Mommy Has to Work

How to Identify Partnerships That Benefit Your Business

June 15, 2022 By Anne

Identifying profitable partnerships is one of the best ways to build a successful business, especially for first-time entrepreneurs who have struggled to carve a wedge in their niche. Many businesses could be the answer, but even those that seem beneficial may end up burning you in the long run. As you must put your business first, you must understand the most effective ways to search for and pitch to a business that could help your company improve its standing.

Find Brands That Align With Your Values

Brand values are a significant indicator of whether a company is right for you when looking to establish a partnership. Many modern businesses prefer to highlight their values over their products, especially when you consider the trend of sustainable marketing.

Finding businesses that match your value, whether you want to be eco-friendly or charitable toward specific causes can help you cut out mismatched companies and avoid the signs of a bad business partnership that could damage your brand and reputation.

Avoid Brands That Waste Your Time

No one wants to work with companies that lead them on or never say what they really mean. As a small business, you don’t have time to chase agreements or collaboration, so it’s best to find companies ready and willing to help you and ensure you can give your customers the treatment they deserve.

This is as relevant when looking for instant quotes for freight shipping as it is for ordering supplies from your manufacturer. Time wasting is unappreciated in the business world, so it’s useful to know how to recognize red flags which could signify that your chosen company is not as dedicated to the collaboration as you are.

Look For Established Local Businesses

Often, small businesses needn’t look far to find appropriate partnerships. Seeking collaboration with established local enterprises can be mutually beneficial. The larger business lends a helping hand to your business, and you can encourage new customers to their business that would otherwise miss out on its service.

It’s also easier to contact local businesses rather than cold-calling larger brands that may be too far away. If you come from a small town or area, you’ll find that the sense of community is an integral element of finding success, and with the backing of local businesses, you can improve your standing.

Choose Complementing Companies

It’s no use working with companies that do not have some crossover for clients or customers. If you operate a vegan cafe, don’t work with businesses that serve meat products. Instead, look at retail businesses that develop repurposed products to reduce waste and – ideally – eliminate the cruelty element of fast fashion.

You may find that your business and partners have more in common than you think. This can boost your relationship and lead to a long-lasting partnership or shared workspace.

A Powerful Partnership

Although not all partnerships succeed, it is still worth considering your options to boost your profile. By knowing what you want from a partnership and identifying possible matches it is easier to enhance awareness, improve your reputation, and enhance your chances of success.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Cutting Costs When Inviting Family Round To Eat

June 6, 2022 By Anne

It is no secret that many people are struggling right now, and that growing living costs are putting a strain on many families’ family budgets. Food prices and rising energy costs make cooking, particularly entertaining, a potentially costly hobby. The good news is that, despite escalating prices, hosting a family lunch on a budget is achievable; you just need to know how to arrange it.

Photo by fauxels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-making-toast-3184183/

Here are some pointers to help you organize a family lunch on a budget while still eating well and having a wonderful time:

Get Rid Of The Takeout Menu

If ordering takeout is your typical method of entertaining friends, you are aware of how costly it can be. While ordering takeaway may appear to be an easy way to ensure that everyone gets to eat what they want, the cost can rapidly become overwhelming. You may have observed that the cost of ordering food has grown in recent months, so instead of ordering takeout, creating a menu and cooking dinner should be a more economical option. Of course, even a home-cooked lunch can be extremely expensive if you do not keep a tight watch on prices, but you will be able to spend significantly less if you carefully prepare your menu.

Keep Your Numbers Low

Inviting your entire family to dinner may seem like a fantastic idea and a great way to bring everyone together, but it may quickly spiral out of control. Creating a guest list and limiting your guests will help you keep your spending under control. When you have a large number of visitors to feed, it can be difficult to assess the amount of food you need and manage portion sizes. When catering to several guests, many people discover that they cook significantly more food than is required, resulting in food waste. Using a recipe such as macaroni salad recipe with egg can help you to learn how many guests can be fed while staying within budget.

Set A Budget

Setting a food budget and sticking to it is a sure-fire strategy to keep your expenditures under control. Thinking about how much you can afford to spend and breaking it up to pay for each course is an excellent approach to keep your expenditures in check. Shopping around for deals and special offers is a great way to get more food for your money. Don’t forget to include any extras which may cost more, such as drinks and snacks, when estimating your spending.

Don’t Do It All Yourself

If you generally say no when your guests offer to bring anything to a meal, now is the moment to change your tune. Inviting your friends to bring drinks, appetizers, or dessert is a great way to make your meal more reasonable and less expensive. You will be able to enjoy your family gathering without stressing about how much you are spending if the prices are maintained at a realistic level.

These tips should help you to keep costs down when you are hosting family or friends. Do you have any other tips that could help? Please share them in the comments below.

Anne

Different Approaches to Help You Put Your Wellness First

June 5, 2022 By Anne

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There is much more to health than just eating right and exercising; while these are important components, there is much more to it. There are several things we may do to ensure the health of our mind, body, and general well-being. As the epidemic fades into obscurity, it is evident how much we take for granted and how much we need to care for ourselves.

It is vital that we keep our mental health in check. However, depending on the difficulties we confront, it may be quite difficult. There may be childhood challenges and traumas that we need to confront and heal in order to go forward in our lives and be completely happy and fulfilled. While family and friend support is important, there are times when a professional viewpoint and a strategy are required to learn to deal with and move on. As a consequence, consulting with a therapist is the best alternative because they are fully certified and professionals in these fields.

Throughout your adult life, you may have tried numerous coping techniques, such as drugs and alcohol. These things can occasionally get out of hand, worsening the situation. Many people are unaware of a problem until their family and friends become worried and need to intervene. Fighting this needs the right help and expertise, but it’s a great first step toward prioritizing your health and taking care of your body. Attending a drug and alcohol treatment facility is the best way to cope with issues like these. You may even need to visit a sexual health clinic to ensure your sexual health is in good working order and get treatment if you need it.

The typical eating and exercise routine is essential, but many people do not adhere to it. It’s just a question of choosing to eat things from the earth, filling your plate with fruits and vegetables, and avoiding putting too much garbage or sugar into your body. Exercise is the same way; it’s the easy way out. The simple and lazy choice is to sit on the sofa; you must motivate yourself to get up, go for a run, or exercise.

Eating highly processed and high-fat meals is something we all know is bad for us, but it is nonetheless something that a lot of people do. It’s fine to indulge in pleasure now and then, but doing so on a regular basis might be harmful to your health. Eating from the ground is a nice habit to develop and a way to look at eating. Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. All of these are beneficial to your health; adequate nutrition may help you avoid disease, feel better, have cleaner and nicer skin, and help you achieve a healthy weight. If you usually eat pancakes for breakfast, add some fruit, honey, and almonds to make it healthy. If you enjoy sandwiches for lunch, add some veggies to it or have a salad on the side. You may be as inventive as you want and try a variety of new and exciting dishes.

Getting more exercise outside is an excellent habit to include in your daily routine. There are several advantages to spending time outside, particularly in nature. You may begin by just going for a walk during your lunch break, and then on weekends, you can head to a nearby park or nature reserve for a longer and more intensive stroll. After a while, if you enjoy it, you may transform it into hiking with a friend or loved one, which can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. It can help lower worry and tension, making you feel more clear and focused, and, of course, burn calories. If you do decide to do it on a regular basis and maybe go trekking, make sure you have the proper equipment. You should use hiking boots to keep your feet comfortable. In case you get lost, bring torches and a small first-aid kit. You might also consider using your interests to keep healthy because it is something you already like doing.

Meditation is another fantastic approach to caring for your mental health and conquering any anxieties or worries. Being aware and practicing meditation will assist you in thinking more clearly, as well as managing and combating any negative or negative emotions that may develop. There are various classes available for this, but if you aren’t ready, try an app. There are various free ones that provide mediation sessions as well as advice on how to be happy and tranquil.

Our lives are continuously in a state of flux. The epidemic may have slowed things down, but we’re always on the run, consuming stuff online, watching television, going to work, working side jobs, cleaning, and trying to keep up with everything else. It is vital to take time for yourself and walk away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It is time to prioritize yourself and your health.

We don’t think about learning new things, bettering ourselves, or what else we can accomplish when we graduate from school. Many of us go into a job and focus solely on it. However, by doing so, you are confining yourself to one work, and you may wind up being stuck in the position for a long time, feeling unhappy and confined. Look for ways to contribute to learning new things in your leisure time. You may accomplish this by taking an online course; there are several available for free online, and some even provide certifications. You may also look at books if you want to learn about crypto, a new language, or a new subject to eventually start a new job. It is never too late to start. Technology has given us so much, and there are apps that may aid us in various ways, such as Duolingo, which can help you learn a new language.

There are so many different ways we can help ourselves heal, feel better and grow as a person. It is important to remember to implement what we can and look after ourselves.

Anne

How To Make Sure Your Home Is Ready For Storm Season

June 5, 2022 By Anne

Keeping your house safe from natural catastrophes is likely to be one of your most important responsibilities.

If a hurricane is on its way, here are a few things you can do to ensure that your house is safe and secure.

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Review your insurance policy.

Your insurance coverage should cover the whole cost of rebuilding if your house is destroyed by a storm. The cost of reconstructing a house may be greater than what individuals think when they insure their home. Building costs are always on the rise, so you want to make sure you’ll have enough to rebuild.

Consider a flood insurance policy.

Many homeowners’ insurance plans cover damage from a hurricane, but not the subsequent floods that commonly follow the storm.

People’s houses were ruined by floods during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and many of them did not have insurance to cover the damage. Hurricanes are known for causing a lot of flooding.

Determine the value of your belongings

Every year, do a thorough inventory of your belongings and make a list of what has to be replaced and how much it is worth in the event of their being destroyed.

Seal and secure the roof.

The roof is where it all begins. Wind and water can do horrible things to a house if they come in via the roof, which is the largest possible aperture.

Make sure all of your roof’s shingles or tiles are in place and that none are missing or broken. Sealing the roof deck can cost an additional $500 or more if you are reroofing. This normally entails either applying waterproof tape to the roof’s seam or coating the entire roof with a waterproof membrane.

Clean the gutters

During storm season, clogged gutters may be a real nuisance. Leaves and other debris can accumulate in your gutters and cause rainwater to back up and run down the side of the house or even under the roof. Most homeowners know what gutters and downspouts are, but when it comes to other gutter-related terms, they may be at a loss. This handy gutter glossary will provide you with all you need to know about gutter terms and their definitions.

Taking a few minutes to check your gutters may go a long way toward preventing water damage.

Check your windows

Ideally, in a storm prone area, you will have impact windows for full protection, but if you have not, check the seals on the windows to ensure they will not let water or air in. It is important to keep in mind that seals might lose their strength over time, especially if the temperature warms up. When a storm comes, you may avoid costly damage to your house by taking the time to reseal your doors and windows.

Prepare a kit for emergencies.

This is a critical piece of advice that you must keep in mind. Make sure you always have an emergency supply kit on hand. Are you unsure of what to include in an emergency supply kit? Among the items you may want to consider are a radio with additional batteries, flashlights, dried food and water, bottled water, money, clothes, and important toiletries.

We have compiled a collection of important storm-season advice for you and your family. In the event of an emergency, keep this list handy and do not hesitate to call the appropriate hotlines.

Anne

Careers For The Animal Loves Out There

May 29, 2022 By Anne

If you’re looking to make a career change, then it’s always a good idea to think about not just your skills and aptitudes, but the passions that you have as well. For instance, if you’re one of those people who regularly look after animals, even rescuing them in your spare time, and you have a deep fondness for all kinds of creatures, then some of the careers below might make good use of that passion.

Image – CC0 License

Animal caretaker

The role of an animal caretaker is to ensure that animals are given the grooming and care that they need. This role typically finds work with shelters, pet stores, zoos, and any other places where animals are kept on a regular basis. Taking care of the animals, as well as their habitats, doesn’t require any education, but it is important that you have a genuine concern for the wellbeing of the animals you’re caring for and are able to handle animals of a wide variety since you’re not often dealing with just one type.

Pet sitter

If you want nothing more than to hang around with pets for work, then working as a pet sitter is one way to do just that. It’s not the highest paying job in this post, by any means, nor does it require any formal education, but some training in things like animal first aid from places like Pet Emergency Education and animal care training can help. As well as pet sitting on your own, you can do it as part of an agency or even within a doggy daycare or similar establishment.

Working in a vet’s office

If you want to do the most good for animals, then one of the best ways to do it is to help them get the care that they need. This means treating injuries, and illnesses, helping them get back to good health, or even providing end of care life. While working as a veterinary doctor can take a lot of education, taking a veterinary technician course at Rockford Career College can help you get a job in that environment much more quickly. Just be warned that you do need quite a strong stomach for it.

Working at an animal shelter

If you have that strong stomach, then you might want to consider the animals that need help the most. While animal shelters rely a lot on volunteers, they still typically have a few paid members of staff on hand to ensure that they are kept running and to give the animals there the care and attention that they deserve. This can include helping rescue animals from dangerous situations, rehabilitating them, feeding, walking, and grooming them, or even helping them find a home.

If you consider yourself an animal lover, then the jobs above could be just what you need. It’s important to remember, however, that working with animals is often challenging, and can even be a little dangerous. If you feel equipped to handle that, however, it might be worth thinking about these examples.