http://www.bellycharms.com
www.vitalIds.com
Marketmommies: Tell us about the mom behind the business.
Sonya: I am 37 years old and have 2 boys ages 3 and 4. I graduated from the Univ. of Alabama with a degree in Business Management. I have been married to my husband Jim for 5 years.
Marketmommies: How did you end up starting your own business?
Sonya: Belly Charms was the great idea that I came up with after my second son was born. When I was pregnant with my first child, I did not know there were maternity belly rings, so when I had to take out my belly ring, of course, the piercing closed. I got it re-pierced, only to quickly find out I was pregnant again.
An ultrasound tech told me that there were maternity belly rings, but they were just hard to find. Well, I went on a search and finally found one. I wore it through my entire pregnancy and right into the delivery room. The nurses all loved it. After my son was born, I went back to the "regular" steel belly button rings but just did not like them anymore. So I got out my maternity belly ring, cut the PTFE bar to a much shorter length, rethreaded the ball, and took off the "It's a Boy" charm and replaced it with a candy cane......that is when Belly Charms began, 2 1/2 years ago.
I started looking for other products I liked and 1 1/2 years ago I added another business "Vital IDs from Belly Charms". This site focuses on child safety, medical and sports ID products. - www.VitalIDs.com
Marketmommies: Was this your first idea for a business? If no, what other types of businesses did you think about starting?
Sonya: I have always been entrepreneurial and even started a very small business right out of college selling exercise clothes. I knew nothing about designing websites. I had no idea what I was doing, but I told my husband I wanted to do this and he supported me 100%. The funny thing is that I started Belly Charms to make a little extra money for manicures and pedicures, now I am so busy being a WAHM that I don't have time to get them.
Marketmommies: What advice do you have for other moms who maybe thinking about starting their own business?
Sonya: Do your research and go for it. I started with 20 maternity belly button rings and a shop on Etsy.com. The dining room table was my office until we moved 4 months ago. I completely took over the dining room. A child gate is what protected my "pretty beads" from little fingers.
If you are selling online invest in a good camera and table top photography studio. Quality photos make a huge difference. I look at some of my very first photos and can't believe I even put them on a website:) If you are willing to give up sleep to work, then you can do it. Don't give up and keep looking for new ideas. I have added lots of new products since I started and I am always thinking up new ideas. Some work and some don't. It is all a learning experience. Network with other moms, I do lots of reviews and giveaways with "mommy bloggers" It is a great way to get exposure. I have even just started my own blog http:bellycharmsblogspot.com. I plan to use this not only to promote my new products and giveaways, but to share some of the funny stories of what it is really like to be a WAHM.
Marketmommies: What did you do before you were a mom business owner?
Sonya: My background is actually health and fitness. I started working at a gym during college and after college was GM for several fitness centers for about 10 years, which is how I ended up in Florida. I loved this industry, but I was easily working 60 hours a week. My days would start at 5:30 and end at 7 or 8:00. When I got pregnant with my first son, I gave up the GM portion and worked as an aerobic coordinator and instructor. I have been teaching aerobics for 18 years and love it. The boys can go with me to the gym while I teach and they love playing in the child cares. I was still coordinating until January when we relocated to north Florida - so for 2 years I was running my business and the aerobics programs for 2 large health clubs in South Florida.
Marketmommies: Tell us about your family and your secret to balancing it all.
Sonya: My boys are little and are not in school yet, so I get very little work done during the day. As soon as my boys go to sleep I go to work. Right now it is 2:42 am and I am not even finished yet. I want to stay at home with my boys and if that means I can work at night while they sleep, then that is the best thing in the world. I work in my PJ's with a big cup of coffee knowing my husband and boys are all sound asleep. What more could a mom want :)
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Rebecca