Great Startup Advice from Our Readers
July 31, 2008
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This week’s Startup Princess 2nd birthday contest ($100 in awesome biz development prizes) challenged our readers to share their best-ever startup business advice (their own or what they’ve been told).
Anita Campbell business guru of Small Biz Trends (185k feedreaders!) was asked to select the #1 “standout” startup advice from the comments we received, not an easy task because each one was so incredibly thoughtful! We included them in this post for you to enjoy. I was certainly inspired and reminded of a few things, perhaps you will be as well. The winning comment was… Read more
Contest! Tell us your Best Startup Business Advice and You could WIN $100 in Business Development Prizes
July 28, 2008
Our 2nd birthday month-long celebration brings another fun contest for you!! Here’s your chance to win some great business-related prizes. We want to hear your best ever Startup Business advice...either something someone told you or something you’ve learned as an entrepreneur. Contest will end Wednesday at 5pm and the best comment of the bunch will be determined by a couple of our fabulous Fairy Godmothers (sorry-no Startup Princess Fairy Godmothers may enter this week’s contest). Here’s what the winner will receive: Read more
How to Get Donations for Your Non-profit Charity or Financial Sponsors for Your Business
July 27, 2008
If you started your own non-profit it’s probably because you felt both passion and compassion for a particular deficit in the world of humanity. Whether it be developing after-school programs for high-risk kids, animal shelters, safe houses for abused women, or a better life for destitute orphans, YOU know your cause is worthy and special. You are committed to making a stable organization, largely funded by sponsors. Here’s some strategies I’ve learned after running a non-profit for the past few years Read more
Meet Debbie Savage, Founder of Baby Emi
July 24, 2008
Like so many other mom entrepreneurs Debbie Savage knew she wanted to stay home once she had children. As a creative outlet and to help supplement her husband’s income she founded Baby Emi. Baby Emi, (formerly Baby Emi Jewelry), was inspired by Debbie’s first daughter and also by her Cambodian heritage. As a Cambodian tradition, ba
bies are given jewelry as a welcoming gift. Great tradition, right? Debbie channeled this special tradition and her love for making bracelets and anklets for her daughters into a company that has received much well deserved national recognition in magazines, blogs and also with celebrities!
Baby Emi offers Cambodian jingle bells anklets in and recently added hand-stamped precious metals collection. The Mommy and Me bracelets are just adorable and popular with celebrities. Debbie got A-list celebs interested in her products by participating in gift baskets for new Hollywood Moms. She told us once that she had a gift all ready for Angelina Jolie’s gift a couple of yea
rs ago with her kids’ names on a bracelet and then she had to scramble and add another name to the bracelet when she learned Angelina had adopted another child. I guess it’s time for Angelina to wear bracelets on both arms, huh? 
She says that setting aside marketing budget for gifting celebrities has been a great way for her to get better exposure for her company.
Visit the press link of the site to see all the magazines that have featured Baby Emi jewelry. It’s a pretty impressive resume considering Baby Emi was started only a few years ago as a way for Debbie to work from home. Congratulations Debbie!
Enjoy Meeting Startup Princess Debbie Savage, Founder of Baby Emi!
Name: Debbie Svay Savage
Hometown: Sandy, UT
Current Residence(City, State): Aliso Viejo, CA
Education: Brigham Yo
ung University - B.S., Family Consumer Science; Utah State University, M.S., Community Health Education
Professional Background: Cancer Control Specialist, American Cancer Society, San Fernando Valley Unit, CA. Educated children and adults on cancer prevention through nutrition, physical activity and remaining tobacco free.
What you wanted to be when you grew up: Miss America and Whitney Houston!
What you are: A proud mother of two beautiful girls! Emmeline Sanary (Emi) who is 4 1/2 years and Chloe who is 2 years.
Brief Summary of your Start Up: When I became a mother it was important to me to stay at home. I also wanted to run a home business to supplement our income and use as an outlet for my creativity. It was important for me to discover a business opportunity that I am passionate about and that I could pass onto my children. It was the birth of my eldest daughter Emi (who we named the business after) and my Cambodian culture of baby jewelry gift giving that my business dream emerged. With my husband’s help we run this successful business together. We specialize in creating exquisite personalized bracelets for the stylish baby and fashion forward family. And proud to offer our Jingle Bells Anklet a traditional piece of Cambodian jewelry historically believed when worn by babies would ward off bad spirits for the modern mommy a must have for a peace of mind.
Company Website? www.babyemi.com
What inspired you? The birth of my daughter Emi and my culture’s tradition of baby jewelry gifting inspired me to start the biz to satisfy my love for jewelry and the sense of feeling glamorous wearing it. I had to share this joy with fellow mommies and their cute little ones and to honor my family who escaped Cambodia and came to American for peace and opportunity.
How long have you been in business? Our website launched in April 2006 a huge milestone event just week before Chloe was born.
How did you fund it? Personal finances.
Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? Yes, my friend and business partner Heather Ledeboer, Mom4Life
Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? StartupPrincess.com (yippee)
Current Business Challenge? Time and money! What’s new!?!
What are you doing about it? Watching every penny we spend by making sure that we make wise decisions for our business and investing all that we make back into the business. Also, I am doing my best managing my time. It is a hard task as any mother and home business owners wear many hats. When I start my day with a prayer and ask for wisdom to thoughtfully and successfully navigate my daily schedule I feel much more confident.
Favorite motivational quote: Oh, I have many and I want to share!
(1) If you want something you can’t just wish for it, you have to work for it.-Author Unknown
(2) Believe in Possibilities, Expect Success!-Author Unknown
(3) We find in life exactly what we put into it”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Family? Albert, my Handsome Husband, Emmeline (Emi) 4 ½ Years, Chloe 2 yrs
If so, how do you balance family and business? What a fun topic that I could talk about for hours on end. I realize that life and is journey of learning. Some days I really succeeded in balancing family and business and other days not so much. However, knowing that I am putting my girls first by working at home gives me a great sense of peace and satisfaction that keeps me motivated and moving forward.
Favorite book? Well, I am reading many at the moment such as The 4 - Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss, Dare to Discipline by Dr. James Dobson, God wants a Powerful People by Sheri Dew and How Full is Your Bucket, by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton, and Parenting with Love & Logic by Foster Cline and The Potentially Sane Mother’s Guide to Raising Young Children by Tamara A. Fackrell. All a work in progress!
What do you do to relax? Exercise and some good retail therapy helps a lot!
What do you want to change most about your world? I like to answer this question by saying that I want to instill in my children a sense of confidence, resiliency and integrity as they grow up in this beautiful but sometimes “saddening” world.
What are you most proud of? Without a doubt my girls! They are my best creations!!!
What advice would you like to offer other Startup Princesses? Follow your dreams and don’t give up. I know it sounds cliche but it is the simple truth. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because one step back is like taking two steps forward because you can learn from your mistakes and move forward with more wisdom and clarity.
Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? My husband! He fixes everything!
If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Diamonds baby! It is all about the ice!
This post was written by Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer
Winner for $75 Gift Certificate to Sarah Jane Studios is…
July 23, 2008
Hurray! We have a winner. I’m so glad I didn’t have to pick, there were so many fabulous comments and celebrations. The winning comment was Lucky #17. Find out who won a $75 gift certificate to Sarah Jane Studios and read her winning comment… Read more
Discover How a Blog Can Make you $10,000 a Month
July 23, 2008
If you have ever wondered how someone makes a six-figure income online using a blog, I have a video you just HAVE to watch. I just finished watching it myself and recommend it for any of you who wish to add a blog to your company site or build a stable income blogging. The video has great information for anyone wanting to increase their success, it’s been a blessing to us and I hope it will be to you; the video does include a sales pitch for a blogging course I loved and recommend along with our affiliate link. Watch the Video to learn how to make $10,000/month Blogging. Read more
How Hard is it to be Exceptional?
July 22, 2008
It’s impossible to find a great Business these days. Granted there are exceptions but overall I get the feeling that corporate America is seeking to do as little as possible while still achieving Read more
Tradevibes Increases Visibility for Startups
July 22, 2008
My name is Jaimie , and I was first introduced to the online community/social networking site, Tradevibes when I came across its sponsorship of the Women 2.0 Conference and Pitch 2008.
As I explored the site, I quickly realized TradeVibes’ unique appeal. I am excited about the great content, insightful discussion, and supportive community. You can share your opinions and discover cool new startups with just a few clicks. I value the opportunity to speak my mind, and TradeVibes is the perfect environment to do so. Community members give each other great feedback which I find useful to learn from. All in all, TradeVibes is a great forum for promoting startups and generating discussion.
In recent years, female entrepreneurship has made huge strides. Now, more than ever, we have the opportunity to share our experiences and contribute to the startup community. TradeVibes is an awesome opportunity to do just this. I encourage you to join and see for yourself!
Celebrate Your Startup Success and You Could Win $75 at Sarah Jane Studios
July 18, 2008
We know firsthand what it’s like to be a startup, at times it can be downright frustrating, so when there’s a reason to celebrate, we do it! We’re celebrating our 2nd Birthday this month. What are you celebrating? We invite you to enter our contest and comment Read more
Women Entrepreneurs Born with Secret Weapons for Online Marketing Success
July 16, 2008
Growth. What a beautiful word. We are all growing each and every day and our businesses grow right along with us. Women in business, though, have a unique edge, a secret weapon of sorts, that allows them to flourish and grow in times when maybe the economy isn’t so good Read more
