Busy-ness

Some of you may have noticed it’s been a little longer between posts over the last few weeks. I'm sorry if you've missed me but I've had a lot of very exciting things happening.

It all started before this blog was born; at the beginning of March I signed up to an online challenge I'd just happen to see on a Facebook page. It was a post by mum and business-woman, Victoria, asking for people to look at ways they could baby proof their income.

Initially I felt a bit like I was coming at the challenge from the wrong direction as many of the mums were working. Since Beth was born I’ve not needed to work and I feel very privileged to have been able to spend 4 years doing nothing but playing, teaching and generally avoiding the house work. It's not been easy, there are times when unexpected bills have really impacted our lifestyle, and there have been times when our families have been incredible generous and helped us out when we've found ourselves in a tight-spot. When we have been in those situations it has been very easy to imagine that me working would be the end to all our problems, but a normal 9-5 with the kids in nursery wouldn't end up paying much and would make me and the kids unhappy. Last year I thought the only possible solution would be to start a childminding business, but I'd been struggling to get my head round all the changes we would need to make to our home and routine since Christmas, and progress had really stalled.

The 30 day challenge has opened my eyes to many things but the real change is to the way I think. It all comes down to being able to believe in yourself, and turning the problem upside down, what do you like to do and how can it make you money. One of my biggest stumbling blocks used to be that tended to blow problems up out of proportion and discount something I could do 99.9% of just because of one thing I didn’t think I could do. Now I start with what I want to do, fill in the details of what I can do then anything left is in the learn to do pile. Victoria and the other ladies who have done this challenge with me have really helped me to take the plunge forward and because of their help and encouragement I have become a barefoot book ambassador. 

I have always loved barefoot book ever since my mother in law bought Beth a copy of We all went on Safari. The main body of the story is a simple counting story about African animals, but it is coupled with the most elegant illustrations and at the back there is loads of information about Tanzania and the east coast of Africa. I just loved the fact that the same book would be entertaining to a 2 year old and informative all the way through primary school ages. The next time I came across the books was at the school Christmas fete. This was the first time I’d really seen a collection of these beautiful books and it was the first time I really took any notice of the Barefoot name.  I went home and had a look at the website and discovered there was an ambassador programme.

The best thing for me about the Barefoot ambassador programme is how open it is; you can sell Barefoot books in many different ways (through parties, online, stalls and special events) and build your business to suit you and your life. You can adapt and change your business with your changing lifestyle, it can be done part time, on its own or with a job and you can invest the time when you have it and you can scale it back when you are busy with other things. The other thing I love is it’s never a hard sell; the product is so good and unique that simple by introducing it to people they get engaged with the product and want to buy.

I've been an ambassador for less than a month and I've already achieved my first two goals, and won a bundle of prizes. I've held an event and have started to book parties. I've found a really brilliant team and team leader which has really smoothed the way, and I’m already looking to help others start their own barefoot business, which is where I shamelessly plug the fact that we have a special offer on the starter kits right now (save £30 normally )