mompreneur interview: happy panda

Thank you BizzieMommy.com for giving me the opportunity to tell your readers about Happy Panda and about me as a mompreneur. There are many great mompreneurs being interviewed on BizzieMommy.com and I really think I'm among a great group of women there. Check out the interviews in the right side column here.

An Interview with Posh Point of View

Please join me for an interview with Jen Hinton of Posh Point of View.

Why would you suggest a company get involved with product reviews?
I think that Posh Point of View reaches a wide demographic and I have loyal subscribers that are always interested in new products.

Why should they select you and your blog for their review?

I think a company should select my blog because I have an inviting blog and I encourage my readers to visit the company's website. I also am Co-founder to a social network for parents and always share great my great finds with our members.

Why did you want to start reviewing products?

I started reviewing products because as a new mother I personally was always looking for a true opinion on products and think I share great products with my readers.

What are the rates for your reviews?

I just ask that one product be sent in for review so that I can TRULY get a feel of the product.

Are there only certain types of products/services that you will review?

Not really, I usually review products that are mommy and baby friendly.

How important is your page rank or Alexa rating to the traffic my company would receive by doing a product review on your blog? The most important thing to me are my unique hits. I like to stay in a certain range and so far have be blessed and exceeded my goals each month.

Are there any other social medias that you use to promote my product?

Yes, I make sure to send out links to all of the contests sites when hosting a giveaway as well as twitter new posts. I also enter all of my giveaways on the events section of my social network which brings a lot of traffic to my site.

What type of feedback about my product can I expect from your review?

I always take the products I review and give feedback on all of the positive aspects of the product.

What sets your blog apart from others providing product reviews?

I set out to truly get the word about the products. I'm not in for any other reason than to share great products with other great women. I am a e-commerce store owner as well and know the importance of getting in to the right site for marketing.

What new promotion avenues can we expect in the future with Posh Point of View?

Posh Point of View is growing everyday and I plan on doing a lot more vcasts(vlogging) of my product reviews.

Thank you Pamela for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you!
Keep It Classy, Jen

Wordless Wednesday #24 - Panda in a TuTu

Halloween Treat

Still looking for a Halloween design for your little one? Crunchy Green Mom is hosting a little Halloween giveaway! Click here for details!

Win It!

For the Love of Baby is having a big party this month. You can win a little something from our product line too! For entry details click here.

Kreativ Blogger Awarded to Happy Panda

Thank you to Clarissa owner of  The Posh Preneur for awarding me the "Kreativ Blogger Award." The Rules.... list 6 things that make you happy then pass this award on to 6 people to make them happy!!!

1.) Processing orders!
2.) Designing new diaper cakes.
3.) Designing new graphics for our baby clothing.
4.) Receiving photos to add to our Happy Pandas page.
5.) The support and love of my family.
6.) Sleep - that makes me happy. lol

The 6 creative bloggers that I want to pass this award onto to make them happy are:

Christy from Shake The Salt
Jessica from Jessica Knows
Katja from Skimbaco Lifestyle
Phyllis from Baby Swags
Jenna from For The Love of Baby
Jeanne from Inside Out

Bullying in Business?

We have all heard about bullying on the playground but bullying in business? Sounds silly doesn't it? A situation recently occurred and it was handled but I realized when I woke up this morning that in fact I had been bullied. Surely I can't be the only one that this has happened to and what better way to bring attention to this than a blog post. For those of us who have products, we are at the mercy of those placing our products. Maybe it's a shop owner who is placing your items in a store and you feel like you are at their mercy. I'm pretty sure there are many other scenarios out there and I welcome you to blow off steam here. What can we do in these situations? If you look up bullying in the workplace you will find lots of information! Who knew that it carries into adulthood. Here are some suggestions by SHARP of how to handle the situation.
Take action by:
• Keeping a diary detailing the nature of the bullying (e.g., dates, times, places, what was said or done and who was present). And

•Obtaining copies of harassing / bullying paper trails; hold onto copies of documents that contradict the bully’s accusations against you (e.g., time sheets, audit reports, etc.).
Other actions:

•Expect the bully to deny and perhaps misconstrue your accusations; have a witness with you during any meetings with the bully; report the behavior to an appropriate person.

Do these suggestions apply for those of us working online? They don't seem applicable. What do you think?

Posh Point of View - Coming Soon!

Join me for an interview with review site owner Jen Hinton from Posh Point of View. Find out how she keeps it classy and why your products should be reviewed on her blog!

Baby Swags - Celebrity Basket Scoop & More

Meet Phyllis Pometta owner of Baby Swags! She will be appearing on the Today Show Friday morning at 7:05 am cst.
Let's jump right in and get to know what Phyllis can do for your company.

Why would you suggest a company get involved with gifting?

Gifting to celebrities is a great way to get your product into the public eye. It creates buzz worthy press, especially if your product was used by, or seen on or with a celebrity. Suddenly when a celebrity is carrying a new diaper bag that no one knows about, readers and fans suddenly want to find out who made it, where they can purchase it and how much it costs. We are a celebrity driven society and there is no better way to promote your business. The rewards can be quite grand if you don't just stop at an image. After a product has been spotted, take that wealth of information and use it to your advantage. You want to get that information out to your local media, start your own hype that so and so was photographed wearing your tee-shirt, tell family, friends, blog about it, just keep talking.

Why would should they select Baby Swags?

Baby Swags was started in 2006 after a gifting suite event I attended. When I returned home I kept thinking about all the work at home moms out there and how much money they invest in those types of gifting events. I wanted to do something for those that did not have a big time budget and I knew who was in my target market. It was those work at home moms that were just starting to brand their business and were looking for an out of the box type of exposure. After a little over 2 years, Baby Swags has become a well known celebrity gifting company that produces results. We have been able to get Thank You notes from many celebrities. We have had products shown and photographed on the bodies of celebrity babies and published in national celebrity magazines such as Star, In Touch, UsWeekly, People and more. We have established relationships with our celebrity connections and when a package is received, they know they are receiving products that are upscale, trendy and not mass produced, making them a little bit harder to find! The other quality I feel my company has is the personalized client services. With each product and client that I have the opportunity to work with, I treat them as if they are my only client. They are very important to me and I do get personally attached to them, and their product. I genuinely want them to have the success they dream about. I am honored to be a part of their journey.

What are the rates for your baskets?

Baby Swags target market are those companies that are starting out with limited budgets. There are many gifting companies out there and you can expect to pay anywhere from $250.00 and up depending on the event. We start out at $100.00 per gifting and it will go up depending on our specialized events. If we are gifting multiple celebrities at once, we will charge a higher inclusion fee.

What are the payment options you offer to your clients for inclusion in the various celebrity baskets?

I accept, Paypal, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, personal checks, business checks and money orders.

What services does this fee include?

With each gifting, we have a individual celebrity webpage that showcases each product, like shown here: http://www.babyswags.com/jolie-pitt2.htm

The main list of those gifted are here: http://www.babyswags.com/whos_been_swagged.htm. We include product descriptions, company names along with a 125x125 graphic button that links directly to the company's website for readers to place individual orders. In addition to that, we also write a press release mentioning again the description and company name and it is distributed. Clients are able to use the photo and press release for their own personal use as long as no changes are made without written consent.

What media sources do you utilize for press releases and other PR related items?

My primary source is PRWeb and I have a long list of other outlets that they get distributed at as well. I have built my own relationships with various editors and members of the media. Remember that we are only two years old and it does take time to gain the trust and worthiness of publishers and editors.

What type of feedback from celebrities or their representatives, do you receive about your baskets ?

We have received great feedback over the last two years. We had received a phone call from Brooke Burke to thank us for putting together a gift basket full of products that anyone could use and appreciate. We have heard from Jeff Gordon, Kevin James, Dayna Devon, and more and all had nothing but good things to say. We have even befriended a couple celebrities and/or their spouses. It's been a great, fun experience and I really could not do this without my extremely talented group of clients.

Besides celebrity gift baskets what other services does Baby Swags provide to clients?

Baby Swags offers press release writing and distribution, PR services, Product descriptions for new websites, and media/press kit production. We also work very close with a graphic designer who will provide web design and print design services for our clients.

Are you a one woman band or do you have help within the company?

At this moment I am running the show solo, however I have just recently decided that I do need help and have hired someone to be my other right hand. I am excited about that because it means I am getting one step closer to my business goal which is to take this company to the next level and have an office outside of my home.

What sets your company apart from other providing celebrity gift baskets?

Baby Swags is unique. I target one specific market and that is maternity and juvenile related products. I offer top of the line customer service to each an every one of my clients. When I am talking to them, it is just myself and them, and occasionally a 4 year old asking for a snack. That is the best part of working with me and my company is that it does not bother me one bit if your child is screaming in the background for a fruit snack or is having a mini-meltdown, it is nothing that I haven't been through myself. I am willing to work with my clients to make sure that they are happy. My success is their success.

What new promotion avenues can we expect in the future with Baby Swags?

We are gearing up for the holidays and will be doing a special holiday gifting. I have started to dabble into hosting internet radio interviews. I recently started to offer product reviews, giveaways and paid advertorials on the Baby Swags Blog, and in 2009, we have some fantastic press planned. We will also be exhibiting at the LA Baby Expo in Los Angeles on April 25 & 26, 2009 with a handful of our clients! It is truly an amazing ride and there is so much more in-store for the next year! http://babyswagspr.wordpress.com and www.babyswags.com

Thank you Phyllis for taking the time to inform more business owners about what your service can do for them.

Coming Soon!

Join me for an interview with Clarissa Nassar owner of The Posh Parent & Co. Clarissa has recently started a blog and she is going to "...take us along with her as she develops her new venture of "Celebrity Gifting" and other marketing and PR services that she wants to offer to other WAHM and fellow parentpreneurs who are just trying to get their little business off the ground! There is so much that goes into a social network as well, so she will also be taking us "behind-the-scenes" there as well!" - Clarissa Nassar

Clarissa knows the flip side of PR because she is a shop owner herself. She owns Tres Couture and her input will be an interesting read. Stay tuned....

Wordless Wednesday #23 - Ready For Halloween!

Stay Tuned for Baby Swags

I'm excited to bring you my first interview with the founder of Baby Swags Phyllis Pometta. What is Baby Swags? A public relations and celebrity marketing company that specializes in promoting pregnancy and juvenile products. Phyllis will place your product into the hands of celebrity moms, publishers, editors and various members of the media. Why should your business hire Baby Swags? Join me in finding out.