Name: Jennifer Sweeney
Business: Cutie Pies Custom Creations
URL: http//:www.CutePiesCustomCreations.com

1.) Tell us a little about your business, what do you do? I design & create custom cards for all occasions, ie birthday invitations, holiday cards, thank yous, birth announcements, etc. & also personalized stationery items like notepads, labels, note cards & more.

2.) What made you decide to start a home business? I had left teaching to stay at home w/my boys & was looking for a way to supplement our income from home so that I could work around their schedule.

3) Where is your home office located? All over, lol! I have a dedicated office space in our finished basement, but I don’t work from there that often. I can usually be found working on my laptop at my desk in the kitchen/dining area.

4.) Are there any books that you consider to be must-reads for moms wanting to start a similar business? No, most of the reading I have done has been in the form of online articles & forums.

5.) What do you love most about being a work-at-home-mom? Hands down, being able to work from the comfort of home -- the ability to contribute much needed income to our family while still being home w/my kids.

6.) What has been your biggest challenge as a Wahm? BALANCE!

7.) As a Wahm, how do you balance your home business and family life? This is the biggest challenge...my main work time has always been during the kids' naptime & after they go to bed, though I also log in hours during the day as well. I have been working this year to establish a better balance... to cut back hours on the weekends, to take some time for myself every so often (b/c my "free" time has been work for the last few years!) & to stick to specific work hours as much as possible.

8.) What advice do you have for other moms who want to work from home? Find something you are interested in/develop a niche...establish work hours and a dedicated work space. Expect that it can be challenging to maintain a balance when you work from home, and that its not for everyone.

9.) What 1 thing do you do daily to stay focused and keep your business moving forward? I am the queen of to-do lists. I create a new post it almost daily that I keep on my workboard to remind me of what my focus for the day needs to be, and in what order I should prioritize them.

10.) What tasks in your business do you outsource? Not much! I have a wonderful mother in law who does help me package up orders & prepare for shipping, not to mention make endless PO runs for me.

11.) Other than word-of-mouth marketing, what would you say has been your best method of marketing or getting the word out about your business? WOM has really been the best source of marketing for me. I depend on repeat customers & referrals! In addition to that, I would say SEO tactics to drive traffic to the website.

12.) What have you done this week to promote your business? I have posted on my blog, Facebook, & twitter to promote my new holiday items.

13.) Describe your ideal client/the perfect referral. My idea client is one who is friendly & appreciative of my time and also at times my family obligations/schedule. As my boys have gotten older, I have found I am doing even more juggling & as my business as also grown, I am grateful for customers who respect that while my family comes first, I am providing the best & most efficient service I can.

14.) What is your #1 business success tip? Treat your customers the way you would want to be treated. Good customer service is a must!

15.) What are your business goals for this year and how are you planning to achieve them? In this economy, I have had to revise business goals, but my goal is to do everything I can to maintain monthly sales averages.

16.) What’s the best decision you’ve ever made for your business? Taking the leap to get it started!

17.) If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently? I can't think of anything I would necessarily change --- I have learned A LOT along the way, sometimes from mistakes, some just with experience, but I feel like those experiences were necessary in order to make the changes I have.

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