BellaOnline Forums Career Business Owners What positive thing is your business doing for you

I was just reading some of the posts in this Business Section and realizing we need to be more personal here if we are to encourage each other more effectively!

To start things off on a positive note... What is something positive your business is doing for you personally?

Of course, I'll be the first to answer:

I really wanted to start a business that reflected my desire to truly make a difference in this world. Now that I've done so, I get a huge sense of meaning and purpose as I watch my clients develop and succeed both personally and professionally. I'm blessed when they turn around and begin to empower others as well.

I'm thankful for my business which is really an extension of who I am in this world.

So, what positive way is your business affecting YOUR life?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you so we can get a great community for business women going on here!

Tami

I became a massage therapist 7 years ago and it have been an up hill battle. I have relocated and started over and 2 years ago I thought I will never be able to make it and I almost quit! I had been holding one or two full time jobs and trying to get my business going at the same time. my business sufford and so did I! money was always tight and I felt like a failure. the bank forclosed on the house my husband and I was buying so we moved back in with my mother. I was heart broken and I thought about quiting when my husband told me "you cant give it up we can renew your license and you can start over here." we worked it out where i worked a part time job and he had a full time job and my mother agreed that we could live with her for as long as it took us to get on our feet.

I would hard at the part time night job and worked at gaining clients and I figured out that if I could just get 5 paying clients that that would be like a full time min wage job.

now you think all of this is decouraging but my business now averages 5-6 paying clients a week I have quit my min wage job and I have learned that my family is there for me better or worse, I have gained the respect of all the people that use to say that I would never make it!!! and I have better health less stress and I am sooooooo much happier now!!!! I have learned to presiver (even if I cant spell it!), believe in myself and others and have faith that God will provide what I need!

That my friends is what my business has done for me!

I became a freelance writer about 8 years ago and have loved it. I make my own schedule, work at home and make pretty good money. I started building my health and wellness website a couple years ago and am now getting a lot of traffic and positive feedback, which is very gratifying.

I feel good that my writing is making a difference for people as well as giving me a job I love.

It is so good to hear about what you Ladies do and the way your business is feeding you in more ways than one! It adds so much meaning and purpose to our lives

Congratulations!

What's the next step in creating something even more positive for your business?

I agree, Tami. I think having your own business, doing something you really feel passionate about, is the best thing in the world. You don't mind the hours spent when it's fun.

My next step is to create another website on how to live an eco-friendly life. I am working on creating multiple streams of passive income.

Hi Joan,

When our business is fun, it doesn't seem like work at all! In fact, I don't ever plan on retiring!

Creating multiple streams of passive income is a great way to go! A couple days ago, I added a US Bookstore and a Canadian Bookstore to my website on books pertaining to Women, business growth, personal growth and relationships. I also love to write and I'm creating products I can sell.

As well, I've reserved a domain name for a website for inviting married women to live fully alive in different ways. (A lot of housewives aren't willing to spend money on coaching so the only way I can inspire them is to offer something for free!)

Keep me posted! I'd love to check out your website when it's done. I built my home with all sorts of environmentally "safe", low toxicity products.

My husband and I are planning to build an eco-friendly house for "retirement". You're right, if you love what you're doing, you don't need to ever really retire tho.

Adding a bookstore is a great idea and I think your idea for a website is a good one too.

Hi Joan,

I hope you get to build your dream home even before you retire

Thanks for your encouraging words... it seems to me that this is what this forum is meant to be. A place where us business women can come and encourage one another and maybe get a few ideas for expanding our business.

Free Bubbles, you have a wonderful testimony of persevering. Have you considered taking your massage business to the next level?

Ladies, we'd love to hear from more of you!

I forgot to tell you that the idea of adding a bookstore to my website came from a Bella member a few months back. CDMohatta was kind enough to give me the idea. I so appreciate the tip, CD!

Positive, Positive, Positive.

Tami I am thrilled to see that you have started a positive network here. Running your own business can have a lot of stress and with everyone trying to market market market they forget to form a relationship first and then the rest will come.

You are a stone's throw from me. You live in a beautiful area, then again everything from the coast to Calgary is the most beautiful place on Earth, OK maybe I'm bias growing up in the Okanagan.

Keep inspiring people tami, and i like the website.

Well, Hello Neighbour! The world's pretty big so knowing you are only a couple mountain ranges over from me is exciting

Thanks for your positive comments... to me, it's ALL about forming relationships and inviting women to express their true selves.

Every one of us here on Bella has unlimited potential. Can you imagine how powerful it would be if each and every one of us began to encourage the other to really "go for it"?

Business is such an incredible opportunity for us to make money as the side effect of living from our passion and purpose.

By the way... what is it about what you are doing that affects you in a really positive way? Of course, I can guess, but I'd rather hear it from you!

I was surprised to see a neighbour as well, all of 4 hours away! I know more people here that would love to live where you do, then again they would also love to live where I grew up and I'm happy being in Calgary.

I am still an extremely positive person so I want to challenge others to be that way too. Before you think i must have had life easy and since you didn't you don't have to be positive, guess again. It's a choice I make to see the world differently, as filled with opportunity. I live in Canada I have it better than 99% of the rest of the world.

Small Business is the back bone of our economy and with the rising dollar we risk too much Canadian money going south this Christmas Season. It's my goal to help small companies showcase themselves to their local market in a cooperative way instead of a competitive way. To Network and meet more like minded women and organize ways for them to grow their business.

I have so much on the go and I love being busy, but my kids still need me to put them first and being my own boss enables me to choose how I spend my time. I loved being an account manager in the Oil Supply field. It was a faboulous opportunity but my kids need me more than I need a fullfilling career outside the home. I still need to make money and an outlet for my passion for business so I started Carennedy Solutions to help women with their business, if they are serious about being successful. I also signed on as a Latasia Jewelry rep - for more on why I'll have to direct you to the site and the review on the company I wrote.

By the way more reviews of other direct sales businesses are coming soon so if you are looking for a business that will fit your life and passion, keep checking back.

Wow... you're even closer than I thought! I mistook you for still living in the Okanagan. We're actually 3 hours from the turn off to Sarcee Trail in Calgary. I head your way every few months to get in some serious shopping

Of course you know we are called, "Little Calgary" over here! I feel so spoiled to live where so many people build their vacation and retirement homes. After 9 years, I still look at the mountains every morning and go, "Wow!" You're right, we have so much to be thankful for when we live in Canada.

I haven't had an easy life either and I too have found that life is what I make it to be. I truly believe we can create our own destiny and our possibilities are endless when we choose to believe it.

Once again, that's why I love the opportunity that business provides us women to create a job that works for our specific personality and our lifestyle. Congratulations for taking the steps to create that for yourself, Carennedy! I'm glad you are happy!

Sorry to confuse you. I've been moving every two months lately. I moved back home to live with my parents and get the kids settled into school. My husband had a job lined up in Kelowna and the plan was to move there once we found a place. 4 days after I moved out he got a call to interview for a job flying and being a mechanic. This is his first flying job and it was an opportunity of a lifetime. He moved to Ponoka and I moved back to our home in Calgary, thankfully the market here was so bad our house didn't sell.

We are closer to you then that.... We live at Stoney Trail.

When you're in town you'll have to let me know.

The best gem I've found for shopping is the Sears Outlet store in the Deerfoot Outlet mall. Namebrands at a lot less and the cloths are still in style.

Spelling wasn't my strong suit.

Yes, Deerfoot Mall is a great place to shop! The only problem is that it is on the other side of town from where we usually go. I rarely make it over there. I go to a chiropractic specialist in the South so we usually stay with friends in the south or in a hotel around South Macleod Trail.

I'm surprised your home didn't sell in Calgary, but there must have been a purpose... perhaps you were meant to come back to it!

That and the 11,000 homes on the market compared to the normal 5,000 homes

The market in Calgary fell 40K in 3 months....

Yikes, our market didn't drop over here!

Those that are desperate to sell are dropping the price by 35-40K and those that aren't are holding firm, so someone can be out an extra 40K if they buy a house from someone who isn't motivated and then turn around and put a fire sale price on theirs.

It's due to a number of factors. The US market, the Oil Royalty issues the federal government has created which has slowed the oil field down and the large number of investors in the market place. Not to mention the amount of people selling and moving back to their home provinces to be mortgage free.

Your market is based more on Calgarians vacation homes. So depending on how bad it gets here will depend on how many people have to start selling their vacation homes. Although I don't expect many will have to because a large number of them are wealthy and can ride out a dip here and there.