Archive for the ‘Success’ Category

Maggie Chilton, Maxwell Designs

Location: British Columbia, Canada
Website: http://maxwelldesigns.ca
Twitter: maxwelldesigns
Facebook (Business): http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#group.php?gid=131891778493

The Entrepreneur Behind The Biz:
I am a stay at home mum of 2 wonderful energetic boys aged 1 & 2.5 years old. Formerly a Pastry Chef and Restaurant General Manager in Vancouver, B.C we moved to Terrace as a promotion for my partner Steve.
Whilst pregnant with my first son Maxwell I went on the look out for a diaper bag that wasn’t made of plastic or vinyl yet one that I could put in the wash and one that suit my personality – needless to say I couldn’t
find anything!! I set about making my own bag that I could use well after my need for a diaper bag had gone. I wanted a bag that didn’t scream “baby on board” so I played around with lots of fabrics and combinations. After making my first bag I was hooked and started making bags for craft fairs and farmers markets. Maxwell Designs was born!
The Biz:
Maxwell Designs is located in Terrace, B.C and now retails in stores across Canada including Huckleberry Baby Shop in Nanaimo to the Green Collection in Ontario to Go Green Baby in Maryland, U.S.A. We have even sold as far as Ireland and South Korea.
Why we shone a spotlight on it:
Maxwell Designs creates eye catching and eco-friendly diaper bags that are totally unique to you! you choose your fabric (Over 65 fabric choices!!) and how you want you bag and they make it for you. All of their bags are hand made here in Canada using only the best quality hemp and with such an eye for detail you will be blown away!
Their designs are awesome and because of that Maxwell Designs has been specially selected to be a part of this year’s Oscar Swag Bag!

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Know an Entrepreneur who deserves a Spotlight? (Maybe you??) Let us know!

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noel! Whatever you’re celebrating right now, we wish you all the best!!

We will be officially closed for the holidays from December 24th through to January 10th; but of course will be back with our usual pizazz from that day forward!

This is our last post of 2009! Crazy how time has flown by and with such great things that have transpired in the past 365 days, we know that 2010 is going to be even better!!

We have HUGE HUGE news in the beginning of the new year that will see Foundation Studio becoming more involved in the small business industry; we have new clients that we are excited to tell you about and loads of awesome events that are set to kick off in January! Keep your eyes open for a new website, expert bloggers and even better content!

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A huge thank you to everyone who helped Foundation Studio get to this point – we certainly could not have done it without you!

A great big high-five goes out to all the Treasure Trove Companies – Our “little” Companies got a LOT of great exposure!

And to YOU; Foundation Studio Readers.. Thank you so very much for your replies, your input and most of all your willingness to keep receiving our posts – I promise you, 2010 will be full of fun, informative and exciting happenings!

Cheers to a great holiday, good eats and plenty of fun with family and friends!

‘Til 2010….

Ariane

Howdy!! I hope you are having a good October so far!! It’s pretty crazy to think that September went by that quickly!

October is usually the time when tradeshows, expos and craft fairs start to gear up for their busy season (the holiday season!!).

I have been privvy to some good show times over my past few years in business – I have been a vendor in small craft shows, medium consumer shows and even a HUGE weekend show that boasted over 80,000 attendees!!

I have learned TONS along the way about booth setups, ease in preparation and take down, time management tricks (to keep you occupied during your “slow” times) and even small tidbits that you didn’t even think of… zip tie anyone?!?!

Throughout all the times I have been prepping for shows, one thing remained the same – my “Booth Kit”. My booth kit has been my savior over and over again and even yesterday – when I was at my first show of the season, I actually inspired a few other vendors to create their own booth kit too.. I was setup in about 15 minutes and when I was done, I was out in 5 minutes flat!

The Checklist is loaded with tons of things to pack in your kit (as seen in the pic here) and guarantees that you will never be left without anything for a successful tradeshow ever again!!

I have The Checklist stuffed inside a clear sheet protector, taped to the inside of the cover of a medium rubber tote. Once filled, I throw the lid back on the tote and stick it inside my suitcase on wheels (with extending handle). All my small stuff fits neatly into the tote and then my bigger stuff fits into the suitcase and I zipp’er up and I’m good to go!

Yesterday’s show was a fabulous event that we sponsored; Stilettos & Sneakers.

Produced by Talk of the Town Events, Stilettos & Sneakers was a day long event that showcased a plethora of services that benefit the women of my town (Georgina). The turnout was amazing as women lined up at the entrance doors waiting to get in! The first 300 women were treated to a pretty cool bag filled with tons of swag and treats from all the vendors at the show!

There were mini makeovers, manicures, massages and even people getting their haircut on site! A fashion show and mini yoga classes could be found at various times throughout the day helping to keep attendees at the show for longer periods of time.

Foundation Studio was there showcasing it’s newest product (which I will have up online later this week!) and received great feedback! We had a raffle item that was donated by Jolie Mack Designs – a gorgeous pair of “Baroque Down” earrings – Our winner will be contacted tomorrow (I haven’t even unpacked the booth kit yet!)

Jennifer Anderson, CEO (Community Event Organiser) & Owner of Talk of the Town Events thought of everything when it came to entertaining the attendees – I can’t wait for her next event!

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I encourage you to download my booth kit checklist and get yourself duly prepped for your next tradeshow. Then drop me a line and let me know what your tips, tricks & tools for tradeshow success are. I’d love to hear them so that I can share them with everyone else and make this tradeshow season a success for everyone!

Cheers to a productive week!
Ariane

No-one likes to deal with a mess, and there a few worse messes than “boogie” nosed kids and unorganized businesses!!

The creators (Mindee & Julie) of “Boogie Wipes” have created a solution for both! Can you believe it? Fix your gnarly nose and your business at the same time?! It’s true!

Firstly, let me explain the nose issue…

“Boogie Wipes” are made with saline to dissolve boogies (mucus) caused by the common cold, allergies or otherwise booger-filled kid moments.  Extra soft and scented in Great Grape, Fresh Scent or Magic Menthol (for extra stuffy noses) Boogie Wipes are recommended by Pediatricians as a gentle, effective alternative to a dry tissue”

Mindee and Julie are extremely inventive and obviously can spot an idea a mile away – what a great example of re-purposing a resource – taking a simple tissue (which causes pain after numerous wipes) and saline spray (which is god awfully uncomfortable) and combining the two – genius!

The ladies have also made droves of people re-think their thoughts about small business. I know what you’re thinking “So has everyone these days” but this is different.

“Motherhood is bootcamp for running your own business” and it’s so true! We can of course expand that to include Dads as well.. so “Parenthood” is bootcamp…

The ladies point out that being a parent means that you have to be Courageous and Instinctual, have Stamina and Spirit, be Detailed and Organized and have loads of Patience and Flexibility - aren’t these the same characteristics that have been driven into your brain as an Entrepreneur?!

Mindee and Julie have gathered some of the best resources to help parents with their entrepreneurial journey and I am proud to say that Foundation Studio is now listed as one of their “Business of Being A Mom” resources in their category of Advertising and Design Brilliance!!

The resource list is well worth the read and has everything from PR, Manufacturing and Networking to Distribution and even Funding.

So grab a coffee, sit back, relax and get reading on how to get rid of the “boogies” in your life for good!!

Hope you’re having a great day!!
Ariane

I would like to express a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped me in  my quest to win The 2009 Mom Entrepreneur of the Year award!

The voting is now closed and at this point I do not know the outcome of the award. I do know that I was up against some pretty fabulous Moms; all of whom in my eyes have already won the title of Mom Entrepreneur of the Year!

I have made contact with quite a few of the nominees and will be showcasing their profiles and businesses on our very own Foundation Studio Spotlight in the coming months so please stay tuned!!

Again, a HUGE thank you for your support – it means so much to me to know that you are in my court!

Hope you’re having a great week!

Ariane

Happy September!

By now you should be back to school, back to work, back to reality :S Not always a good thing, but I personally like this time of year – almost like a fresh new page, you get to focus, you get to reconnect, you get down to business!

Last week, I wrote about a social media checklist, hopefully you had a chance to look them over and put them into action.. if not – check out the previous post to grab the checklists – getting your social media marketing methods into place..

This month, I have a ton of new stuff coming to fruition so it’s a great time to roll out a special!
Check out our partial Social Media portfolio and then Contact us today to get your Social Media Marketing in Gear.. and get your September Sales rolling..

September’s Social Media Mayhem Sale!

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Mike Samson, Twisted Sticker

Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Website: http://www.twistedsticker.com
Twitter: TwistedSticker
Facebook (Business): http://www.facebook.com/shmamberley?ref=nf#/group.php?gid=6375421897&ref=ts

The Entrepreneur Behind The Biz:
Having been in the label/barcode industry for 15+ years, circumstances allowed me the opportunity to launch Twisted Sticker initially focusing on our personalized labels. I am a work-from-home dad with a 10 year old son & 7 year old daughter. Twisted Sticker has now been going strong for over two years and I am very excited about the direction we’re going in.

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Twisted Sticker’s initial product offering was the personalized labels & iron ons. Sure, there are other companies offering a similar product but we wanted to change it up. My kids were never into the “cute & cuddly” designs so we wanted to offer something cool as an alternative. Many of the designs we offer are because of the kids’ input or input/suggestions from our customers. In addition to the personalized labels, we offer “business printing”. Many of the parents that were ordering the personalized labels started to ask if I can print other stickers & sizes etc. so we naturally started to offer a broader product range. We will shortly be launching an awesome new product line. The feedback we have had so far has been incredible and we are looking forward to being able to offer it on a regular basis starting August ‘09.

Why we shone a spotlight on it:
Twisted Sticker is a unique and fun company on an all round basis – offering 100% customisable stickers and labels, you are in charge of your order – right down to the color, quantity and even font styles. The customer service is bar none – Mike actually drove 2+ hours to deliver my order! I’m certainly not saying that you’ll get a personal delivery, but even throughout the entire design and order process, Mike stayed in contact with me to ensure that I was going to end up with a perfect end product!! Twisted Sticker regularly has customers supply their own designs, pictures or graphics and that’s one way they separate ourselves from other label/sticker companies. A happy customer contacted Mike recently with a testimonial that sums up who Twisted Sticker just perfectly…”Thank you for taking so much time to make it right. People like you are very rare these days. I think you are doing a great thing and I wish you the very best of luck.”

Know an Entrepreneur who deserves a Spotlight? (Maybe you??) Let us know!

I am so excited to announce a huge event that we have been planning for almost 2 years!

This idea started a long time ago and has sort of manifested itself over time. As you know, I am a HUGE fan and ultra-supporter of the Entrepreneur.

I also attend numerous trade shows throughout the year – all catering to different industries (Brides, Franchises, Parents, Car Lovers etc.) and noticed the one thing that was missing..

A show for people who want to start their own business.. I am excited to announce the launch of the…

This expo will focus on the ins and outs of starting a small (work from home) business.
The exhibitors fall under one or many of the following categories

Business Operations	Successful Mom Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship Consulting	Baby Care
Business Law & Regulations	Home Décor
Productivity & Work Flow	Fashion & Jewellery
Insurance	Toys & Games
Government Services	Food & Drink
Banking & Accounting	Organisation & Productivity
Marketing & Advertising	Consumer Services
Graphic Design & Web Development	Business Services
Networking	Gifts & Novelties
Media (Social & Traditional)	Fitness & Recreation
Work – Life Balance Consulting	Childcare & Education
Office Supply & Setup	Media & Publications

The Expo is scheduled for the end of October, so there is plenty of time to get your business idea out of your head and onto some paper – there will be plenty of experts on hand to speak to!

Currently we are busy securing more speakers, exhibitors and sponsors so that we can add to the Expo excitement!

We hope you will skip over to the Expo site and sign up for updates; news, sponsor and exhibitor additions, prizes and more!!

Attendance for the Expo is 100% FREE – but I do recommend that you pre-register as there will be tons of giveaways throughout the summer and fall leading up to the show as well as all throughout the Expo!

So mark your calendars, input it into your email schedule and make sure you attend – this is one show you DON’T want to miss!!!

Cheers to a great week so far!

Ariane

Happy Saturday!

There has been so much going on in the Foundation Studio World – it’s crazy! This is the first time I’ve had a chance to update you and for that I apologize.. I should’ve done it sooner.

1. The Savvy Mom Media Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award

As some of you know, last year I sponsored the Savvy Mom Media Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award, that was great! So many great women, so many great ideas – all wrapped into one spot!

This year, I have been nominated for the Award.. but, as with anything in small business, I cannot do it without your help!

The contest is a reader’s choice award – meaning YOUR SAY COUNTS – big time!

Over the course of the next few months (the contest ends in September), I will be asking you and reminding you to vote for me. A HUGE difference over other contests you’ve helped people win is that you only have to vote ONE TIME per email address. No need to remind yourself on a daily basis, you just have to vote one time and YOU are done.

My reminders will actually be to your friends.. I would love if you could send my profile along to your friends as I need their votes as well.. the more votes I get, the better my chances of winning..

So if you have 6 emails, use them! If you have 85 friends, (you know you have more! Especially on Facebook!) tell them.. I would love to win this year!!

You can cast your vote for me at http://www.momentrepreneuraward.ca/MomBio.aspx?momID=50

2. Everything Mom – Official Mom Influencer

So there is this awesome website called Everything Mom -  A great resource for moms to go and get feedback from other moms on everything under the sun – business, children, homeschooling, clothing, food, dieting, living, driving, breathing (see you name it, you can get advice on it!)

I have been officially named an Everything Mom – Mom Influencer -  What this means is that I am part of a trusted group of women who have been chosen to write about my “passion and expertise” – so of course, my main articles will be about small business and marketing..

Most of the information on my Everything Mom site will be different from here – more of a casual feel – Talking about the daily happenings of a owning a small business, working from home.. In fact, the title of my Everything Mom blog is:

Marvels & Mishaps of a Mom Entrepreneur – The Ups & Downs of Running a Biz With 2 Kids on My Lap!

Please drop by and check out not only my section of the site, but peruse the rest of it as well, it is definitely a resource worthy of your attention!

3. The Mabel’s Labels – FS Site Redesign Contest

Our winner was C. Stockwell from Vancouver – she was randomly chosen by using (random.org), her input towards our site redesign was extremely useful.

“1. The lime green is in too sharp of contrast to the brown background in #1 2. Better color balance in #2 3. The company name looks more professional in #2 4. The swirls around the company name in #1 make it difficult to read 5. The blue line separating the company name from the remainder of the site content cleans up and adds to the overall appearance of the page. 6. #2 has an overall clean, uncluttered, and welcoming feel to it.”

Thank you to everyone who entered; We had a ton of entries and I am very pleased with the results of the contest, I wish I had more gift certificates to give away.. stay tuned though, we have a few more giveaways coming up in the next little while!

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Ok, so I promise it won’t be so long before I drop you a line next time.. I’m actually working on a really cool series of interviews with “Dad”Preneurs.. so stay tuned for that – and if you know of someone who wants to be in our Spotlight let me know, if you know of a Dad who should be interviewed, let me know.. and I would LOVE to have your vote for the Savvy Mom Media Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award – Your support throught these past few months (and years) have been amazing!!!

Talk to you soon!

A

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Jolie Mack, Jolie Mack Jewelery Designs

Location: Vancouver, BC
Website: http://www.joliemack.com
Twitter: joliemackdotcom
Facebook (Business): Jolie Mack Custom Jewelery Designs

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The Entrepreneur Behind The Biz:
Having worked for many different companies in a wide range of genres, I realized that I could do lots of valuable things -from marketing to high paced bartending – but didn’t want to use those skills working for other people. One can never keep a entrepreneurial spirit at bay and so, after a long and hectic shift at the pub, I decided to throw in the hat and don a new one! How liberating (and scary and risky…)! I wanted a career that would keep me close to home, let me work with my hands, provide peace and solitude, and let me use all of my fancy skills: somewhere along my journey I attained the skill to design jewelery. Eureka! Designing is gratifying, creative and offers a level of freedom that I didn’t have with an employer, but there is lots of pressure to compete and my worldly skills are tested every single day!

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The Biz:
Jolie Mack Custom Jewelery Designs focuses on quality and unique design. Created at first to meet my style needs, it has remained a true labour of love and the designs created are personal and intimate. Not a single piece is “mass produced,” therefore creating pieces that are limited editions or totally exclusive. Fine Sterling Silver, 14k Gold Fill, crystal, vintage finds and heirloom trinkets are blended together to create the glittering treasures. JMD’s style can be best described as Casual Glam: pairing Swarovski chandeliers with a baby-t or mixing a sparkling necklace with vintage jeans. It’s a polished look and can be achieved by everyone only with the perfect accessories. Jolie Mack Designs‘ signature pieces have been featured at Vancouver Fashion Week, cat-walked down fashion runways, worn by local personalities, and have been auctioned to raise money for charity at selected prestigious events. Recently, Jolie Mack Designs has launched The Perfect Match: Bridesmaid glam made simple. It’s an all-in-one packaged concept designed to make bridal party jewelery as convenient as it is beautiful. Brides can pick the style, match the colour using an abundant Swarovski crystal palette and customize the jewelery to suit the individuals in their bridal party. From start to pretty finish, Jolie Mack Designs is one-of-a-kind, producing with passion fine fashion jewelery. Absolutely unique designs found on no one else but you!

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Why we shone a spotlight on it:
So Jolie gave me her reasons why I should’ve shone the FS Spotlight on her biz, and they were great – all the technical background, how she makes her pieces, paying attention to the tiny details, etc. But the real reason I chose to shine a Spotlight on Jolie Mack is.. well, have you looked at her stuff?! It is without a doubt some of the most extraordinary jewelery I have ever seen!

Alright, so it’s important that everything Jolie makes is made with care and attention. That she hand-files every wire end, and is very aware of the balance of the design, the way a piece hangs or lays, and the comfort of the piece. (But seriously, have you seen the Exclusive Collection?!) Jolie produces every design by hand, herself. Customer satisfaction, personalized communication and fair business practice are values that set Jolie Mack Designs apart from others. (Check out the Signature Collection!) These philosophies make her clients feel special, keep them going back and ultimately, add a bit more sparkle to the jewelery. (Don’t forget to stop by the Limited Collection!) I’m telling you flat out – if you don’t own a piece of Jolie Mack Designs – you have got to get some!

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Know an Entrepreneur who deserves a Spotlight? (Maybe you??) Let us know!