It’s important to enjoy what you do for work, and if you can have fun while doing it – even better.  For Gail and Stacey Rogers, work is not only enjoyable, but it truly is fun. In fact, making sure others are having fun is in the job description!

The mother and daughter team own Toys with Love in Chester, New Jersey.  Says Gail, “It’s not just a place for parents and gift givers to shop; it’s a place for kids to come and have fun.” The store’s business is booming – later this year they plan to move to a larger location across the street to expand their product selection.

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Christmas is days away. Have you sent those gifts yet? Don’t worry — you’re not alone in procrastinating. That’s why your friends here at Compass have come up with a chart for the last shipping days to guarantee delivery by December 25, and it covers all of our services.

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As a little girl, I remember being jealous watching my friend, Samantha, color on the sidewalk. It may sound silly, but the fact that she could create works of art out of chalk and cement always drove me nuts. Why did my portrayal of a puppy end up looking like a pot-bellied pig while hers looked like it could get up and fetch a tennis ball?

Fortunately, we are way past those days now. Instead of chalk, she uses her computer. And instead of dogs, she creates incredible wedding invitations. Samantha has grown up to be an amazing graphic artist with a growing business in the wedding industry.

This fall, Martha Stewart will launch “American Made”, a celebration of American artisans and entrepreneurs presented in partnership with The UPS Store. Awards will be given to the top 10 rising stars in Food, Fashion, Design, Community, Gardening, Crafts and Technology.  Martha’s team is still looking for a final recipient to honor, so if you know a creative individual or small business owner that you’d like to have recognized, nominate them for the Audience Choice award by August 25^th.

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Being the immigrant of a traditional blue collar European family, I had a first-hand glimpse into the challenges of motherhood. My mother played a very important role in our household, supporting the family at home as well as providing for us financially. She worked a regular job, and together with my father planned for our future. My mother taught me the value of hard work—displaying the spirit, commitment, and work ethic of a true entrepreneur.

In Canada, these inspiring “mompreneurs” are more than just a growing demographic. Statistics Canada recently estimated that women account for 80% of new business owners, and a large percentage of these women are mothers. And a study by the Calgary Mompreneur Networking Group recently noted that many mompreneurs are under the age of 40. This means that they have young families, and as any parent of a young family knows, finding time to streamline business processes (or for just about anything else for that matter) is never easy.

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There is a famous Southern joke which goes something like this…

Question:  Why do Southern guys go to family reunions?
Answer: To meet chicks.

Being a Southerner from Mississippi I suppose I should be offended by this, but the former banker in me says that besides meeting chicks, enjoying great home cooking like fried chicken, hush puppies (not the shoes) and black-eyed peas (not the singing group, although I do listen to them), there is another very important reason for going to family reunions….money!

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Online business owners encounter a number of challenges, particularly when trying to compete with bigger, more established organizations. Keeping up with the competition requires time, dedication and of course, money.

Small business owner and operator of SwedeMom.com and The SwedeMom eBay^® store, Cami Nyquist, sells collectables and one-of-a-kind gifts. From home décor to hair accessories, toys to tchotchkes, SwedeMom offers an array of items for countless collectors.

To keep her customers happy and to help her business grow, Nyquist needs access to cash to keep her online store stocked. Instead of tapping into her personal finances, she turns to Kabbage, a company that offers quick and simple cash advances to e-commerce entrepreneurs. 

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Meet Jill Salzman, mompreneur extraordinaire. She’s the founder of The Founding Moms, a local monthly meeting where mom entrepreneurs can connect and learn from one another. She is also the author of the book “Found It: A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs.”

We first met Jill following the Mom Biz Retreat in Chicago earlier this year. She provided copies of her book to all attendees. Once we connected with her after the event, we quickly learned that Jill has actually been a customer of her local The UPS Store since 2009!

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Starting a small business takes a lot of work. From developing a business plan, raising capital, inventing new technologies, applying for loans, searching for office space, negotiating with suppliers to finding potential customers – it can all be overwhelming.

Small business accelerators can help.  One such program is MassChallenge, a nonprofit organization assisting budding entrepreneurs gain access to resources and financing. The program starts with an annual competition; the top 125 finalists enter a 3-month accelerator program in Boston, where they have access to free office space, mentors, educational programs and legal support. Following the accelerator stage, the top 10 finalists share $1 million in cash awards to keep their businesses growing.

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