Business Mums - How to Successfully Juggle Being a Mum and an Entrepreneur

As mums we already have a busy life and it is a well known fact that women are great at juggling a hundred and one things at once. But when it comes to taking on a small business as well, things get a little more challenging. As any business mum already knows it can be challenging trying to juggle the children and a business smoothly but it can be done and you don't need to be 'superwomen'.

Organisation and a 'great well oiled plan' is the key if you wish to create a successful business and lifestyle.

When becoming a mum in business it is important to have a balance between your children/family and your small business, otherwise your new business will take over. A business doesn't grow over night so don't try and make it - a few extra hours a week will not achieve this.

If you want to create a successful professional small business you will need to make some decisions about when you are going to work in your business and who will look after the children at those times. So here are some great tips to help you successfully juggle both:

1. Have a routine and plan your day. Write down everything you need to do and achieve. Include personal and business goals and then put together a weekly action plan and daily task list. It will make it easier if you can dedicate set days to your business and then you can do all your business tasks on those days.

2. Separate your work and family time. Make a clear distinction between the two. Set time aside for your family and avoid working in family time. Trying to work with children in tow is not a great recipe for success and not very fair on your children.

• Set up an office environment away from the children. - This will help you to focus on work and be professional.

• When making phone calls - children will always interrupt so make your business calls when they are asleep or when someone else can watch them. It is not professional to make calls with noisy children in the background.

• Do the day-to-day running of the business. If you look after your children full time, working when the children are asleep can be a great option.

3. Have set working days. This will help you to focus on your business with no interruptions from your children. If you need some additional time to concentrate on the business then consider having your children looked after for a period of time each week by a relative or friend, Childcare or Family Day Care or a Nanny?

4. Get help from experts. If you try and do everything yourself, you will pay a high price - your health, family time and an unsuccessful business. Outsource tasks to experts; use their knowledge to help you grow your business. Recruit a PR person, a bookkeeper, an admin person etc.

5. Know what you want to achieve from your business. Having definite objectives will help you to work towards your goals. Break them down into smaller goals that you can achieve as you work towards your ultimate goals. It is much better than having everything going round in your head and being unsure whether you are actually achieving anything.

By following these few steps, your business will develop the strong foundations it needs to succeed. Remember, building a business takes time, and you must be patient and dedicated to be successful.

A great way to help you successfully juggle being a Mum and an Entrepreneur would be to connect with other business mums, just like you on our website. Get your free access by going to http://www.businesswomenunite.net where you can also discover tips and strategy that women just like you are using every day to grow profitable businesses!

MidLife Women - How We Change in Midlife

"An increasingly insistent voice from deep within beckons us ...imploring us to explore aspects of ourselves that have been dormant during our years of caring for others and focusing on their needs." Dr. Christiane Northrup

There's definitely an up and a down side to getting older. For instance, who knew that perimenopausal symptoms, some of which, like poor co-ordination, seemed to oddly mimic early first pregnancy, could begin at age 43? I certainly wasn't ready for that and my mother, my friend and my Jin-shin-do practitioner had to tell me that what I was experiencing was perimenopause.

The initial stages of perimenopause seemed okay, but as the process deepened, my energy plummeted severely and I felt emotionally disconnected. As the hormone changes intensified, combining with my particular body biology and habits, I was quietly developing osteoporosis.

After I traversed perimenopause and became a menopausal crone, I began my counselling program at City University in Vancouver. My course started one month after I became menopausal, which I found interesting, and somehow fitting. My energy was more stable now, and the focus of learning skills to help me with my work with women gave my life meaning.

This new stage of my life also coincided with my aging mother, who was developing Alzheimer's by then, leaving her independent living situation and moving to our community, where my brother and I set her up in her own apartment with private caregivers for several hours per week. While I wasn't responsible for her day-to-day care, as my brother was her self-appointed case manager, the initial adjustment to having my mom 'in my backyard' so to speak, was pretty challenging. I was dealing with the stress of my first year in grad school (after about 20 years), and I was very stressed. Having my mother in my in my community meant that she was 'in my face', and old issues surfaced. Over the years it's been a chance to let go and grow for both of us however.

Despite the challenges midlife throws us, I've always seen this time as an opportunity to get to know oneself better. Something in us holds out an invitation to go down deeper into ourselves and to find out what it is that we yearn to do with the rest of our lives.

Through her 'Odyssey of Change' coaching program, Ellen Besso offers Midlife Women the opportunity to navigate the midlife maze and find joy & fullness in their lives. Personal action plans include strengthening the body-mind connection; releasing beliefs that limit growth; & specific actions to move you forward into your ideal life. Ellen is uniquely qualified to be your guide because she has personally journeyed through perimenopause and into an inspired life as a menopausal crone! Her professional credentials include certification as a Martha Beck Coach and an M.A. in Counselling from City University.

Keratin in Skin Care Products - Beware!

I'm sure you've heard about the importance of keratin to your skin health and the look of your skin. Keratin is important to keep your skin looking good, so it must be good to find keratin in your skin care products right?

Maybe.

First though, lets have a look at what keratin actually is.

Keratin is a "structural protein". It is tough and fibrous and helps hold your skin together firmly, and prevent sagging. As a structural component of our skin keratin has a major role in skin health. All good. This is found in a number of areas in our bodies, like our nails and teeth as well as our skin. As you can see keratin can be both hard and soft. It's hard in nails, for instance, and is soft in skin.

Keratin in our skin forms below the surface, and gradually works it's way up to the surface where it forms a protective layer. It is formed by what are known as keratinocytes, which are living cells which exist in our skin.

So isn't it a good thing if we see keratin on the label of our skin care products and anti aging products?

That depends. You see not all keratin is created equal, and some keratin is better than other keratin. You need the right type in your skin care products, or it won't do very much at all. I mentioned that keratin is found in various parts of the body, including the nails and skin. So most keratin that is used in anti aging skin care is derived from animal sources that contain keratin. In particular hooves, horns and feathers.

All these animal products are basically melted down and subjected to high temperatures, and extracted from these animal products for use in skin care products. However the problem is that the process used to extract the keratin, and specifically the heat to which it is subjected, changes it's form by a process known as hydrolyzation.

Hydrolyzation basically means that the chemical properties of the ingredient are changed. And for keratin, the hydrolyzation means that it is changed to a form that is no longer useful to our skin.

So is keratin in our skin care products good? No, not if it's been extracted by use of the traditional extraction process and it's been hydrolyzed.

Wait a moment though, because that's not the end of the story.

There is a small company in New Zealand that has found a way to extract keratin from the wool of New Zealand sheep in a way that does not lead to hydrolyzation. So the keratin is not degraded, and is still "bio available".Ie it remains in it's natural form. It's called "Functional Keratin".

So if you find this type of keratin in your skin care products then yes, that's good. Very good.

Problem is, the major skin care manufacturers don't use Functional Keratin because it's more expensive. And they are in the business of keeping their product costs down to keep profits up. So as long as they can say there is keratin in there, that's good enough.

So how do you go about getting your skin care products with keratin in them with the "bio available" form?

Can you get skin care products with keratin in them with the "bio available" form?

Yes you can. It's in a skin care range manufactured by a small niche skincare company and it's extremely effective. It's been described as "liquid skin" and works, according to current scientific studies, to stimulate the production of new skin cells to replace the old ones. This helps improve elasticity and firmness in the skin, both extremely desirable outcomes.

So to answer the original question, is it good to find keratin in your skin care products? No, not if it's traditionally extracted, it won't do much. Yes if it's Functional Keratin because it will do it's job of firming your skin and making it look healthier and younger.

Ahhh, but where do you find this tiny niche skin care company?

Want to know more about Natural Skin Care with Functional Keratin? Visit Peter's Website Natural Health-Natural Skin Care and find out more about Organic Skin Care Products at http://naturalskinhealth.com/