If you're most alert at 5:00 am while the kids are still snuggling, find your quiet space to blog, create content, and pre-record your videos. It's not a good idea if you've gotten cottonhead around lunch time, and while the kiddos are eating, you're just looking for a cup of coffee and a place to zone out.

3. Network with other mompreneurs. Yes! Someone who shares your story. Someone who knows the challenge of trying to focus on writing your next blog article, while young "Cody" is asking you to come help him color because he's bored. Find a time and place where you can both meet up and let the kids play away while you take turns monitoring them, learning more about them and their business, and getting some work done at the same time. This leads up to tip number four.

4. Find local play date meetups. Trade time with sanity. Join groups that offer to watch your sweetface, while you go to the room up the hall to answer e-mails, make important calls, and host that next great lead generating webinar. You will be surprised how play date meetups can save you time and peace of mind, and build your revenue.

5. Make smart task planning choices. Let's face it, tips 1-4 may work some of the time, but may not be foolproof all of the time. The life of an entrepreneur is demanding, and being a mompreneur is unpredictable. So, choose to plan your tasks wisely. During the hours when the kids are fully-loaded with energy, it's not a great time to schedule a time to chat with a sponsor. Take this time to check and respond to emails, add dates and tasks to your calendar that you didn't have time to do yesterday, check your to-do list and check off things you've accomplished to energize your efforts.

6. Purchase and use a day planner. Make your life a little bit easier and organized with jotting things down. As a mompreneur, it is easy to forget things and overbook yourself. To prevent additional frustration, map it out. Leave room for the unexpected (like "Cody" putting a lego block in his nose, causing you to cancel your perfect 1:00 naptime his time, 1:00 your meeting time). Only add tasks that will be achievable. Don't plan so much, that you only get one thing accomplished, and feeling like your entire day was defeated.

Being a mompreneur can be rewarding. If you're choosing to raise the kiddos at home, but want to work to build a legacy for them, or if you're opting to build your business so that you can spend more time with your kids, where there is a will, there is a way.

CLICK HERE to get your resource list of child-friendly places where you can also have work time for you.

Planning Soon for a Wedding in June: Bride's Plans

On the last blog post, we talked about the immediate stages in planning a wedding quickly. This post is the follow up of planning a wedding soon. Now that you've gotten the basics taken care of (I hope so), now we're going to go into warped speed to get to the bride's plans and the groom's stand.

I hope that you took advantage of the free budget planner from the last blog. If not, there's still the opportunity to go and get it! It is a lifesaver and helps to guide you throughout this process of planning your wedding, whether it's soon in June or later in October. Most planners give you a checklist to plan your wedding at least one year in advance, but when he pops the question or she finally says "yes," you might want to go ahead and move fast forward ahead.

This blog post, we're going to wrap up everything neatly with a bow and cross all "t's" and dot all "i's". So here we go:

Perfect Planning

Alright, you have your maid or matron of honor in place, and it's her duty to get things kicked off and get your engagement or bridal shower on the roll. I suggest that elaborate planning is not the way to go. Nice restaurants where you can rent out rooms are a hit for quick planning. Another nice place is a convention or community center or even your place of worship. Make sure you're checking your budget, and communicating with your maid/matron of honor on how much you have to spend so that the vendor and venue research stays within the time and budget for your wedding.

The Perfect Dress

Have you been biting your nails in search of the perfect wedding dress? Stop biting and take into consideration these nifty tips that can help streamline your search just in the nick of time. Wedding dresses can be found on sales sites, yard sales, trade sites, consignment stores, as well as bridal shops that have discounted dresses. Your perfect dress doesn't have to be the most expensive thing in your budget. Remember, you have to live after the wedding! You want a dress that speaks to your personality and compliment you as well as the occasion. Keep checking and have a sketch in your mind or on paper of what you want and do thorough searches for what you'd like. Keep in mind also that you have minimal time for fittings and if dieting to get in your dress is on your to-do list, make sure you purchase your dress at least one size larger, because most retail or wholesale outlets run their dresses a size smaller.

Who's Coming

This has to be one of the most stressful checklist items for any wedding, whether you plan six months in advance or two years in advance. Guessing who's coming can be nerve-wrecking when you're working on a budget and with limited time. Your guest list plays a crucial role in your wedding planning because it determines how much food your caterer makes, the size of your venue, as well as how much to spend on miscellaneous items like plates, forks, drinkware as well as paper and stationery for invitations and programs. Narrow down your list by speaking with the groom and going over your budget. It's important that you keep that guide in front of you. If you both have a large family, have an intimate setting with the immediate family and friends, and plan a nice large get-together some time down the road that just serves as a reception or welcome to the newlyweds. You want to also make sure that you account for out-of-town guests and search for hotels, inns, and other accommodations for your guests. Make sure that you're being considerate of their budgets as well to come and share in your special day.

The Cake

The wedding cake is the next to most important checklist item to a bride. The groom may not care what the cake looks like, just as long as it tastes good, but even in that, there is a process to finding just the right cake. Take your time and shop around. Go to social media and post recommendations on cake decorators and bakers. Make sure that you have your amount on what you intend to spend on the cake, your colors, your designs, as well as how many you plan to feed. All of this information is a time saver when consulting with a cake vendor. Schedule at least two tasting appointments to make sure that it fits into your schedule as well as the vendor's. And one mistake some brides make is that they don't take someone with them. Have a second opinion! Your taste buds and your companion's taste buds may be different. You want the cake to please you - but remember your guests are eating it too. And this also goes for the caterers. Use these same tips when planning your menu and arrangements for your food for your reception, rehearsal dinner or special meals. (Click HERE for 10 questions to ask your cake baker. Courtesy of theknot.com)

Entertainment

Are you planning on having entertainment at your reception? What about the ceremony? Who is singing, dancing, speaking, etc.? Get these people in line early on, and make sure you provide them with an itinerary of your rehearsals as well as expectations of them. Some brides leave it up to their entertainment and vendors, and then have a headache on their big day because they didn't spell out the expectations clearly. If you're hiring a DJ, make sure you give them a song list or a list of what is not acceptable to play. Make it clear how the payment arrangements will be as well as time expectations on when they are to arrive, where they are to set up, what part of the service they are to play and when they can break down to leave.

Planning a wedding is work. There is no easy way to plan it, but it can be done with strategic planning and budgeting. A wedding in June doesn't have to be thrown together, or condensed. You can have the day of your dreams with the right mindset and goal to get it done. And remember, it's not all about the big day, but about sharing with those you love the special day of being one with your partner forever.

Planning Soon for a Wedding in June? Part 1

What?! He proposed on Valentine's day, and said he wants to get married in June? How? What? Who cares; let's do this! Now you're about to start stressing to plan a wedding in June - which, by the way, is four months away. How are you going to plan the wedding of your life in just four months?

Let me share with you some quick tips and a guide to help you through the rush. You've been planning this in your head ever since he first uttered those words, 'I love you.' Now, you've got to get a dress, choose a venue, hire a caterer, get Uncle Bob sober before the wedding, and convince your father that he's the one... Let's get started.

Get a Budget Plan

Planning a wedding, even when you plan ahead, can be stressful. But having a guide to help you along the way makes it less stressful. This blog post is going to be divided into two posts, so be sure to follow me and stay tuned for the next part, too.

First things, first. Create a budget. Make sure you know how much money you have before you start ordering Dom Perignon and a fondue fountain. Don't even calculate what you want. Just know how much money you have to plan your wedding. Remember, you still have to live after the big day.

One thing I stress to my clients, is that wedding planning doesn't have to be a bear. You don't have to have thousands of dollars to have a nice wedding, either. You just have to be resourceful, and smart in how you use what you have. Some of the basic parts to creating a budget include how much money you have, what you need, what you want, and then how much you think it's going to cost.

Next, you want to start pricing around and jotting these prices down, and see how they fit into your budget. This is not the end-all of wedding planning, but it gives you a nice picture of where your money is going, and what kind of ceremony you're going to have.

Hitting the Basics

Once you have the basic component, you want to move on to what to put on your budget. Discuss with your fiancé a place, time, date, and officiant. These are very important, and should be discussed together.

Decide on whether you want a large or small party. It's not mandatory; having a few witnesses can be just as classy and nice - it's your wedding, it's your choice. Start working on your guest list and your wedding party. The search is now on for a place for your wedding ceremony and reception. Today, most couples choose the economical approach and find a venue that can host both the ceremony and reception. It's best to do your research and find many options that can best suit what you want.

Check back with me week after next to get more tips on how to plan a wedding on the fly. Don't stress it more than you have to! Planning a quick wedding doesn't have to be chaotic or short-changed of being the event of your dreams. It is possible to create the dream.

Get your budget planner here.

Valentine's Day Quick Last-Minute Gifts

Bills do not take a vacation, neither do helping with the kids’ homework, or chauffeuring them from activity to activity. So when do you get time to just relax and have some adult fun? As a busy mom and entrepreneur, life gets hectic. But this Valentine’s Day, make it happen! Listed below are several ideas for gifts on the fly for Lover’s Day that will be romantic, yet won’t bust your budget.

 

Dinner for Two

Applebee’s is having Valentine’s Day meal special. Make plans to get two great meals in a relaxed atmosphere for under $20. And share appetizer over some much needed conversation time about everything except the kids and the bills. And don't forget they have a $5 off on your online orders if you'd like to chill at home with a little Applebee's www.applebees.com.

 

Love for the Weekend

Can’t seem to squeeze in the time on Tuesday? No worries! Check out Holly Johnson's "Seven Cheap Romantic Getaways." for a nice one-on-one quick trip this weekend. And don't worry if you can't reserve any quick trip on the list! Take a look around your town or city. Book a hotel room and enjoy the museum, picnic at the park, take in your fave movie together that you've both been dying to see, go skating, bowling, or if you both are kids-at-heart, hit the arcade.

Men’s Quick Valentine’s Day Gift Cheat Sheet

Guys has Valentine’s Day snuck on you like a thief in the night, causing you to scratch your head and sweat bullets on what to get for your leading love? Are you one of those guys who loves your girl, but you’re not all that interactive with the love-day idea? Below I’m sharing some cheat sheet gift ideas on how to save your bacon and put a smile on her face, while keeping your comfort of not having to sit through another chick flick at the movies this year.

 

• Candy and flowers are still great quick-n-easy gifts, but how about going a little wild this year! How about surprising her with a spa day package. It’s great, because she can use it when she needs it, and what girl doesn’t like to be pampered?

 

• What is her favorite place to shop, but you just don’t have the money to let her go swipe-card crazy throughout the year? Surprise her with a nice gift card of $50 to her favorite store.

• Tomorrow is one day and you want to still be able to pay the bills for the rest of the month. Stick with your budget and be creative. Come up with many ways to say 'I love you.' Singing telegrams (do people still do these?), have a photo album of your greatest memories created for little or nothing, or frame a picture of one of your greatest memories together. Simple, yet so valuable!

Don't make this day about going broke. Make it memorable. Show your special someone that you love them everyday, but on tomorrow - go the extra mile. Take a 365-day trip back to 'I love you.'

 

Promoting Your Event With Social Media

Social Media has become an intricate part  that is woven into the fabric of  marketing and advertising. If you have a business, event, or ministry it is almost a faux pas if you don't have social media connected to it.

Social media is the marketing snapshot of the technological world we live in, and it is very important that you have it, not only to just have it, but to use it and use it wisely.

I want to share some tips on how to get the most out of social media for your events. First, if you are on Facebook, start an event page. This is an electronic invitation that you can use to reach many by saving dollars and time. The response measurement is also great. Once people accept your invitation, you can gauge how many you will have in attendance and feedback after your event has ended.

With an Facebook event page, you can customize your banner with your brand also, which makes it easier for invitees to recognize it and also share it with others. You can post reminders and also other things such as promo videos to bring awareness and encourage attendance to your event.

Another way you can use social media is with Pinterest. It is also good for promoting your event by designing a Pinterest pin where you can add solutions on how your event will solve problems for your attendees. You already know that pictures are worth a 1,000 words, and Pinterest pins can give wonderful snapshots of your brand to be used to attract people to your event.

And also Instagram is great for picture-perfect promotions of your event. If you aren't a graphic designer, hire one to design awesome pictures and ads to post to your Instagram page that can serve as your personal marketing coordinator to attendees and potential attendees.

Video media platforms such as Periscope and Blab are new to the social media scene that are the next "happening" for TV advertising and marketing. Use them to do one-on-one interviews and promos. These videos can also provide more information about who you are, why you're hosting the event, and what attendees can expect to gain from the event. Your attendees can receive a personal hello and invitation from you via video.

Using social media can do wonders for your event. Just posting the event on social media is not enough to garner a great attendance. You have to "market" the marketing tool. Use social media the same way you would use any other marketing platform. Purchasing ads or promoting your event page or Instagram ads are other ways to build attention to your event. But the whole "skinny" on this is your content. It is key to designing the best-seen pins and posts. Also target market research is necessary to ensure you are producing social media marketing ads that will be successful. You want to attract the right audience with the right content and the right graphics.

Another tip I want to give about using social media, is that posting once is not enough. You have encourage your audience with multiple "reminder" ads and posts. Start your marketing at least four weeks in advance and post "reminders" weekly to keep your brand and event before your audience.

I also suggest to use vibrant and eye-catching colors and legible fonts that will speak volumes to what your event is about and who you want to attend. Social media can help build great attendance by leaps and bounds if used properly. Social media can help you gain better relationships and networking opportunities from it as well. Don't count social media out if you are not a really tech-savvy person, yet you have a great event that you want to share with the world. Select platforms you are most comfortable with and utilize them to draw great attendees to your events, as well as use it to keep great records for your research and recap of your events. Social media can be your event's best friend!