Babe Ease Giveaway!

Babe Ease Clean Shopper in Funny Farm

We are so excited to introduce the newest member of the Maddy Rose Boutique family...Babe Ease! Babe Ease designs fabulous washable shopping cart covers, high chair covers, bibs, burp cloths, and more! Visit our site today at http://www.maddyroseboutique.com/ to learn how you can be entered to win a FREE Babe Ease product - no purchase necessary! For more great savings check out the entire Babe Ease line! All products are 15% off! xoxo Suzi

Advice for Bucks County Courier Times & Philly Burbs Readers

Happy (rainy) Wednesday!

I must thank everybody who has visited our boutique after learning about us through the Bucks County Courier Times and Philly Burbs! We've received a tremendous amount of community support for our little business - thank you all for your kind words and encouragement!

Lots of people have reached out to ask me, "How do you do it? How can I start my own online business?" While I cannot promise miracles, I can share my experiences and offer advice based on what has worked for me! Below, please find an article I've written to help you along your own special journey...

So, you want to start your own, Internet business...you don't even have to explain your reasoning to me...as a mom, I get it! If you're reading this, you're probably wondering, "How on earth do I even get started?" Well, I'm happy to say it's probably much easier than you think!

The first thing you need to do is find something you are passionate about. I sell items for parents and tots because I am passionate about motherhood, children, and all of the fun things that go with the two! If I hated children, my business would never work. Why, you ask? Because I honestly wouldn't care about my products, my customers (or "friends", as I call them), and I certainly wouldn't care about their satisfaction! So, dig deep within your soul to find something you love - then brainstorm to think of creative ways to differentiate yourself from other businesses that may be similar.

Once you've decided what to sell, get your tush over to www.merchantmoms.com! Merchant Moms is an online community of about 1,200 business owners - most of them are moms (and dads) just like us! Merchant Moms offers everything you need to run a successful online business. I could go on and on raving about them (and I will if you want to give me a call for more information), but, here are my favorite features of Merchant Moms that I think could benefit most of us:

• Everything is done from one place. Your website itself, shopping cart, and email account all come from Merchant Moms.
• The customer support at Merchant Moms is incredible! They will help you set up your cart for free, and have administrators available at the drop of a dime to help you with any question you could ever think of!
• There is a free online support group for you to chat with other moms and dads. This forum offers a wide variety of help topics such as finding good wholesalers, sharing marketing ideas, and offering HTML advice (this is a brief summary - they offer help on just about everything to be honest with you).
• You don't need to know HTML to operate a website via Merchant Moms! The platform is definitely friendly for those of us with absolutely no programming experience. However, if you do have HTML experience, it is very simple to use your own code when updating your website as well.
• The price cannot be beat! I've heard horror stories of people paying ridiculous amounts of money just to keep their business online - those high prices did not include services like email, a shopping cart, and 24 hour access to help via a forum like the one established on Merchant Moms.
• You are never alone at Merchant Moms! Many of the business owners you will meet there are in the same boat as you - trying to run a successful online business from home to help provide for their families! I can't tell you how much fabulous advice I've received from other mothers, just like you and me!
• Merchant Moms also recommends other moms who can help increase your business productivity at a very reasonable cost! For instance, I found my site designer there, a designer/vendor list there, and a writer to help me with site content to help increase my Google ratings. In fact, this blog you are reading was designed by another Merchant Mom! The best part? All of these services have been incredibly affordable. By affordable, I'm talking $100 and under. You could spend more for work that is more customized than what I ordered, but in general, none of the recommended vendors through Merchant Moms are going to break your bank account!

My next bit of advice would be to go to school. I know, no grown woman or man wants to go to school - Lord knows I didn't! But, even just a few business classes geared towards entrepreneurs can help! I fully realize the thought of taking night classes may sound overwhelming and impossible when raising families, etc. But, I can assure you, it's not impossible! I did it, and you can too! Where did I go to school? Well, I'm glad you asked! I enrolled in the Accelerated Degree program at Holy Family University in Philadelphia. This particular program is geared towards people just like me - the working adult who has priorities outside of the classroom. I opted to go for a full BS from Holy Family, and it is with great pride that I tell you I am graduating this summer! Is a college degree necessary to get your business started? Of course not - in fact, some of the wisest and most successful entrepreneurs I've met did not graduate from college. But for me, college gave me the confidence I needed to really believe in myself, my business concept, etc. It also gave my business sense a foundation that I will utilize for the rest of my life. For instance, I know how to interact with my designers and "friends" in a professional manner. I'm not afraid to speak publicly because I obtained those necessary skills at Holy Family. Was college a sacrifice for me and my family? Definitely! Do I feel it was worth the sacrifice? Without a doubt! If anything, it is important to note that, should you ever apply for a small business loan, one of the first questions on that bank application will be, "Are you a college graduate?" How great will it feel to be able to proudly check, "Yes!" on that questionnaire?

Finally, and this is most critical, you need to believe in yourself! You know you can do this, and I know you can too! Trust me, if I listened to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who told me my business idea was a joke, I'd be sitting her miserably wondering, "What if?" What if I didn't follow my dreams? What if I didn't just give it a shot? Sounds pretty depressing to me! Life is too short to wonder what if! If I didn't follow my dreams, I'd never have a successful business named after my daughter (how cool is that?)! If I wondered what if, I never would have had the courage to swallow my pride and go back to college as an adult - now, I'm so proud to be earning my degree at a time when my daughter is old enough to realize exactly what I accomplished! I've set two examples for both of my children: 1) You're never too old to get your degree; 2) Follow your dreams! Who cares what anybody else thinks? If you believe in yourself, you've won half the battle!

Oh!!! I forgot to mention one key element! You DO NOT have to be rich, or make a huge investment, to make your online business succeed! In fact, when I started my business, I paid less than $100 to get the ball rolling. That includes the cost I paid for a professional designer to work on my site and the cost of the first month's worth of e-commerce solutions from Merchant Moms! Personally, I would avoid people who offer instant success *if* you make a financial investment. My own thought is that you're not working for yourself - you're paying *them* and helping them fulfill their dreams while you're now out a significant amount of money!

You may be wondering if success came to me overnight - surely it did not. My business has only been open for six months, and I spent the first four months crying and praying, wondering if my business was nothing short of a failed dream. But, with persistence, it is paying off, and with a lot of work and dedication, it can for you too!

I hope this helps some! If you have any questions or could just use some guidance, you are welcome to email me at suzi@maddyroseboutique.com. I'm all about helping moms achieve their goals and would be happy to help in anyway!

God bless, and thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

Suzi

www.maddyroseboutique.com

25% off all KidKraft Products

Large Play Kitchen by KidKraft

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You know, St. Patrick's Day is so different for me as an adult than it was when I was a child! Growing up in an Italian/Scottish/everything BUT Irish household, I never really gave St. Patrick's Day a second thought. In fact, I think I was the only kid on the block who never wore green to school!

As the mama of two Irish children, St. Patrick's Day has taken on a whole new meaning! The kids just so happened to get their report cards today, and thank God, the holiday was not sabatoged by bad grades! Maddy got straight A's (don't ask how that child does it - she certainly didn't get her smarts from me)! Nick did very well as well with a B average in all of his classes.

Anyway, we told the kids we'd do whatever they want to celebrate their fabulous report cards - we were thinking Friendly's for their favorite meals and ice cream. As if! Instead, they requested corned beef and cabbage (something I clearly cannot make) so we called the local diner for takeout! I'm so glad the day ended on a high note - it certainly didn't begin that way! Nick cried all morning that it wasn't fair he had to attend school on St. Patrick's Day. In fact, the little bugger actually tricked me and told me they had off today for the holiday! I didn't *remember* seeing that on the calendar, but they do attend Catholic School in a predominantly Irish parish, so I honestly thought he was telling the truth and I somehow overlooked this on the school calendar! Needless to say I wasn't pleased when I checked the calendar and realized he not only had school, but report cards today as well...

At Maddy Rose Boutique we have been CRAZY busy!!! I'm so thrilled with the success of our little business, and I am so grateful to all of you for supporting me on this journey! I have spent the last few months going through a wide range of emotions - I've shed lots of tears, bruised my knees from praying, and recently, have enjoyed the benefits of my hard work.

One such benefit is an article that will be published tomorrow in the Bucks County Courier Times! I'm so excited to introduce my business to the Philadelphia suburbs, and Maddy and Nick are absolutely thrilled their pictures will be in the local newspaper (Nick asked if it would make him rich...that boy is a pistol)!

So, I have to tell you about the FABULOUS new lines we are offering! As you can see on our home page, we are offering 25% off our entire KidKraft collection! This line is so fun! I've wanted to offer KidKraft products for some time now, and I'm so glad we can finally offer this fabulous line to our friends! KidKraft is well known for their awesome toys and toddler beds and cots. The savings from our 25% off sale are absolutely huge - be sure to check it out today!

This week we also added an incredibly fun lines of t-shirts to our boutique. This super line is designed by Luna B. Tees. These personalized tees are available in a HUGE variety of styles. I can tell you first hand how fabulous the product quality is as I just received a t-shirt I requested for my nephew, Spencer's, first birthday. We got the Boys Personalized Tee and the quality is just wonderful. The shirt is super soft and the personalization is great (no iron-on decals here)! For the price of these personalized tees, the quality can't be beat. Talk about the perfect gift!

We will be incredibly busy over the next few weeks adding more upscale products to our chic little boutique! Visit our blog often to see what's new - you never know when a special promotion will pop up just for you!

xoxo

Suzi

www.maddyroseboutique.com

Free Pacifier Giveaway!

We are so excited about our "always a sale" program! Each week we're offering a sale on something unique that you won't find in any brick and mortar store. This week we're offering a free pacifier by Lots to Say Baby with the purchase of one our fabulous gift sets! This is the perfect time to check out our newest designer, Genny Sue! Genny Sue designs fabulous, boutique baby gift sets for the hip chick or cool little dude. This line is designed with fabulous quality in mind at a very reasonable price. Be sure to order your gift set today! On the home front something very strange has happened this week! I have suddenly become allergic to something in our house, and we can't figure out what it is! Even more strange, the allergy pills the doctor gave me aren't helping - I sneeze nonstop! Of course the kids think this is hilarious, but it's getting on my nerves! I go back to the allergist in two weeks for testing to see what the culprit is. I have a feeling it's Nick's bunny, Sunshine, but we'll see! Last week the kids had an art auction at school. This is always such a fun fundraiser! Each classroom works with a professional artist to make a one of a kind masterpiece, and the highest bidder gets to bring the class project home. Maddy's class made a fabulous set of ceramic plates. Last year I won the class project so this year I agreed to share the prize with the other parents in the class. So, we all went in and placed one winning bid, and then we each took home our child's plate. Maddy's is a Christmas plate decorated with beautiful ornaments - I love it! Nick's class made a combination ice bucket/plant holder. It's brown, and each kid painted a bug on it. I had to have it, so $250 later and I now am the proud owner of this fabulous piece of decor! It actually looks really cute in my living room - we have it on a stand so it's not just sitting on the floor! Time to get back to work. Thanks for stopping by and remember to make it a great day! xoxo Suzi

Diaper Bag Sale- Ends March 7th!

Hello!

This week has been full of adventures!

On Tuesday, Nick made his first Penance! I don't know what that boy was confessing, but he was in the confessional for so long that I almost interrupted and pulled him out! It was definitely a nail-biter, but he left smiling, which was a huge relief! He didn't tell me much - the only thing he said was he told Father he lied to his parents..."a lot!" He must have been pretty nervous - this morning his stomach was so upset that he had to stay home from school!

To the contrary, Maddy Rose is still refusing to miss a day of school! She's aiming for perfect attendance this year - in the midst of cold and flu season that's proven to be quite a challenge! One day I begged her to stay home, but she persevered and crawled to class. When she left for school I reminded her that being sent home by the school nurse did not count as an absense, but alas, the phone never rang. Thankfully, she had a snow day to catch up on her rest and just chill! I told her I'm forcing her to miss the first day of school next year to alleviate this stress!

So, what's new at Maddy Rose Boutique? Plenty!

First, I must draw your attention to the fabulous job Jen Meinking with Fingerprints Boutique did writing our "about us" page! She sent me a brief questionnaire, and I honestly felt like I was missing something. Well, today the "about us" page when live, and it reads like Jen's known me her entire life! Click here to check out Jen's fabulous work and learn a little more about me!

Also new this week, we've implemented our "always a sale" campaign! To kick things off, all diaper bags by Danielle Elizabeth and Baby Kaed are 15% off! These boutique diaper bags define high-end style, so be sure to check them out and get yours today!

That reminds me! I'm always wondering what items my "friends" would like to see go on sale! Have a suggestion? Send it my way at suzi@maddyroseboutique.com.

Thanks for stopping by - remember to think of Joannie and "Make it a great day!"

xoxo

Suzi