Monday, February 28, 2011

Head down, tail up: time to research

Looking looking looking. Spent a couple hours this morning scouring the beauty counters of DJ's & Myer + exploring boutique beauty stores such as Mecca, Jurlique, Aveda etc to fuel my ideas. More to go including wellbeing and health food stores.

Magazines and books (natural beauty, gourmet food, nutrition, health & wellbeing) purchased to flick and chop up to help create a mood board.

The next few weeks will be filled desktop research then I'll update my biz plan.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

hurray! unique URL for my facebook page

20 mins later I finally work out how to get my personal page address. ie www.facebook.com/LUKbyCindyLuken.
Easiest thing was to 'Google' how to rather than try and find it in facebook help. Surely it is just not me that struggles to navigate my way around my profile (personal) & page (work) spaces.  *&^%$# what a time waster. 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Start up biz - 9 essential step. [well written advice article.]

biz startup steps  (click for link)

 Snapshot of the steps to get a little biz started. Resonated with me as what I have done and discussed below is covered. (BTW - found the link via Karen Gunton's...build a little biz FB news)

1. Find Your Why 2. Create A Business That’s Right for You. 3. Get Family Support 4. Build a Family-centric Calendar 5. Make a Schedule You Can Stick To6. Build a Realistic Budget 7. Have a Full Stomach8. Take a Break 9. Set Your Quitting Time

Monday, February 21, 2011

registered domains - tick

BTW - before making this info public I searched the brand name and registered the following:

www.lukbeautifood.com  via www.webeden.co.uk
www.lukbeautifood.com.au $12 pa  www.crazydomains.com.au in Australia
www.beautifood.com.au $12 ditto on above

I love food. I love beauty. I love beautiful things......

myBiz plan: stage 2 started: BRAND & PRODUCT

Woohoo looking good. (i hope you think so too!) Applying my philosophy of 'live what you love' to my biz plan to come up with my 'brand space & name'.  DIY pic & words.

click to go to live document: last 4 slides are new.


healthy body. healthy mind!

Kids & I are getting the hang of this ...took our 'drop off to pre-school' trainer wheels off this morning as I managed to get back to my 'kitchen bench' by 9.30am!

- before going we made fresh vege juice & muesli + yoghurt for breaky.
- now ..relaxing music in background. Latte in hand.
- yoga tonight at Yoganic after kids in bed.  (7pm lights out...I am the strict one!) 
- am loving my monday's.


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

my business plan - 3 more pages added

Got a bit enthusiastic tonight and 'had to' keep going on my biz plan after the kids crashed at 7.15pm and hubby still at work til 10.00pm. Wrote:
- what is my business strategy?
- what are my key business objectives?

link to WIP biz plan - pages 8,9 &10 just added.

live...stage 1 (WIP) of my Business Plan

First few pages has come together very easily - I sooooo know what I want the business to look like in terms of financial, operating & personal needs.  I will add a few diagrams next week....kids to pick up!

click here to see my WIP business plan > link to google documents

beginning my business plan today

Feeling brave & sufficiently organised to start my biz plan ......as I write the pages I will make them LIVE for you to see. Once again Google doc with the link on this site.

It will be simple and done on a slides. Will take a few weeks!

just added 'badges' or plug-ins' or what they are called to my blog

Driving your own social media sites with little time is not for the faint hearted! Set myself 10 min slot to work out how to ad facebook share and like symbols + a twitter badge. Tres pleased with self - see to the right please.  Not perfect but good enough for moi.

If you want to know how to do - just ask (skype me is easiest) as it is too hard to explain! 

Thursday, February 10, 2011

'bout time I create a social media strategy

Been dabbling with Blogger, Twitter, FB etc since Australia Day and after listening to that inspiring & informative webinar yesterday figured I should get a tad strategic. So here it is, a one page social media strategy. Follow the link and the doc is yours for viewing.....providing I have worked out how to use Google Docs!

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1-BX5YM9I1IkFkysatIvL9JQzEP9NVcePr07IkYkX58U

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

webinar...about to do my first

How the world has changed, about to attend a virtual seminar from the comfort of my home desk on 'building your profile using social media' by Smart Company - Suzie Dafis from Australian Buisnesswoman is speaking along with the Editor from Smart Co. 

Monday, February 7, 2011

starting to think about what my biz needs to do....

I have carried a piece of paper around with me since 1998 - it is part of a template by John Paul Getty for analysing business opportunities.

He says 'there are six points for business success'
  • a) be in business yourself
  • b) sell products that are in demand
  • c) give better service than your competitors
  • d) reward those who do the work
  • e) build your success on the success of others
He also says '4 things constitute the ideal business'
  • a) it makes money right away
  • b) it will develop a residual income
  • c) the business has room to expand
  • d) has access to goods and services with minimal stock holding
My aim is to create a business that will not only tick these boxes but others such as my 'style a life' needs - ie run on 15 child free hours pw, flexibiity. 

ps. tying the social media tools together

Figured it best to update 'My kitchen bench [blog], link entries to Facebook luk page and have Twitter auto-linked to Facebook. That's my 'quick & easy' call without researching it - will review this with time and experience - it is all so new to me.

getting organised

Seriously hard to wrap my head around using a diary again - have not had one in 5+ years!  Now have too many 'times' for my brain to cope with so it's in with the iCal (Apple) with a to do list on paper - much easier for me to jot and prioritise.

Here is a pdf of the what my week is looking like. There are lots more household / family things to add but at least I am starting to get a pattern together. There are a few rules & constraints:

- no grocery / food shopping with 2 kids
- lots of outdoor non appointment-type activities for kids
- daddy leaves before 7am, home anywhere after 6pm.........mon to fri.
- no cleaner, ironing lady or gardener til my biz is making money.


Made it....to my kitchen bench @10.30!

Starting up a biz is harder than I seem to remember and its got nothing to do with the biz itself. It's running the household...now I know why I love the term CHO - Chief Household Officer - well deserved title. I know every mother (or dad) does this but really: before 8.45am we manage to squeeze in: ironing (half basket), washing (1 load), milk in bed (kids) tea for me, book reading (to kids), shower, bed making (3), dress kids (& me), make play & big lunch (enviro friendly & health), sit down breakfast - clean up, teeth cleaning, face washing, hair brushing, pack bags, shoes on, find soft toy.......

Then it is the drop off  to separate places. First solo day for Ciara - tres clingy but OK after an hour - no tears on either part. Made it to my 'kitchen bench' at 10.30. Oh no, NO espresso machine having service after barging canals with us. HELP.

Definitely need practice. Only have 4 hours to work before pickup. BUT - what luxury 4 BIG FAT child free hours for me. Woohoo.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Nutting it out - what do I want?


Since coming back from our ' family voyage' in November we have had a 'bit' to get sorted. Beside the obvious house unpacking, setting up communications, re-stocking the fridge/pantry & wine cupboard(!) and getting wheels we also had pro-active stuff such as income stream (hubby back to work), #1 (Karl - 4 yrs) enrolled in pre-school, & #2 (Ciara - 2.5 yrs) into 'play school', swimming lessons enrolment, and as of last week a caring, smart and flexible babysitter so we (hubby & I) could connect somewhere in the middle. (gumtree.com.au has worked a treat for me twice now). 

So, I confess, Iast week I snuck out to my friend Rowie's serene abode for a 'work' day whilst Sarah engrossed the kidlets on a bush walk, reading & train building.  With a delicious aromatherapy candle burning and a divine T2 green tea to sip it was somewhat surreal experience. My soul purpose was to figure out WHAT DO I WANT next. Don't get me wrong I love my children and my life but there is only so much playdough & painting you can do and I can feel 'I'm getting snappy'  emerging! So a happy me = happy wife & happy mummy.

The results:

WHAT DO I MISS?
- having something of my own to grow and nurture (besides my children)
     - setting goals and acheiving them
     - being recognised for this (i know sounds big headed but it makes you feel good that someones appreciates what you do)
- having my own money and spending it with out guilt
- learning & growing and having something to talk about besides kids
- being creative
- time for me

WHAT DO I VALUE?
- being happy all the time
- family time - relaxed time with kids & hubby 
- things being organised so it allows for
    - flexibility & spontaniety
- being healthy
- strong financial platform (no worries) + risk opportunity (sky's the limit)
- spending time with friends
- discoveries & experiences - new places, people, learnings 

WHAT DO I (WE) WANT?
to smile from within
to be passionate & energised to do things effortlessy (like i use to when I owned Luken & May)
to be a loving & caring mother, to be with my beautiful children at 4 days a week before they go to school
be a generous and loving wife who is fun and desires intimacy (with hubby!)
to spend time together as a family  
to be able to relax & be content
to contribute financially
an organised household (within reason!)
to eat & live healthy
flexibility with work & play - to be there when needed
holidays!
to see & do new things and meet new people
have 'me time & space' & ditto for hubby to ensure we do activities that we love. eg sailing or yoga

WHAT WILL ACHIEVE THIS?
Starting & running a small, flexible & high margin business that utilises technology and outsourcing (for manufacturing, virtual office & when needed logistics) coupled with being at home with the kids when not in pre-school whilst hubby works during the week! PHEW that's it. 

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

day 1. starting on entree

Feeling really weird as I just kicked off sharing what i am doing via facebook with my friends. Facebook, twitter & this blog are now up and running. Even tho I have worked out how to use them (on a basic level),  I need to get a tad strategic in what info goes where + 'get smart' so I can do it as easily as possible.

I am a big believer in you don't know what you can do til you have taste...