“Mummy’s Online!”

  For some people, it is happy memories that give birth to great brilliant ideas. This is the case with mum of two and owner of Oli B Designs, Justine.

Oli B Designs was born when around two years ago Justine was remembering just how much she loved the feel of her soft, chenille bedspread while away on holidays. Today, Justine runs Oli B Designs selling at markets and also through her online store. Oli B Designs offers individual, limited edition kids wear such as vintage chenille pants, swish shifts, funky bibs and plenty more.

For Justine, one of the biggest challenges in running Oli B Designs is distance, her business partner (and mum) lives on the East Coast of Australia, while she has just recently moved to the West Coast. In this situation, the web has become an invaluable business tool, with both email and SKYPE getting a regular workout.

However as well as keeping everyone connected, the web also gives both Justine and her customers flexibiility in doing business - customers can shop whenever and from wherever, which increases her customer base and sales, and also allows Justine to sew as the orders come in, rather than having to have products ready for a physical store.

Here are some of Justine’s tips for starting a business online:

• Choose something you are passionate about;
• Join a support network to share ideas and expriences;
• Don’t think that just because you are online sales will come to you - have a marketing strategy, and be active!

As well as running Oli B Designs, Justine also has a business blog at olibdesigns.blogspot.com and a personal mumspace at maxolismum.mumspace.net and uses the net for shopping and networking on discussion boards such as Business Mum and others. You can visit the Oli B Designs store at www.olibdesigns.com.au

 When Bridie first became a mother she found herself in a bit of a dillema - as a breastfeeding mum, the choice between the hideously huge zippered nursing shirt or just a regular tee that gave way to her "stretchmarked tum" saw her ducking around corners to allude the fashion police.

Nine years or so and three more boob-loving babies later, Haute Mama opened its doors in October 2006, featuring a line of Bridie’s favourite tried-and-tested breastfeeding gear as well as a huge range of organic baby skincare, carriers and slings.

As well as running her own successful online business, Bridie is also a frequent visitor of parenting forums, and is passionate about women accessing valuable and helpful information online. She believes that it is important not to set women, particularly mothers up for feelings of failure or to give them unrealistic expectations of their baby.

Here is Bridie’s advice to other mums online:

• Babies run on instinct, so let instinct be the compass that guides you mothering journey. Rely on that wisdom when the current "advice" doesn’t feel right.
• Google is a girls best friend! If you can’t find a product locally, chances are you’ll find it online and at the right price

Check out Haute Mama at www.hautemama.com.au and the Haute Mama blog at www.onehautemama.blogspot.com. You can also check out Bridie’s personal mumspace at www.onehautemama.mumspace.net.

Like so many other mothers, when Sarah’s daughter started school two years ago, she found herself trying to justify her purpose in life now that her child wasn’t at home. She felt like she needed more. So using her love of sewing and fabric, and with the support of her husband she started Quilt Fabric Delights, an online store specialising in beautiful fabrics, patterns and notions.

For Sarah, the internet was a vital tool in starting and maintaining her business. Not only does she run the business online, but it was also a means of researching, finding suppliers, advertising and networking. Even her biggest hurdle - finding an insurer that would insure a home-based business - was solved by getting online.

As well as run her business online, Sarah also has a personal blog that covers everything from family to business, and is also active on a number of forums, including The Business Mums Network .

Here are some of Sarah’s tips for other mums using the net:

• If you want to start your own business, make sure it is something that you are passionate about
• Visit other blogs for inspiration and to find out what’s happening within your market but make sure whatever you do is your own thing
• Being a business owner can sometimes be a little isolating - use the net to keep in touch with the outside world.

Visit Sarah’s blog at www.quiltfabricdelights.blogspot.com and check out Quilt Fabric Delights at www.quiltfabricdelights.com.au

For Monique, running one online business is not enough. She runs three.

As a 35-year-old mum to two gorgeous boys, aged 3 and 13 weeks (wow!), Monique first began That’s Art, an event organising and cake decorating business in 2002, which has been hugely successful through word of mouth. Her first online business project however was Bella Creations, which provides  beautiful and unique gifts for pregnant mums and and newborn babies.

When starting Bella Creations in 2004 as her first online business venture, Monique initially went into it with a business partner who ended up opting out, leaving her with a heavier work load, but more determination to keep the business running.

After successfully setting up Bella Creations online, Monique saw the opportunity for her other business to also be a success online, and as a result she is currently in the process of intergrating  That’s Art online and on top of that is also in the process of starting a third online business called Groovy As, offering unique and funky products for children from clothing to bedroom items.

With so much going on, for Monique the biggest struggle is just getting everything done every day. Despite this though, she prides herself on being a work at home mum and wouldn’t change it for the world. She loves having her little boys around her and is determined to keep them at home and not have to put them into childcare.

Here are Monique’s tips for other WAHMs:

• Just go with the flow!
• Don’t worry if you don’t reach your targets every day.
• Set priorities
• Accept help from family and friends - don’t be too proud to accept the offer.
• Remember to spend time with your children - that is the reason you wanted to work from home in the first place.

As well as running her online businesses, Monique is also a member of several support groups including the Business Mums Network, Real Mums and She-essence.

When Fiona’s little girl Airlie was born at 27+5 weeks gestation weighing just 861 grams, Fiona found herself searching for support, information, nappies, clothing - anything to help herself learn more about her little girl and what she was going through. When she was faced with a lack of online information, Moment by Moment was born.

Moment by Moment is an online service designed to provide information and family support services for parents and families of premature babies. In addition to this, Fiona also offers clothing and accessories for these tiny bubs, who more often than not can not even fit into dolls clothing. In developing moment by moment, Fiona has put together an extensive list of resources and information covering everything from the equipments premmie mums will need to organisations they can turn to for help and support. And by using an online platform to run this service, Fiona has the potential to support any premmie mum, anywhere in the world.

Moment by moment came out of something that was close to Fiona’s heart, but it didn’t come without its setbacks. As well as having problems trying to find premmie products in Australia, she also ran into problems when asking the banks for money, which is a common problem when starting a new business venture. However, she has managed to get Moment by Moment up and running, and available for any premmie mum who needs some information, accessories, or just some reassurance. At the same time, she has also built up two international relationships with UK company www.cuski.co.uk and also www.mytinyhands.com. She has also now become the exclusive Australian distributor for both these products - check out the Moment by Moment site to send her an email if you would like a wholesalers pack.

Fiona’s tips for success

• Protect your ideas - it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Get a confidentiality agreement in place and never give too much away.

You can check out Moment by Moment at www.momentbymoment.com.au, which also contains her business blog. She is also a member of the Business Mums Network and has a mumspace at www.momentbymoment.mumspace.net.

After giving birth to her second son in late 2005, Kelly Gough saw a need - to keep breastfeeding mums looking great. And so, after some careful research, Nuvo Maternity was born, offering breastfeeding mums stylish, high quality breastfeeding clothes from both Australian and overseas designers.

In order to be able to care for her children and work flexible hours, Kelly turned to the web, making Nuvo Maternity an online store, which allowed her to work late at night and early in the morning, and didn’t require her presence at a bricks and mortar store. She also found that an online store was a perfect option for the time poor mum.

Despite an online store being the best option for Nuvo Maternity, it did come with its problems After some hiccups and lengthy delays with her initial website designer, Kelly found that she had to bite the bullet and simply hire another designer, which turned out to be the right thing to do. Her new site is up and running (and looking fantastic) and her new web designer is great. According to Kelly, "it’s worth employing professionals!"

As well as running Nuvo Maternity online, Kelly has also found the net is a great place to find support. She is a member of several support groups such as the Business Mums Network and loves blogging on her mumspace other personal support sites such as Minti.

Kelly’s tips for getting online

• Don’t be put off by others and be scared to have a go. Trust your instincts and take the plunge.
• Contact relevant Government business agencies that can provide a lot of help with business planning resources with many free of charge or low cost.
• Get organised and make the most of your time - don’t stress if you don’t get everything done!
• Join social networks related to mums - working from home can often be very isolating so it is important to still get your social interaction with other mums - it keeps you sane!

To check out the range at Nuvo Maternity, go to www.nuvomaternity.com.au. You can also visit Kelly’s mumspace, or check out her Minti profile or look her up on the Business Mums Network.