Laugh with me to the last degree to create the life you want.
Helpful People
To Market To Market
Aug 15th
I had approached my Aunt a few months back to see if she was interested in distributing her designer label in the markets in Brisbane. My Island Baby sells very successfully across a number of markets in Sydney. Although she gets approached almost weekly by other shops for wholesale opportunities at the moment her plan is to “Keep it Simple” with the business to remain within the family.
We did a bit of market research to see what markets would be the right ones for this product. We assessed their location, approximate thoroughfare, how regular the markets are held (weekly, once a month, once every four months) and what niche the market was in (lifestyle, farmers market, handicrafts, baby or trash&treasure). Over the last few months N, the girls and I went on little trips to see firsthand what kind of stalls each market had and whether the lable would fit nicely and sell. On Friday was trial number 1 and these are the results.
Friday night Brisbane Southbank Lifestyle Market.
This was our obvious first choice market as it is the main market in Brisbane and held every Friday night and weekend at the Southbank parklands. The benefits of this market are you only have to set up and pack up once as the stalls are locked down every night. An additional bonus is you do not have to supply your own stall. On the Friday the opening hours are 5pm and you can’t close before 10pm. It was a long and cold night. Kathy and my cousin Jess had carried all the stock up from Sydney and spent hours placing the clothes on new hangers. A Friday night crowd includes families going out to dinner but it was mostly young people hitting the town for drinks. There were a few prams around (who walks
My Island Baby
a baby around at 8pm on a cold night appeared a little bizarre) but there were no real buyers. To make things worse we were placed next to a little girls Fairy stall where everything was pink and glittery which did detract from our own little girls’ designer wear. The aim of the venture was to test it, find where to go and if we make enough money to buy dinner it would be a bonus. It was interesting to watch the dynamics of other stall owners.
I noted:
- You had the Fudge Lady who at $1 a piece was making a roaring trade (I actually bought $12 worth – for N of course). Packaged nicely and priced nicely for the market and thoroughfare.
- You had the badly dyed and faded Pink haired tough looking hippy. I have no idea what she sells but she looked kind of scary.
- The lotions and potions couple with their devoted yappy dog.
- The very businesslike aggressive swimwear designer who knows the trade of the market and will tell you if the night is a goer or a dud.
- The fairy little girls stall that is appropriately merchandised at a height for a little girl to run up begging mum and dad to buy the glittering wand.
By 9:30 all we had sold was a $5 hair clip.
As we were only booked in on the Friday we needed to pack up for the next day at the Mathilda markets. We were the only ones packing up. As we rolled the trolleys down to the car a bunch of tipsy older women oohhed and arhhed at the displays. We had a sale! No make that two! Two sales by some sweet tiddly ladies.
Conclusions
We are booked for a full Friday, Saturday and Sunday in a fortnight. Perhaps we will forgo the Friday night as except for saving time in setting up the Friday night crowds will probably not buy designer girls clothes. We will wait to see for next trial run.
Part 2 Mathilda Markets Tomorrow.
Catching up with the Mumpreneurs!
Aug 10th
When I moved from scientist into the start-up business world I spent some time managing the Queensland Government Ideas2Market workshops. The series of workshops were aimed at novice inventors or “backyard” entrepreneurs introducing them to new skills in starting up a business and selling their ideas. We covered sessions on feasibility, business planning, intellectual property, market research and entry strategies for start-ups, accessing funding, government grants and commercialisation. I met many wild and wonderful people wanting to make it big with their ideas and I confess I did become a bit sceptical by the magnitude of money and time it takes to take an idea to market especially in the science and technology industry. However one market that I failed to research five years ago was the exploding number of mummy entrepreneurs or mumpreneurs. And wow am I now very impressed!
So now I am a mum and still work in commercialisation and only now am I realising the huge market of mummy home businesses through social networking, online stores like Etsy and the complementary blogs that feed into it all – everyone self promoting, supporting each other, great attitudes and beautiful products to buy.
One mum who I plan to interview for this Blog is close to home. My Aunt Kathy owner and designer of My Island Baby.
Originally starting out with an ebay store, and the Sydney markets, her website was recently launched to showcase her current designs of babies and children wear. The designer clothes are created with a pacific island influence. You will find yourself imagining that you are floating in a tropical paradise on a white sandy beach. Pieces are handpicked that reflect good design backed by quality and functionality.
First time ever launched in Brisbane, come and visit us at the Mathilda Markets this Saturday. Entry is free at Brisbane Racecourse at Eagle Farm. My two girls will be modelling My Island Baby’s latest range and I will be there at the stall to learn firsthand what it is like to be a mummy entrepreneur.
I think I will start interviewing Mummy Entrepreneurs as a regular segment on my blog. What do you think?
Now if only I could come up with my new Idea.
Affirmations for the newly converted
Jul 27th
Right now I am trying to share my work with the Law of Attraction and positive Affirmations with N. Unfortunately N really doesn’t like his job. I know he wants his own business, house and better income but I know poor N is stuck in focusing his attention in lack, worry, fear and the victim mentality. It is hard to be positive and working on asking the universe for all the things I want when your partner is focusing on the lack and is not too happy about it. Now N is a man and would not be seen dead reading one of those positive attraction self help books so I am trying to give him some exercises to get him out of the lack as I am sure he is attracting bad luck and I want that to go away fast. Yesterday for instance he received a fine from the council for littering! $300 fine, money just thrown away!
So tonight I gave him this exercise:
- Think and remember how it felt when something wonderful happened. It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be making the girls laugh, or when Moana said da-da last week or even driving your favourite car (he is mechanic after all). Whatever it doesn’t matter.
- How does it make you feel?
- Now hold onto that feeling of good and swap that memory to the thing you want. That is what you do. Request to the universe what you want but keep holding onto that feeelling.
He did entertain me with giving it a go. I am no expert but I am hoping if I encourage him enough it will be a good start.
The workshop that started me on my journey to gain some control over my life was delivered by K and Dr Michael at ConnectwithSpirit, The Art of Manifesting Workshop. What I love about these manifesting and subsequent meditation classes are the anecdotal stories people have. I am a sucker for reading Just Life magazine at the supermarket register or the hairdresser so I am always fascinated to hear these real life stories which K and Dr Michael have and how spirit and the Law of Attraction has worked for them.
Also during my research into the blog sphere I found a beautiful website, Abundance Tapestry, Manifest Abundance With Creative Self Alignment. Evelyn has some lovely posts on abundance, tips on how to overcome mental focus and blockages and anecdotal stories which I love. Her vision board is there too. Her post 7 Jazzy Ideas To Making Affirmations FUN is something I think will also work with N. I think the make-believe mini exercises will work and I know he has images of cars for his business on his tool box and in the garage. Now we can work on the exercise above and have fun writing blank checks out.
I saw this viral YouTube video called Jessica’s Affirmation. I know it has gone around the internet lately but it will brighten up your day and if you ever need an affirmation boost just watch this.
Last note….however later on TV tonight despite my best efforts, when a voluptuous lady bounced onto screen, N commented on the lack of boobs and if the LOA exercise will attract bigger ones into his life. Jokingly he then wholeheartedly gave my little exercise ago with a silly grin while staring into the universe. Hmm maybe that boob job will come early after all.
Laugh with me to the Last Degree
Jul 20th
I have always been an advocate for personal networking in my career and I have countless stories of the old adage, “It’s who you know not what you know” working new opportunities for me. My foray into online social media was first introduced with an ICQ account somewhere in the late 1990’s before the Live Messenger was launched. Then I joined Facebook over three years ago just for keeping in contact with my friends and kept it separate to Linked-In for networking with work colleagues. But it was only last week that when I started to research the relaunch of my blog did I open accounts with Twitter and Dig. That is only the start of it and now my head is spinning with information streaming through the social media networks. How does anyone keep track of it all?
To try to focus back onto my blog and provide something of value without getting distracted by the barrage of continual news, spam, jokes and interest. I signed up with hundreds of other bloggers to take part in the 31-Day ProBlogger and the SITS girls The Secret to Success is Support Build a Better Blog Challenge. Perhaps by connecting to this forum all the Helpful People in my Vision Board will come forward to help me develop and grow my blog?
I won’t post each task but yesterday was Day 1 and I am already late with my homework.
The task was to develop an elevator pitch for your blog. A pitch is not something new to me in my day job as I work with scientist and entrepreneurs who need to pitch their ideas daily to find funding and support. So I have had a brainstorm and come up with three. What do you think?
- Laugh with me to the last degree to create the life you want.
- Laugh with me to the last degree to realise your dreams today.
- Laugh with me to the last degree and see the law of attraction in action.
The theme being that no matter where you are in life, nothing can really stop you from realising your drea. I have chosen laugh as besides from the fact I am known for a distintive laugh but life is funny and I hope to always bring warmth and humour into my posts.
As mentioned in my earlier posts, this blog is a resurrection of an old blog titled Ski with me to the last degree to raise awareness for bipolar disorder when I was raising money and awareness for the Bipolar Expedition (hence the url The Last Degree). However as that chapter has closed I wanted to keep the blog and domain name and resurrect it into something new that was current in my life. In the eighteen months since my bipolar blog, I gave birth to twin girls and turned 30 but what has given me a framework and inspiration to my blog is a vision board and a growing list of all my hearts desires. This blog aims to capture that journey of the law of attraction in action.
The Bipolar Expedition Blog
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