FAQ Friday Blog

Last week, More Magazine flew me to New York to meet and be mentored by Caroline Rhea, A-list stand up comic and celeb. The day went like this, I got suited up for the photo shoot and teetered on stage in spike "Cougar" heels. Then, here comes Caroline as I'm running through my set. "Oh no, rule number one," she said and yanked me back stage. "Stand up straight so your voice will project." From there, we went over my set over and over until she squinted at me and said, "You know, I don't think you're totally being yourself." That's when the confidence talk started - lose the notes, lose the fear and gain the confidence. "There's no wrong answer on stage," she said. In a lot of ways, I guess you could apply these lessons to life. But when I came off the high of being in NY without kids and with celebrities, coming home to discover our trash service had been cut off because I forgot to pay it before I left inspired anything but confidence.

ANSWER: I don't. I suggest various members to reporters and editors and they decide who gets covered in their stories. It is important that I make this distinction up front, because for some reason people think I have control over the media coverage we get. Mamas, nobody has control over what the media covers except the media. They do their job, and we do ours. Plain and simple. They know what their goals are with their stories, and all I do in responding to media requests is try to help them reach their goals.

However, if the question is how do I decide which members get pitched to reporters for inclusion in stories about Mamapreneurs, Inc., that I can answer. It's all about which members are appropriate for different stories. There are more than 215 of you right now, and not all 215 are appropriate sources for every story regarding Mamapreneurs, Inc. Just like any other PR work I do, I won't pitch a member just because they are a member, and no, I won't pitch your story just because we've become friends. :) I have plenty of friends in this group -- for whom I am SO thankful! -- but also whom I haven't pitched because as wonderful as their businesses are, they just might not be right for the article.

That said, if I have no idea who you are, I don't know what your business has been doing lately, I wouldn't feel comfortable pitching you because, well, I have no idea who you are or what has been happening with your business. How do I know you're not some crazy person? :) I try to visit all of your websites when I can, but the women who come to mind when immediately asked for names for the media to contact are the ones who have connected with others and reached out.

So how do you become active in Mamapreneurs, Inc. when you're the busiest person on earth? How do the women who have formed great connections while also working a million hours and live 45 minutes away with three young kids under the age of 5 stay so involved? That, my dear mama friends, is the subject of the next FAQ Friday post! Stay tuned, and happy weekend!

ANSWER: There are a lot of online options. I usually prefer to go local and support my local printers, so be sure to check out your local options as well when you are doing price, quality, minimum quantity and turn-around time comparisons.

Some good online options:
Oriental Trading -- from business kchotckies to birthday party supplies, this online store is known for extremely competitive pricing (read: cheap) and large selection. I have found that the quality of their products are not stellar if you're looking for high-end promotional products, but for small events, kids' parties, and basic promo products for your biz, this is a great option.

4Imprint - offers a large selection or high end promotional products with a wide range of pricing. I've ordered from here as well and have found their quality and their customer service and turn-around time to be excellent.

Promo Peddler - similar to 4 Imprint, but I've never used them so I can't vouch for quality or customer service. They have an interesting selection online.

CafePress.com & Zazzle.com - both Cafe Press and Zazzle are known for the easy online ability for businesses to create promotional apparel, stickers, mugs and the traditional promotional products. I like Cafe Press for t-shirts, and Zazzle for promotional stickers.

Do you have a favorite online source for custom promotional products you'd like to share? Let us know about it!

Answer: In short, no. In most cases, that's illegal. You must pay for your childcare from your personal funds. Unless, of course, your company has a legal childcare benefits program in effect.

Some options: If your company has a plan document for paid childcare for employees (and that would include you) then usually the company gets to deduct payments as employee benefit expenses. The company doesn't get taxed in this case. Or, if you want to pay for an employee's childcare, and there isn't a plan document, the employee usually gets taxed on it, and the company deducts it as wages.

For your own childcare, if you're an LLC or sole prop, you should just pay yourself as normal by taking an owners draw, and then pay your childcare provider with your personal account.

There are, as I said, many, many variables. Too many to include in a blog post. To be safe, unless you have a formal childcare plan for all employees within your company, continue to pay your childcare out of your personal wages and NOT from business funds.

Let me take this opportunity to remind readers that none of the information on this blog or any other part of the site is to be taken as legal or financial advice, but as a starting point simply for conversation and to help you with general guidelines. You should always consult your lawyer and accountant when it comes to financial matters.

FAQ: As a freelancer, how do I draw up a contract between myself and clients?

ANSWER: You could make one up from scratch, or use existing contracts as examples and modify them to suite your business. I personally vote for the latter. My suggestion is to speak with your peers and see if they are willing to share the contracts they use. Have a contract party where you can compare and contrast contracts, and that way each person walks away with feedback and ideas for stronger business contracts, as well as deeper relationships with your professional peers.

You can also go online to review different contract options:

• The Corporate Counsel Center offers a plethora of contract samples by industry and by company name. These tend to be larger legal contractual agreements, but can be very helpful.
• AllBusiness.com has hundreds of forms for a small fee--everything from final payment dispute agreements to web site usage agreements to contracting/consultant agreements.
  
• About.com has several helpful guides for writing contracts for a variety of industries.
  

No matter how many pages or how many clauses end up in your contracts, it's a smart thing to revisit your contracts at least once or twice a year to make sure your contracts are industry competitive and comprehensive. Many of us designers, I know, tend to update our contracts based on personal experiences with clients, and that's a good thing to. The only way to learn whether or not your contract holds up to the job is to put it in place for every contract job you do, regardless of how large or small. Contracts not only help protect you as a professional and your work, but they also help keep the lines of communication clear and open with clients, creating better working relationships and greater end results.

FAQ: Where are the best places to work off-site for a few hours?

ANSWER: In Portland, there are SO many choices here, and it really depends on a) how much you want to spend, b) do you have kids with you or not, and c) how much privacy you need.

Here are some places I have found helpful for those times you need to set up a mobile office for an hour or two. Please feel free to leave a comment and add your own fave spots, and those of you from outside of Portland please join the conversation as well, as I am sure many of our readers are looking for spots when they travel around the world!

SITUATION NEEDS #1
Cost: moderate to high; Kid-friendly: no; Privacy need: moderate to complete.
In general, the following spaces offer memberships for independent business owners with desk rentals, meeting space rentals, etc. Each has its own pros and cons and I will let you decide (or feel free to comment). I like both spots for what they are and I'm thankful they're around to support small business owners.

Souk LLC
322 NW 6th Avenue, Suite 200
Portland, Oregon in Old Town

CubeSpace PDX
622 SE Grand Avenue
Portland, Oregon

SITUATION NEEDS #2
Cost: low to moderate; Kid-friendly: yes; Privacy need: moderate to complete.

Mamapreneurs, Inc.
1500 NW 18th Avenue, Suite 115
A-ha! You knew I couldn't do this post without mentioning our fabulous new office & meeting space in NW, right? :) The terms are still being finalized, but we'll have desk space and meeting/small event space rentals available for a moderate fee for current members. If you're an At-Large Member traveling to Portland, we'll always have room for you to work from our office as well! We'll have a little play area for the wee ones, sink & fridge, etc. E-mail me if you want to learn more.

PLAY Boutique
332 First Street
Lake Oswego, OR
Did you know Mamapreneurs, Inc. member PLAY Boutique has free wi-fi? And a mom's corner with laptops, snacks, magazines, and comfy couches? Check their calendar for classes and their drop-in times. Kelley Peake and her staff are amazing to work with, and they're incredible with kids.

SITUATION NEEDS #3
Cost: low to moderate; Kid-friendly: depends; Privacy need: low to moderate

Sydney's Cafe
Corner of NW 15th & Thurman in the Triangle Building
This is second home for many of us in the laptop brigade. I've brought my kids to play in the little play corner, and I've held many meetings there without my kids. Just pay attention to the fancy etched glass sign with the semi-new new house rules when it comes to the kids. Great coffee, breakfast sandwiches, salads, soups, desserts. Free wi-fi, and usually good music to work by playing. Tim Cox is the owner, and we like Tim. He supports mamapreneurs, so please go support him too!

Urban Grind NE
NE Oregon & 22nd Streets
Lots of tables for laptops and you can probably get a little more privacy here if you want more private conversations. They also have rooms you can rent out for meetings and a play area for the kids. Coffee, sandwiches, pastries. Free wi-fi.  
 
I used to heart Sip & Kranz, but that love affair died a long time ago and they have yet to win my heart back (not like they have ever really attempted to try to win my heart, but as a customer I think that a local business would want to want my business, or any of the others they've lost, right? Oh well. That's for another post sometime).

There are many others, so please leave a comment with your faves (and duds)! And if you know of any great free wi-fi spots in SW Portland, please chime in. I'm at a loss there.

In San Francisco? Have you checked out Cubes & Crayons? It sounds like a dream & I would love to hear from those who have used it.

It’s FAQ Friday! And what do I have for you? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Why? Because today, I am tapped out. That’s right, my friends. It’s Friday and I am pooped! With both kids home all day with me, I am at wit’s end. It hit me that today is the start of an 11-day stint without our PT nanny, while she volunteers at a camp, bless her sweet heart. 11 days. No nanny. No back-up help planned. Tons of work both for business and at home to be done. Me=IDIOT! Smacking my head right now, many times over.

Today, I’m too exhausted to be creative with activities for the kids, so after a 2-hour playdate at the PLAY Boutique, and very short naps from both kids, I’ve turned the TV on. I need to finish a client’s designs and get them to the printer before EOB. Today, I am tired of vacuuming and mopping the floors every day because my dog sheds more than 15 dogs combined and I cannot work surrounded by a pile of dog hair. Today, I am done doing the dishes 3 times a day because I dirty more dishes being home all day, I SEE it, it’s there, and I can’t work when the grime is staring at me in the face. Today, I am done attempting to have phone conversations that are interrupted by siblings screaming at each other (or at the dog who just ate their snacks) in the background. Today, my fellow mamas, I am done with working from home. It’s time.

So this is my FAQ to you: how do you know when it’s time to move out of the home? For those who have office space outside of your house, how did you come to the conclusion that it was right for you? How did you find & decide on the right space? More importantly to me right now, how did you fund it? I have a few prospects for new space. I dig ‘em. A lot. I have loved working from home, and I cherish my home office a great deal, but it’s time to move on. My businesses, and my family, deserve it. If you have any tips for making the transition from home to outside office space, please share.