How to Turn “What Do You Do?” Into Customers

At some point in our society, “What do you do?” came to mean “What’s your job?” It’s one of the first questions people ask when they meet you, or when you’re forced into some awkward small talk at a party or other group function.

For most people, it’s a pretty easy answer. I’m an accountant, a doctor, an IT person, a sales manager . . . every job has a name.

And with most jobs, there isn’t much of a follow-up conversation unless you happen to work in the same industry with the other person and can talk shop.

What Do Business Owners “Do?”

When you’re a business owner, “What do you do?” has a much greater significance than for the traditional job-holder. 

The trouble is, a lot of business owners — and especially online business owners — have trouble effectively answering the “What do you do?” question. 

Sure, you can say, I own my own business. It’s called Patty’s Party Palace and we sell every kind of party supply you can think of. 

And while that’s not a bad answer, it could be better.

Your Goal as a Business Owner

If you want to be a successful business owner, your main goal should be to provide a quality product or service. If you don’t have that, any success you have will be short-lived, no matter what other magic you have.

But assuming your product or service is top notch, your next objective is to be attracting as many of the right customers as possible, while spending the least amount of money you can on advertising.

Obviously, the less you have to spend on advertising, the higher your profits will be.

And, even better, the potential customers you reach through other methods such as word-of-mouth, referrals, and your own networking, are usually more targeted, which means they’re already “warm” to you and are easier to bring on board, as well as likely to stay with you.

Redefining "What Do You Do?"

Now getting back to our “What do you do?” question, you’re hopefully starting to realize that you can answer this question in a way that provides the best kind of free advertising for your business. 

But to do it effectively, you have to plan it out. And you have to start looking at what you “do” in a different way.

The standard answers have you thinking, “What is my job?” or  “What product or service does my business provide?” 

The more effective answer calls for you to ask yourself “What desired outcome do I provide for my customers?”

For example, at Kids Party Characters we provide characters and other entertainment for children’s birthday parties. 

Technically, that’s our business anyway.

But what we really DO, the desired outcome we deliver, is to take your child’s dream birthday party and turn it into reality with characters played by professional actors who put on a unique and engaging show for your child and her guests.

It’s not hard to see that while our business is interesting to people, what we do makes people want to know more.

How to Make Money With the “What Do You Do?” Question

There’s a lot written on the subject of how entrepreneurs should answer the “What do you do?” question.

You’ll often read advice that tells you to always have a 30 second “elevator pitch” prepared. That is, be able to effectively tell someone what you do in the time it takes to ride the elevator. 

And while this is solid advice, it often leads to crafting an answer that feels uncomfortable and just sounds weird to the other party.

It’s important that your answer not sound like a “pitch” for your business. 

People don’t like to be sold, especially when they’ve simply asked what you do.

Your goal in answering the question is to peak their interest and make them want to know more. Don’t worry if your business doesn’t provide anything they’d ever need or want. They know people, and they know people who know people. 

All we need at Kids Party Characters is to get filed away in everyone’s mind that we’re the go-to place for your child’s next party. So even if someone has no kids, when the topic comes up at the office water cooler, they can say, “I know someone who does that.”

And boom, we’ve got a referral. Best kind of business there is.

So, in formulating how you’ll answer “What do you do?” next time, start by writing down all the desired outcomes you achieve for your clients. 

A handy formula you can use, or at least start with is: (your ideal client) often struggle with (problem). I solve this. I do this by (solution).

For example: High school teachers often struggle with how to provide engaging lessons to their students. I solve this. I do this by offering an interactive curriculum that engages all their senses and accommodates several different learning styles.

When brainstorming what your next answer will be, focus on being natural, talking about the desired outcome you provide, and leaving the other person wanting to know more. 

It may not get you a new client today (although it could!) but your business is a long game anyway, and telling people “what you do” is a great way to plant many fertile seeds.

And if you need help with this or any part of your business, or are looking to start a business but need some guidance, remember that Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs is passionate about helping moms become work at home moms.

Check out the unique business opportunity she’s put together with Kids Party Characters, and book at free, no-pressure chat with Cheryl to get all your questions answered and take the first steps to becoming a successful business owner.

Also be sure you’re connected with Kids Party Characters on Facebook, where we post daily updates on the magic we bring to kids’ parties, as well as our best tips and strategies for working from home while raising happy and healthy kids.

CEO Mom: 5 Tips For Making Work at Home Work Out

CEO and work at home mom don’t conjure up the same mental picture at all. 

The CEO is sharply dressed in a business suit with polished heels and coordinating jewelry. She endures a daily commute to her corner office on the 10th floor, has power lunches, and can take the time off to go to her child’s class play, but returns to work when it’s over.

Work at home mom brings up images of a women sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop, more likely in her pajamas, and at least makeup-free. She endures daily wars over who had the Matchbox car first, eats a PB&J with her kids for lunch, and hand sews all the costumes for the class play. 

While their working environments may be drastically different, as work at home moms we make our lives a little easier when we start thinking of ourselves more like the traditional skyscraper CEO.

No, it’s not necessary to get out of your pajamas, or even leave your house if you don’t want to. But despite the contrasting environment, you are the CEO of your work at home business.

And, your business is just as important as the skyscraper CEO’s company, with as much if not more earning potential for you.

Even though moms often start their businesses as more of a side hustle or a hobby, thinking of it like a “real business” will make it more profitable, easier, and more fun. 

Here’s five helpful ways you can live like a work at home mom but think like a CEO.

1. Integrate Your Schedule

The CEO has a paper calendar, or more likely a digital calendar, that both she and her assistant can access so that everyone on the team knows what she’s up to and when she’s available.

As CEO Mom, you have two jobs: your business, and your family. Put them both on the calendar. 

It may seem a little weird and too rigid at first, but if you write down all of your business activities and appointments and then think, “I also need to do laundry today,” you’ll either never get to the laundry, or never get to the business tasks.

Schedule the laundry, the kid pickups, dinner prep, vacuuming, et cetera the same as you would a client phone call. It will help you keep all the balls in the air.

2. Set Expectations

If you’re a stay at home mom, you’re probably already familiar with this one. For some reason, the world thinks you sit at home watching TV or playing Facebook games all day to fill your time.

You’re always the go-to person, and always expected to be available. 

Even if people know you have some “business thing” going, they undoubtedly don’t take it very seriously.

Work on making expectations clear to everyone. 

If you were at work outside the house you couldn’t randomly answer the door or take personal phone calls or make a batch of cookies on a moment’s notice. And you can’t when you work from home either.

Just because you’re home, doesn’t mean you’re available. 

Make your work obligations clear to your family and friends, and your family obligations clear to your work colleagues, who tend to think that because you work from home, you’re available 24/7.

3. Hire Your Family

Truth is CEO Mom is way different from skyscraper CEO, thank goodness. A good piece of advice for the traditional CEO is to not bring your work home.

Naturally, this is impossible advice for the work at home mom. And one of the beauties of working at home is you don’t have to do a 9 to 5. You can work around your family’s schedule.

But what often happens is either your family starts to complain that you work all the time, or your business goes nowhere because you can’t find any time to break free of the family and work.

Because you can’t separate your work from your home, don’t even try to. Get your family invested in your business. Get them excited about how happy it makes you and the potential extras it will bring to enrich the entire family’s lives.

The best way to do this is to give them a part in the business. Talk with your accountant, but this can even mean paying them to do the simplest of tasks like filing and cleaning your office area.

The specific tasks will have to match your kids ages, abilities, and interests, but it’s not hard to come up with things that make them feel like they’re helping. And as they get older, they actually can be a big help. 

The key here is getting them to see that what you do is just as real and important as what their friends’ moms who drive to work do.

4. Get Help

One of the best things about being CEO is that your job is to drive the ship to the planned destination. Someone else is responsible for making sure the ship is in good order, has gas, and gets cleaned. 

Others are even responsible for big decisions like charting the proper course, making sure all the right people are on board, and avoiding collisions. 

You are the overseer with ultimate responsibility, but you certainly don’t run the company alone. 

And this is perhaps the biggest way us moms need to start thinking more like skyscraper CEOs. 

For some reason, work at home moms think they have to be a one-woman show. Maybe it’s because they have trouble seeing their business as a “real business,” or they’re afraid to spend money hiring someone, or where would this someone work anyway?

Fortunately, you can run a multi-million dollar business with only virtual employees or independent contractors, and you can start as small as you need to from a budget perspective.

We’ve talked about how to hire people to help you in your business in detail on our blog. Reading and following that advice should be one of the first things you do in your work at home business. 

5. Choose Your Tribe Consciously

As a skyscraper CEO, you seek connections with business men and women you think can help you. 

Maybe they can bring you business, or they have a product or service you need, or they’re connected to the “right” people to help your company get ahead in some way.

Whatever the case, they form a tribe of connections that become the people in their virtual rolodex that they can depend on.

You’ll also need your tribe, although it will obviously look a lot different to you as CEO Mom. 

Seek out and surround yourself with people who believe in your ability to build a “real” business, who also operate in the virtual space, and who don’t find it “unprofessional” if you have to reschedule due to a sick kid, or excuse yourself on the phone for a minute to silence a little background noise.

CEO Moms have haters. These are almost always people who in reality hate themselves because they don’t have the guts to try what you’re doing. 

Ignore them and find your people. They’re out there. In fact, we’re right here at Kids Party Characters.

And that’s one of the things that makes Kids Party Characters such a great business opportunity. If you haven’t started your business yet, or aren’t convinced you’re in the right one, check out this special offer Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs has designed for stay at home moms.

No experience is necessary and you’ll get step-by-step training from Cheryl, who started out as a mom much like you. 

If this opportunity resonates with you, set up a free chat with Cheryl and she’ll answer all your questions and help you get started if you choose.

Also learn more about the magic you can bring to children’s parties with a Kids Party Characters business by joining us on Facebook for daily updates. 

Sleeping Beauty Presents: WhatDoesEveryBusinessNeedMost

 What Does Every Business Need Most?

Today we have a favor to ask of you, our loyal Kids Party Characters clients and supporters.

Quite simply, we want to know what we can do to make our services even more appealing to you.

Here's a little story about why this is so important to us, and how much we'd appreciate you chiming in.

There's a famous copywriter by the name of Gary Halbert who originally told this story, and it's one every business owner needs to be reminded of now and then.

Gary gave his students this hypothetical. If both you and I owned a hamburger stand and we wanted to have a contest to see who could sell the most hamburgers, what advantages would you want to have to make sure you won the contest?

Answers varied from the best meat, to the best buns, the best location, and the lowest prices.

While all of these things would certainly help your hamburger stand stay in business, Gary's response was that the single advantage he would seek is a starving crowd.

Why? Because you can have the best of everything in your business, but if no one's "hungry" for it, you won't stay in business despite having quality products and services.

What does this have to do with you and Kids Party Characters?

Well, we know we have a hungry crowd here. Kids love characters and they love celebrating their birthdays in a big way.

And, our child's birthday is a pretty big deal for us as a parent too, which means we're willing to splurge a little to throw the "perfect" party for our child.

And while we know we have many kids' favorites like cotton candy, face painting, balloon twisting, and our new bouncy castles, we'd love to know what else you're hungry for when it comes to delivering the perfect birthday party for your kids.

So whether you're a past client, or just a supporter of Kids Party Characters, it really would mean the world to us if you'd take a minute to let us know what else we could offer in our party packages that would make your child's party experience better for her, for you, and for the guests.

No product or service suggestion is too small, too big, or too crazy. If it's something that would make a Kids Party Characters party more appealing to you, we want to hear it!

You can leave a comment on the blog if that's easiest, or send us a message on Facebook. Either way, we'll be sure to respond.

We're looking to be even bigger and better in 2019, with more locations, and more products and services. Thanks so much for helping us reach those goals with your input!

This May Be Why Your Child Struggles in School

By the time your child starts school, you usually have some ideas about what her strengths and weaknesses are.

Unless there are some early identifiable delays, as a parent we take for granted that our child will be able to keep up with the daily schoolwork expectations, especially in the early years.

If that turns out not to be the case, or if she begins to struggle at some point, we suspect either that she's not trying her hardest, or that there's some social/emotional distraction, or maybe she's just not "book smart."

In some instances, we may seek extra tutoring, or even have our child tested for things like dyslexia or developmental issues that might change the way she learns.

One thing that's often overlooked -- but that's fortunately beginning to be recognized -- is that our child's learning style may be the only barrier between her and the information she needs to succeed in a certain class or classes.

The Seven Learning Styles

There are seven recognized learning styles:

▪ Visual: You prefer pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

▪ Aural: You prefer using sound and music.

▪ Verbal: You prefer spoken and written words.

▪ Physical: You prefer using your body, hands, and sense of touch.

▪ Logical: You prefer logic, reasoning, and systems.

▪ Social: You prefer to learn in groups with other people.

▪ Solitary: You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

While it's not likely that any of us are limited to just one learning style, most people have two to three styles that are dominate. 

And for some kids, this can create a real stumbling block. If the teacher is presenting all of the material verbally, and your child is a visual and aural learner who just doesn't get it when it's presented verbally, he's going to appear to have a learning issue that doesn't really exist.

When the same material is presented to him visually, his abilities to do well on that subject may in fact exceed the norm, where he was failing when only getting verbal instruction.

There is nothing new about the concept of learning styles, you can probably identify for yourself how you best take in and process information even as an adult.

The Importance of Learning Styles in the Classroom

What is changing, are educators' views on how much emphasis should be placed on making sure each child's unique learning style should be taken into consideration in placing him in the appropriate learning environment.

Research shows that your child's learning style influences how he "internally comprehends experiences, recalls memories and information, and even influences the specific words [he] chooses[s] to use in speech."

Because many teachers still rely on the traditional textbook and lecture approach to instruction that emphasizes repetition and memorization, students who don't rely on verbal and logical learning can be at a real disadvantage.

According to research done by Learning Styles, these traditional methods often result in students being labeled "bright" and "not so bright" simply based on their learning styles rather than the cognitive abilities they actually possess.  

How to Use This Information to Help Your Child

While we all have our preferred learning styles, some kids will be able to adapt to their non-preferred styles better than others.

If your child is having trouble and there isn't an obvious cause, start with looking at her learning style and comparing it to how the information that's challenging her is being delivered. 

If you're not sure what her learning styles are, look back to her favorite hobbies and other areas she excels in and think about how she learned in these areas.

You can even do a small experiment and teach her something new using different methods. Older kids can tell you what learning styles felt most comfortable, and you'll be able to see it in the younger kids.

Talk to the relevant teachers and see how knowledgeable the school is about learning styles. With a little education and persistence, you might be surprised at how willing the school is to accommodate your child's needs. (Especially when they figure out that several of their students' performances can be improved if they focus on multiple learning styles!)

If you feel strongly that you're on to something and the school isn't accommodating you, you may be able to get an IEP (Individual Education Plan) requiring the school to provide instruction that meets your child's learning styles, especially if you can get a professional opinion documenting his needs.

Short of seeking an IEP, you can also find tutors willing to focus on your child's learning styles.

Connect With Kids Party Characters

If you found this article helpful, be sure to connect with Kids Party Characters on Facebook where we share daily tips on raising happy and healthy kids, as well as strategies for working at home as a busy mom.

And when it's time to plan your next party, head to KidsPartyCharacters.com and check out our selection of 200+ characters waiting to be your child's special guest.

No Kids Party Characters in your area? Starting one of your own is easier than you think, requires no prior experience, and is a great opportunity to be a work from home mom.

Check out the special offer Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs has that includes step-by-step training by Cheryl on the right way to start your business.

The Easy Way to Grow Your Business With Video

It’s no surprise that video is the number one way to both build relationships and grow your business on social media these days. 

Connecting with someone in person is always a faster path to know, like, and trust than even the most engaging written posts on social media. 

And although video is one-sided and can’t therefore replace the in-person connection, it’s definitely second best.

Video allows you to experience the creator’s personality, and lessens the chance for misinterpretation that can occur with the written word.

The Problem With YouTube

By far, the number one video platform on social media is YouTube. But many small business owners steer clear of YouTube for three valid reasons.

First, it’s beyond their current technical abilities. Sure you can record yourself on camera and just upload the raw footage to YouTube with no editing, but it’s hard to keep the viewer’s attention for too long that way, And then there’s the pressure to keep up with the fancy, more engaging videos your competitors are cranking out.

Second, you likely don’t already have a following on YouTube like you do on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest, so you’d be starting from scratch. 

Finally, YouTube can be time-consuming, especially when you’re new and trying to get the hang of it and attract an audience.

Simple Video Alternatives

YouTube is a great platform, but if it’s solidly on your “maybe someday” list right now, you can still get in on the video craze and very effectively use video to grow your audience and build real relationships with them.

And you can do it with both Instagram and Facebook stories. 

Instagram and Facebook have leveled the playing field when it comes to using video for your business. You don’t have to worry about being compared to the “big guys” who have fancy cameras, in-home recording studios, and professional editing capabilities.

In addition, there’s zero learning curve and you’re posting video in a place where you already have some kind of a following.

Not only will your stories give you the advantages of connecting with video, but they also give you a better chance of being seen on both platforms, since they appear at the top of the page rather than buried in the never-ending feed.

Facebook v. Instagram: Who’s Better?

One advantage of YouTube is you can share your video on multiple social media networks if you wish, which is not the case when doing Facebook and Instagram stories. 

This means you’ll have to make time to do stories in each place, or choose one. The easy answer is to start wherever you’re most comfortable, wherever your biggest audience is. 

The best answer is probably to experiment and see where you’re most comfortable and where you’re getting the best interaction. There are advantages to both platforms, but the biggest factor is where people are finding and engaging with you.

Instagram Advantages

Instagram stories are definitely more popular than Facebook stories, which means people engage with them more. So even though Facebook has more users, you may find more interaction on Instagram. 

As a platform, Instagram is simpler, and includes options to post GIFs in your stories, and to add links to your stories once you have 10,000 followers (which is not as far away as you might now think!).

Another really nice feature of Instagram stories is the opportunity to create Story Highlights. On both Instagram and Facebook, your stories are shown for 24 hours before disappearing. 

The Instagram highlights feature allows you to make certain stories permanent, thereby creating sort of a highlight reel that’s featured under your bio on your profile. This gives your video more of the permanence of a YouTube video.

Facebook Advantages

The fact that Instagram stories are more popular may also be seen as an advantage for Facebook. 

Unlike your Facebook newsfeed, which is more crowded by the day and increasingly hard for small business visibility, you’ll be one of relatively few if you use Facebook stories.  This gives your stories a better chance of being viewed.

If you have a Facebook group, you can also create group stories, which gives your group members the opportunity to be interactive in the story too.

Going Live

Another great confidence-building option is to go live on Facebook or Instagram. On both platforms, your connections will receive a notification when you go live. 

The main difference in the two platforms is that on Instagram your live videos become part of your story, and can therefore only be seen for 24 hours, although they are given priority in the stories section. 

With Facebook, your live video is seen in the newsfeed, and is therefore permanent. You can also share your Facebook Live to other groups or pages, just like you can any written Facebook post. 

Again, choosing whether to go live on Facebook or Instagram comes down to where your audience best connects with you, and in some cases, how permanent you want your live video to be.

Need Help Using Video in Your Business?

At Kids Party Characters we love video. It’s a great way to showcase some of our unique costumes, and to reach out to other moms and show them that Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs is no different than they are.

If you have questions about how to use video in your business, or if you don’t have a business and would like to talk through the realities of setting up and running a successful business from scratch, Cheryl is offering free mentoring sessions to help get you started. 

Book a chat with Cheryl here and she’ll answer your questions and give you no-nonsense advice on what it really takes to get started.

Cheryl’s created a great “business in a box” opportunity with Kids Party Characters that allows you to have your own business with an exclusive territory in which to book parties, as well as the right to use our 200+ costumes and all of the other tools Cheryl’s used to grow her business to six figures.

This opportunity also includes step-by-step training from Cheryl on how to best set up your business to quickly get into profit. Check out the details here, and bring any questions you have to your call with Cheryl.

Finally, be sure to connect with Kids Party Characters on Facebook for daily updates on our magical parties, our best parenting tips, and our favorite strategies for working from home as a busy mom.

Modern Day Lessons From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you ask most kids — and many adults — the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, they’d probably tell you it means a long weekend, a day off school or work, a day of no mail and closed banks.

Hopefully most of us, adults and kids alike, can at least say something vague about the positive impact Dr. King had on the civil rights movement, including his organization of the Montgomery Bus Boycott with Rosa Parks, and his powerful speeches such as the famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.

In an age when most kids are influenced by their favorite YouTubers, music celebrities, and TV stars, as parents we do them a great disservice by not taking some time to share with them some lessons from Dr. King that are still as relevant today as they were in the 1960s.

So whether you want to have one big “lesson” today, or perhaps more effectively share one of Dr. King’s quotes each day this week over dinner or while you’re in the car, each is an important point of discussion with our children, and among adults as well. 

1. Speak Up in the Face of Injustice

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” 

This is a tough one for all of us, and especially for our kids, who face the pressure to “fit in” and not be seen as a “snitch,” especially by the supposedly cool kids.

But this is perhaps the most important of Dr. King’s words to reinforce to our children today.

Despite the best anti-bullying efforts many schools and organizations engage in, bullying is still a common occurrence that not uncommonly leads to suicide in the most severe instances.

Dr. King’s life was all about not being silent about things that matter. 

Use stories from his life and this quote as a jumping off place for talking about always speaking up when your child sees any type of wrongdoing, despite the possible negative consequences.

Let her know that you, or another trusted mentor or teacher, will always provide a safe place for her to bring any concerns.

2. Be the Best You That You Can Be

“If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving.”

Social media has opened us all up to crazy and unwarranted comparisons.

Everyone looks better than us, has bigger businesses or better careers than us, and has cooler stuff than us.

For kids especially, the number of followers, friends, likes, views, and comments can also lead to a misplaced sense of worthiness.

In addition to pointing out that much of what’s on social media is fake, reassure your kids that if they start from where they are and just keep doing their best, that’s all they’ll ever need to be “enough” and to find happiness.

Help them out by being an example and living the principle in your life. Don’t talk down about yourself, be overly critical, or have a negative and defeatist attitude. 

Some additional words of encouragement here from Dr. King are, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” 

Sometimes it can be scary to just keep moving, but instilling faith and self-confidence in your child will help him step out even when the path is uncertain.

3. Look at Who a Person Is on the Inside

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Sadly, we’re still a long way from making this dream come true. 

But while race is still an ugly dividing line, hope springs from the many groups and organizations (including student led groups) that are focusing on ending race, gender, sexual orientation, and other factors as artificial markers of a person’s worthiness.

Definitely expand this one beyond skin color, and talk to your child about what traits make someone a person of good character, and therefore a good friend, versus what markers we should reject, and speak out against, when we see a person being judged on those bases. 

4. Always Act From a Place of Love

“Darkness cannon drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Another big theme throughout Dr. King’s life was treating people with peace and love.

This can be a hard one for kids. 

If Johnny hit me, of course I’m going to hit him back.

And while we don’t want to teach our children to lay down and get beat up, an important lesson for all of us is that we can often turn a bad situation around by simply responding with love and understanding.

This can be a difficult one to grasp, but be an example by letting your kids watch you respond nicely and calmly to the next person who speaks harshly or acts in anger towards you.

You might even surprise yourself by how easy it can be to turn a negative encounter into a positive one simply by being nice to the offensive party.

If you’ve gotten some good ideas from this article for how to positively influence your child’s life, make sure to join Kids Party Characters on Facebook, where we share daily updates on our magical kids’ parties, as well as our bests tips for working from home and raising happy and healthy kids.

Why Today is the Best Day to Start Your Home Business

So many moms would like to work from home, but never seriously entertain the idea, which makes the team here at Kids Party Characters sad.

First, those moms miss out on all the advantages that working from home brings. 

And just as importantly, the world misses out on a countless number of awesome new potential businesses that will never go beyond the idea stage in a busy mom’s head as she commutes home from her 9 to 5, or folds the laundry during nap times.

The biggest reasons moms don’t put their business ideas into action are beliefs that they don’t have enough time to run their own business, that they don’t have the necessary experience, and/or that they can’t afford to start a business.

Truth is, we live in a wonderful time — when it comes to entrepreneurial opportunities anyway— and if you have a desire to work from home, there is no legitimate barrier that will stop you.

Let’s take a look at why now is the right time to get that business going.

1. Technology is Your Friend

Your work from home business is necessarily going to be run mainly from your computer. And the technical skills needed to get it set up and run your business on a daily basis used to require that you had some actual technical knowledge yourself.

Justifiably, that was enough to scare many people off. 

Fortunately, things have changed rather drastically.

You no longer have to have any coding knowledge, or even know what things like CSS, HTML, and FTP stand for. 

The people who have such skills have created “done for you” solutions that make it relatively easy for us who are more challenged to build web pages, set up online stores, and send emails to thousands of people at one time.

So if you’ve ever looked at a business online and thought, “I wouldn’t know how to do that,” you’re likely wrong.

2. Anyone Can Afford Advertising

It used to be that you had to rely on Google Adwords and other forms of paid advertising to get exposure for your business, which meant you needed to have money to make money.

Now that social media is a part of virtually everyone’s life, that is no longer the case.

Social media allows you to reach people for free, which means if you don’t have a budget, you can spend your time instead of your money when it comes to advertising.

And with so many platforms out there, you have the ability to focus on the one you do best. Like making videos? Go to YouTube.

Good at creating images? Pinterest and Instagram are waiting for you.

And if writing is more your style, Facebook and LinkedIn can be your friends.

3. The Crowd is Waiting

Doing business online has really come full circle. 

When the internet first became a thing, anybody (with some tech knowledge) could slap up a webpage and sell just about anything.

Then people got a little wary, as it became obvious that there was a fair share of shysters out there taking your money in exchange for inferior products or services.

Now, with the rise of social media, where bad businesses can be quickly outed, and the increase in review sites like Yelp, we’ve been able to renew our trust in the internet.

And people love to shop online. 

Think about it, you can get anything online these days, including dinner from a fast food restaurant delivered straight to your door.

Whether people have become lazy, busy, or just found better uses for their time, they want to shop online and they’re already there, waiting for your incredible products and services to show up.

4. Simple Wins the Day 

Another more recent trend that will work to your advantage is that your online presence no longer has to blow people away with style and glamor.

There was a time when you had to have a professionally done website with flash elements, and fancy long sales pages with high-quality graphics. Fortunately, those days are gone.

You can now run an online business without a website, or at least with one you put together yourself. 

And it doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, many business owners who are testing what they put online are finding that the simple stuff is bringing them even more customers than the content that looks professionally done.

Between that nice tidbit, and the fact that it’s easy to DIY things and have them look professionally done, you truly have nothing to fear!

5. Time is on Your Side

Maybe this all sounds great to you but you’re still thinking you don’t have time to start your own business. 

Sure, it’s great once you grow it to six figures, but what about when you first start and are making zero figures?

Either you can’t afford to quit your day job, or you literally can’t quit your day job because it’s raising kids.

That’s okay. Of course, it will take you longer to earn the income you likely desire if you don’t put much time into your business, but there are plenty of people who start by working an hour or two a day. 

So yes, you’ll have to be willing to spend a couple hours after your job working on your business rather than watching Netflix, or be willing to get up an hour earlier before the kids are up, but when you consider the rewards, that’s not even a sacrifice.

Need Help?

Hopefully you can see that having your own home business is completely doable in 2019 for anyone who has the desire and is willing to make some time to do the work.

If you still have questions or concerns, or would just like a little help getting started, Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs is offering a free mentoring session to answer your questions and talk you through the reality of starting a business from scratch.

Cheryl’s had a hand in starting 10 businesses, and has a passion for helping other work at home moms find happiness and financial success. 

This is the perfect opportunity for you to ditch the excuses and take the first step by booking your free mentoring session with Cheryl right here.

Cheryl’s also created a unique opportunity for moms to have their own Kids Party Characters business. 

If you’d like to have access to all the tools Cheryl’s used to make Kids Party Characters a six-figure business, as well as step-by-step training from Cheryl on starting your business the right way, take a look at what Cheryl’s created here.

And make sure to join us on Facebook for daily updates about the magic we bring to children's parties, as well as our best tips and strategies for working from home and raising happy and healthy kids.

Princess Aurora presents: Is Kids Party Characters the Right Business fo...

 Is Kids Party Characters the Right Business for You?

The first full week of the new year is upon us. The kids are back in school and it’s time for us to get back into the swing of what’s “normal.”

And if you’re one of the many of us, or likely most of us, who’ve decided we’d like to change our “normal,” then today’s the day to get rolling.

The sooner you start taking even the smallest consistent steps towards that goal, the more likely you are to stick to it. 

If one of those things on your “list” or in the back of your mind has been starting your own business, the team at Kids Party Characters is rooting for you to take the plunge now.

As a supporter of Kids Party Characters, you’ve probably heard at least some of owner Cheryl Jacobs’ story about how life-changing business ownership has been for her.

Hopefully, you’re not in as difficult of a position as she was when she started as a single mom who needed a way to feed her kids.

But what if your own business gave you the peace of mind to be able to put all of your bills on autopay and never even think about them?

Or took the stress off your partner or spouse to provide for all the extras the kids wanted?

Or maybe even allowed you to take a money-is-no-object vacation to a destination on your bucket list?

The beauty of your own business is that what it can bring you is only limited by your willingness to work at it and patience to build it up.

As you’ve probably heard, Cheryl has created a unique opportunity with Kids Party Characters especially designed for moms who want to work from home.

Membership in Kids Party Characters gives you your own business with an exclusive territory in which to book parties, as well as access to our 200+ costumes and all of the other tools that Cheryl’s used to build a successful business.

Best of all, you’ll also get detailed training from Cheryl on how to start and run your business in a way that will give you the best chance for the quickest success.

But, as with any business, this opportunity isn’t right for everyone. 

Is it a good fit for you? Today we’ll take a look at five characteristics of the perfect Kids Party Characters business owner.

1. You Love Kids

Well of course you love kids. Chances are strong that you’re a mom who stays home with her kids, or wishes she did.

And that’s what makes Kids Party Characters such a great fit for many people right out of the box.

You don’t have to be passionate about the business you’re in, but it sure makes life a lot more fun if you are. So why not start a business around something you love?

Unfortunately though, there are a few more requirements before you declare yourself a good fit, so read on.

2. You Enjoy Working With People Over the Phone

We’ve entered into an age where no one actually talks on the phone anymore it seems.

We all have these $1000 devices called cell phones but they’re used primarily for texting, social media, playing games, and as a GPS.

In your Kids Party Characters business, you’ll need to get on the phone with your clients and help them figure out what the best party package is for them, get clear on exactly what they want to make their child’s party a dream come true, and follow up before the party to make sure everything’s good to go.

The nice thing is, you don’t have to worry about a little kid noise in the background. Your customers will actually love the fact that you’re just like them!

3. You Have an Attention to Detail

As you know, kids’ birthday parties are a big deal. Your child wants everything “just so” at her party, and you’re laying out a significant amount of money to make her special day special.

So it’s no surprise that it’s important to get everything just as the client’s ordered it when you’re in charge of providing the party entertainment.

If you have the ability to follow a system that captures and keeps all the various party details written down, with special attention to any specific requests to add that special touch to a party, you’ve met another requirement.  

4. You Like Building Relationships

The easiest way to build a successful business with Kids Party Characters is through referrals and repeat business. 

It’s one of the greatest things about our business, it literally sells itself.

All the invited guests at your parties go home with treat bags that have your card in them. So if 10 kids came to the party, you have 10 new “leads” — or 10 kids telling their moms how cool the party was and asking if they can have a party like that too.

Because we have so many characters to choose from, as well as other party favorites, your clients will keep coming back for next year’s party, as well as for siblings’ parties.

What this means for you is that you have to enjoy building relationships with other moms so they’ll provide positive feedback about working with you.

This isn’t the kind of business where you anonymously sit behind the computer and take orders. 

The more personally helpful you are and the more you connect with your clients, the more business you’ll develop.

Again, the nice thing is that you’re connecting with like-minded moms here, so the relationships come pretty naturally.

5. You’re Willing to Do the Work

Finally, it’s kind of a bummer that this has to be said, but there are a good number of people out there looking for “internet riches.” So any time we talk about working from home, it’s important to realize this still is a real business.

Which means there’s no magic button, get rich quick, $10,000 in 30 days tricks going on.

How fast your business grows depends on how much work you do. 

Some people just want a little extra cash, some want a six-figure business. The potential’s there for both with Kids Party Characters, as long as you do the work, whether that means 5 hours a week, 15 hours a week, or 40 hours a week. You decide, then you show up and do the work.

Next Steps

So how’d you do?

If you have these five characteristics, it’s time to dive in and get a real look at what having your own Kids Party Characters business would be like. 

Don’t be nervous, no commitment is required, and remember, Cheryl Jacobs is undoubtedly a lot like you! 

So book a no-pressure chat with Cheryl right here and let her help you decide whether Kids Party Characters is a good fit for you. 

It’s not her purpose to sell you on something, she only wants to work with people who are a good fit and who have the potential to grow a successful business.

Grab your spot with Cheryl today, now, and let’s get your new year off to an exciting new start.

And if you aren’t connected with us on Facebook, take a minute to join Kids Party Characters there for daily updates on our magical parties, working from home, and raising happy and healthy kids.

7 Things Your Kids Need From You to be Happy

One of the best quotes ever for parents to keep top of mind comes from John Lennon, who said:

When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn't understand the assignment and I told them they didn't understand life.

In the hustle of childhood it’s easy to get lost in all the pressures to get good grades, make the soccer team, and hang out with the “cool” kids.

It’s easy to lose focus on what we really want for our kids, which is for them to be happy.

And while certainly that’s their goal too, they aren’t able to understand what it takes, or what it really means, like we are. 

For some kids, getting the “A” is what it takes, for others it’s having the right group of friends ask them to go to the movies, and often it’s about making the right sports team.

And for most kids, it’s about having the latest iPhone, Xbox, or $300 pair of Yeezys.

As parents, our common sense and experience tell us that none of this is what happiness is all about. And not surprisingly, research supports the idea that it’s the intangibles that will truly result in happy kids, and adults.

So put down your wallet, take a breath if your child brings home a “C,” and try giving her these 10 things if your end goal is happiness.

1. Your Happiness

This is probably the most important of all, and most overlooked thing that will make your child happy.

Kids take so many clues from us that we don’t even realize. And if you’re not happy, your child’s chances of being happy are slim.

So don’t think of self-care as a selfish thing that should be last on your list, behind meeting the needs of your kids.

Your self-care is one of the biggest needs your child has. Get yourself happy, and his happiness will follow.  

2. Your Time

The good news here is that the amount of time parents spend with their kids is actually increasing, although the latest numbers appear to come from 2002, and one has to wonder what our ever-increasing obsession with technology is currently doing to those numbers.

Even if we assume the best, the latest research shows parents spending between 60 and 104 minutes a day with their kids, on average.

This is not a number to be proud of.

Schedule time with your kids the same as you would schedule any other meeting or appointment, and then actually do things with them.

Play board games, wrestle, go for a walk, read a book, clean out a closet together. Whatever it is, be conscious about dedicating time for shared experiences and open communication.

3. Your Honesty

There’s two parts to this one. Kids need you to be honest with them in an age-appropriate way, and they need to see you living honestly.

First, being honest with your kids. This means answering the uncomfortable questions they ask, and giving them critical feedback when appropriate. 

Learning how to take criticism and use it for good is a skill. 

It’s your job to teach your child that criticism and correction don’t mean he’s bad or a failure. They’re opportunities for growth and they prepare him for the real world and keep him from being crushed when hurtful criticism comes from a colleague, friend, or boss.

The second part of this one, living honestly, requires that you think before you lie in front of your kids. 

As adults, we know it’s okay to lie sometimes. It’s even best to lie sometimes.

But kids don’t have the ability to separate a good lie from a bad one. So when they hear you on the phone cancelling a commitment because you’re “sick” and they know you aren’t, it sends the wrong message. 

Of course as they get older, they need to learn when a lie to protect someone’s feelings is the best option, for example, but be conscious about lying in front of your kids, and take time to teach them the value of a “white lie” as they get older.

4. Your Encouragement

Praise your child’s effort, not her ability.

It’s easy to praise the winning team or an “A” performance, but that’s not when your child needs praise and encouragement.

She needs it when she’s trying and failing, or maybe when she’s afraid to try at all, or falls just short of a goal.

Your words will make the difference in whether she learns to always get back up in life, or to stay down when she falls, and will do wonders for shaping her self-confidence.

5. Your Optimism 

There’s a reason we’ve all heard the glass half full analogy. And it’s because it’s true.

Research supports the idea that those who look at life as though the glass were half full rather than half empty are happier.

This is another one to be conscious of. Many of us have fallen into negative thought patterns, especially when we’re going through challenging times.

When you’re making comments to or in the presence of your child are you focusing on the negative, on what could go wrong, on how hard life is?

Or are you optimistic, looking for the gift in every situation, and verbalizing what could go right?

Remember, your kids are listening and mimicking you.

6. Your Control

Sometimes in a misguided attempt to make our kids happy, we let them do things we know we probably shouldn’t do. And we justify it with “reasons.”

But ultimately, this isn’t going to make your kids happier. They need you to be the bad guy, to make the decisions their still-growing brains can’t make.

You’re not doing them any favors by letting them stay up all night every weekend. They’d be able to enjoy the hours they were awake over the weekend much more if they were well-rested.

And perhaps most importantly, no matter how many hours a day their friends spend in front of a screen, and despite the fact that Xbox is the best and cheapest babysitter you’ve ever had, you’ve got to control how much time your kids play video games, watch TV, and do whatever it is they do on their phones.

Kids with less screen time are happier kids, which should be a matter of common sense, but there is research to back it up if you need it.

7. Your Positive Relationships

We’re back again to you being a positive role model for your kids, which is a common theme when it comes to their happiness.

One thing that most all of the research on happiness shows is that it’s relationships, not stuff, that make people happy.

It’s important that you give your child the gift of knowing how to build good relationships. And the way you do this is by letting her watch you have loving, respectful, trusting relationships with others.

Whether it’s a spouse, partner, friend, or work colleague is irrelevant. The important thing is for your kids to see you having positive relationships, and to hear you talking about the benefits and joys of those relationships. 

What it Really Takes

It’s not that hard to make your kids happy. It doesn’t require a lot of money, or even a lot of time.

What it does take is the right attitude in your own life, a little planning, and the willingness to be conscious of the things you do and say not only to your kids, but any time they’re in your presence.

If you’ve gotten value from this post, make sure to join Kids Party Characters on Facebook for daily updates on the magic we bring to children’s parties, as well as our best tips for working from home and raising happy and healthy kids.

And if you want to make your child extra-happy on his birthday, head over to KidsPartyCharacters.com and book your next party with us. With over 250 costumes to choose from, as well as all the kids’ favorites like cotton candy, face painting, balloon twisting, and bouncy castles, we’ve got the perfect party for your birthday boy or girl.