Enterprising Moms Network Inc

One-Year Left to Live – By Eva Hamori   

What would you do? Where would you go? What would be important to you, and how would you spend your precious time left on earth? With friends and family or traveling to the places you have always wished to visit? Would you buy the fastest car your savings could buy and drive on the Autobahn or would you drink yourself into oblivion? All viable options but what if you weren't dying? Shouldn't we live each day as if it were our last? Why not live our best life now instead of waiting for that pivotal moment that awakens you from the day to day grind. Our auto pilot existence, where comfort and security are the bottom line of our needs, yet we ask little more from our selves. Heaven forbid we slightly move out of our comfort zone into uncomfortable change. But the question is, "Is this your life?" I know it is, but is it the dream life you couldn't wait to get too? Maybe you are stuck in a job you dislike, or a marriage that doesn't quite fit or debt you can't manage. Match your life with your true passion and everything else falls into place. 

These thoughts prompted our family into the next Hamori family adventure! 

Yes we have a beautiful life. Canada is a wonderful place to live. Money is not a problem. It steadily comes in and we steadily pay our bills.

I stay home with the kids. I have a support network of strong women I turn towards. Life is about what mattered to me. The causes I fight for and the people I surround myself with.  I volunteer.

With me home, Alfonz didn't have to share in the day-to-day stuff, and he started to get more and more successful, and had a soft place to fall at the end of each stressful day.

But this is not just my life to live on the back of my husband, who comes home exhausted. It's his life too. And why wouldn't he deserve the same luxury of self-growth he allows for me. I am not saying that staying home is a piece of cake, and that I don't work my tail off cooking homemade meals each day, or growing a garden or teach my kids, and all the things life as a parent entails. 

What I realized was being a parent was in fact my true self, being home with my babies was my life ambition, and I felt a huge reward having the time to figure that out. When I found my groove all the elements in my life started to jive. I found a passion for Montessori Education, volunteered at the children's school, started a block watch in our community and began to blog. My circle of friends grew around me with people I love and respect, people I truly learn from. So I wasn't idle eating bonbons watching soaps, I was my husband's equal partner, and my true self. As such I worked 100% of the time to the best of my ability. People seem to work much harder at the things they love. But how can we do the same for Alfonz?

Solution: A year of travel through France. With the option to buy a Gite, live there and run it. The idea is to spend as much time together as we can, while the kids are young enough to assimilate to a new culture. A land with warmer weather,  320 days of sunshine per year and a close journey to our home in Budapest. This would give our family the life we deserve, one that focuses on time currency and not just chasing the dollar. 

We are preparing by learning French, since January.

The vision looks like this. Buy a large home in the Languedoc region in the South of France. Close to tourist attractions and on route to the sea. It has a garden with a large table over looking a spectacular view of the Pyrenees Mountains or rolling countryside or something of that nature. Travelers’ are around a table and I’m serving them a beautiful Sunday Coq Au Vin meal or the like with ingredients from my beautiful garden. I see a house with a kitchen that we would live in and I an adjoining house with rental suites/rooms or floors for guests to stay in. There's a swimming pool to cool down in and a beautiful vineyard. The sun is setting as our glasses toast and our life would be restful, rewarding and happy. 

It's a funny thing. When we started to tell people we are moving to France, the first response is one of great disbelief. Many have dreams that seem implausible. People often wish they could move across the world to a land they visited once in there twenties that seemed perfect. Wishing to go back and live in that place that seemed unbelievably magical. And France being the most visited tourist destination in the world, I guess it's a common goal. 

The difference is I happened to have married a man that no matter what I have ever suggested, as crazy as it may seem, he never said as much. He always said, "If it's that important to you, we will make it happen." And in return I give the same courtesy. 

Great opportunities come along often and it really depends on character if you seize them. Our family is constantly dreaming, and wishing and improving and when something like this adventure presents itself we jump in headfirst.

If we end up back after a few months or ten months or even 2 years, at least we gave it a try. 

Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all? Better to have traveled and return than to never travel at all!

So if you think we are dreaming, yes of course we are. If you think we are crazy, maybe so. But if you need a rental B&B in the South of France, give us a call.

Visit Eva Hamori's website: http://www.thatshamori.com 

By Anne Cabrera, Sowing Seeds Accounting Services -

http://www.sowingseedsaccounting.com

Often times, the last thing a new entrepreneur considers when starting a business is how to take care of the books.  After all, marketing and closing sales is the be-all and end-all, right?  Without cash coming in, what’s the point of even having a business?  While I agree that sales is crucial, a properly set up and maintained bookkeeping system offers a busy mompreneur several key benefits:  reduced stress, boost productivity, easy access, and effective planning.

1. Reduced stress.  The last thing most entrepreneurs want to do when they get home or when weekend comes is to sit down and do their books.  For some, numbers just is not their thing.  For others, the sheer volume and, at times, duplication of their paperwork makes them hunt for any excuse to put it off---all the way until next April when the tax man comes calling.  Poor organization, inadequate filing systems, and lack of proper bookkeeping training are all factors that increase the stress of doing your books.  When you eliminate all three, your bookkeeping, while tedious, will soon take less of your time and your days will be a lot more stress-free.

2.  Boost productivity.  How long does it take you to find one invoice?  Are you current with all of your suppliers?  Have you collected all of your 30-day and 60-day accounts?  If your books are not properly maintained on a monthly basis and your filing system is a bin haphazardly filled with everything but the kitchen sink, you are inevitably less productive than you could be.  In the beginning, it may be easy to know who owes you what and how much, but as time passes, human memory fails and what could have been money in your pocket could easily be lost.  What about when you need to reference a supplier invoice for a late or wrong delivery?  If you can get your hand on that invoice within a half-hour, you are that much more likely to call and resolve the issue on the spot than if you have to dig through months of invoices. 

3.  Easy access.  CRA requires that all business keep records, paper or electronic.  In a pinch, paper often has higher credibility than electronic.  If you are not properly recording your purchases and sales, your HST returns will likely be inaccurate, resulting in either more taxes paid or less refunds received.  If you are not properly filing your documents (actual receipts, invoices, bills of lading, etc., and not just statements), then you are not complying with CRA’s mandatory filing requirements.  Either way, you are not doing yourself a favour by not keeping a proper bookkeeping system.

4.  Effective planning.  All businesses need plans.  Any business without a plan is a business that plans to fail.  If you don’t know how much you spent last month on advertising, how do you know how much to budget to spend next month?  If you don’t know which invoices you still have outstanding, how do you know how much cash you’ll need next month?  By keeping your books up to date on a monthly basis, you can make better plans for the future because your plans will be based on more accurate and more timely information.

A good bookkeeping system has four key elements:  an easy filing system, staff with right technical training, an effective work process, and adequate time.  Sowing Seeds Accounting Systems provides independent small businesses with the tools, staff, process, and time they need to ensure that their company is getting all they can out of their bookkeeping.

Do you dream of owning your own business and working for yourself? Before you make this huge leap of faith and finances, ask yourself this question…could you imagine working for someone else if you were offered your dream job?

If this is the case then you should spend more time looking for the job you truly want and less time dreaming about becoming an entrepreneur. There are certain considerations that can give you great insight and help you decide if you do have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

1.     1. What is your motivation? Ask yourself if you would want to be an entrepreneur regardless of how much money you might make as you build your business. If your goal is simply to achieve an income your chances of success, and more importantly, personal satisfaction are limited. Your real motivation must come from something inside you, not from external rewards like monetary goals or praise from others.

2.    2.  Who will it benefit? Is your dream based on something you want to give, or is it more about something you want to receive? A true entrepreneurial spirit includes a desire to do something that reaches beyond oneself. This is the reward that spurs the spirit of an entrepreneur.

3.      How hard are you willing to work? One of the biggest misconceptions about becoming an entrepreneur is that life will be easier than working for someone else. Rarely is this the case. Becoming successful requires tremendous commitment and usually the hours reflect the level of dedication to your dream.

4.      Are you prepared? What are you bringing to the table? Even if this is your own company, you need to have the experience and knowledge required to succeed. Ask yourself if you would hire yourself? If the answer is no, then spend some time educating yourself at what you want to really do. If this doesn’t sound compelling then entrepreneurship may not be for you.

5.      Can you handle success? How comfortable are you with personal success? One of the number one reasons independent businesses fail is the fact that many people are their own worst enemy. Some people like the idea of success and independence, but as their new business grows, self-sabotage becomes a factor and dreams become financial nightmares. Know right from the start that you are not someone who gets in his or her own way. Be certain that you know that you will always be your own advocate and that you are willing to go the distance to protect and fight for your dreams. You will encounter obstacles and negativity and doubt somewhere along the path. True entrepreneurs never accept defeat, and they never create it for themselves. Their entrepreneurial spirit pushes them past any difficulties and their greatest joy comes from the pride and sense of satisfaction that comes from living your dreams.

Anne Leedom is the Founder of www.TeenPalz.com, a website providing virtual monitoring and activities for teens. She lives in Northern California.

Cash Flow and Your Budget by Joanna Muir, Dear Piggy Bank

Cash flow can be a huge challenge. It is a key part of successfully maintaining your personal finances or operating your business. There is no magic solution but with a little planning and a strong money management system you will have more time to spend other aspects of your life or business. A little time invested up front will save hours over the long run. Not to mention, reduce anxiety levels!

1.    Have a Plan. Quantify your financial goals in terms of amount, timeline and worth. They may include a vacation, a car, home, a retirement plan or debt repayment. Prioritize them.

2.    Know the Numbers & the Dates. How much monthly income do you receive and when do you receive it? If your income is inconsistent then calculate a conservative average monthly income. Estimate any additional income as an annual figure. What expenses are you responsible for and when are they due?

3.    Do the Math. Compare monthly expenses to net monthly income. Do you have a surplus or deficit? If it is a surplus, you have the freedom to allocate funds to your financial goals. If it is a deficit, it is important to understand if it is temporary or not. If it is not, your two options are to earn more money or reduce expenses.

4.    Set Up Systems.

·      An easy way to organize expenses is to divide them into the 1^st and 2^nd halves of the month – so that you know how much money to have in your account for the 1^st and 15^th of each month.

·      Keep your monthly obligations as low as possible to allow for greater maneuverability.

·      Retain a float equivalent to your monthly expenses.

·      Total large, sporadic expenses such as insurance or property tax, and divide by 12 to calculate a monthly amount. Set up an automatic monthly transfer to a separate account so the funds are there when the bills are due.

·      It is important to meet obligations to Canada Revenue Agency. If you are self-employed, take the time to assess a guideline tax rate percentage. Deduct the appropriate amount from any income as soon as you receive it and transfer it to a savings account.

·      Use monthly savings plans and automatic transfers to reach your goals. Increasing your mortgage payment by $50 each month makes a big difference. The sooner the debt is gone, more cash is available for other purposes.

·      Use any income in excess of required monthly expenses to invest in your plan.

5.    Plan B. Expect wrinkles. What is your backup plan? It may be a contingency fund, a line of credit or a credit card. If you need to use it, it’s there – just remember to repay it as soon as possible.

The concepts are similar for personal and business money management. www.DearPiggyBank.com specializes in helping you simplify your finances and setting up a plan and systems to meet your goals – whatever they may be.

With preparations for Christmas well underway, I feel as though this year is the first year I've finally got it right.

I started buying gifts at the beginning of November and had the house decorated both inside and out by the first week of December. 

 Enterprising Moms Network annaul Xmas & Silent Auction was held in White Rock for the Ronald McDonald House and raised more than $850.

My own family has been able to donate to two other families  this year, that my son's school is sponsoring.

Usually, I am struggling with gift ideas, trying to figure out which charity to donate to, and driving myself crazy....

The kids have had their breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus, written their wish lists and the Christmas cards are done and mailed out.

So what makes this year so different from other years?  I'm guessing its because I finally allowed myself some time to get fully prepared.  Instead of reacting to Christmas, I am acting.  

I'm even hosting the Christmas Dinner this year at my house for my parents, in-laws and my sister and her family. 

I'm also planning on giving myself a break after the holidays for a quick getaway for myself and my friend at the River Rock. It's the first time I am allowing myself not to feel guilty about taking some time for me and have a night out filled with fun and relaxation. You can CLICK HERE to check it out what I'm doing.  I'm very excited.:)

This Christmas, I have chosen to put everyone I love and care about on my priority list, including myself. ;) And I hope you will too!

To all the mom entrepreneurs out there busy with their business, getting their families prepared for Christmas and really making it work - from my home to yours - Merry Christmas!

- Kelley Scarsbrook, EMN President

Are Tornado Warnings Affecting Your Business?

- By Tereza Kumric – Enterprising Moms Network Toronto

Business owners enter the business world with a no fail attitude. We’ve done our homework, calculated our margins, set our goals and are ready for success. But as our guest speaker Sarah Morgenstern of Savvy Mom Media said at the Enterprising Moms meeting in Toronto, business is not a Cinderella story.

Like  every business owner, when we have an important launch, important event or  meeting  we gear up, we plan , we dot our I’s and cross our T’s – like I did for the Enterprising Moms event that was planned for October 26 with Sarah Morgenstern. What I did not plan for however was the extreme weather warning for Toronto that forced me to cancel an event that I was planning for months (and you thought the tornado in the title was just a metaphor!).

So I did what all business owners do – I put out the fire.

I called all the members and guests, tweeted, emailed and rescheduled the event as fast as I could.

Not a big deal – life happens right?

Yes, it does and while your warnings might not come in the form of a tornado, one of the many “truths” that Sarah shared about being a mom entrepreneur was just that – “Bad things will happen… things will go wrong”.  So, all that cumbersome stuff that small business owners think they don’t need, like lawyers and contracts, insurance and a back-up plan… well, think again. Does that mean you need to dump that no fail attitude? 

Absolutely not.  Just know that despite your intentions and motivated spirit, things CAN and WILL go wrong. Have a lawyer, have insurance, make sure your goals are in line with your business partners goals (before you start the business!), be very involved and don’t leave your business on autopilot, and have support, whether  it is in the form of an advisory board, a networking group  or friends and family.

This way, when the tornado hits, you are prepared to react.

We are gearing up for  a very exciting event happening on Friday, November 5th from 7  - 10pm at the River Rock Hotel in Richmond, BC.

The event is the Enterprising Moms Fall Networking Social.   It's a great opportunity to meet members from other chapters, network with other women business owners and take the time to celebrate your accomplishments!  This event is for both members and interested guests as well as spouses, friends and supporters.

Speakers for the evening event include:

Kelley Scarsbrook, President of Enterprising Moms Network - "Busting the Myth of the Perfect Mom".

Felicia Lee, Business Development Director/Vancouver Chapter Director of Enterprising Moms Network and Ghost CEO Coach - "3 Tools for Entrepreneurial Time Mastery."

Kasia Rachfall, owner of Fresh Perspective Coach - "Your Values: The Unconscious Tool that Moves You Forward or Holds You Back."

Tickets are $25/pp and includes appies. 

The Grand Prize Draw at the Event is a Girl's Getaway Package provided by the River Rock Hotel.

DON'T DELAY - get your tickets soon to avoid disappointment (as we sold out last year!)

TO SECURE YOUR TICKET - CLICK HERE.

Take some time to celebrate you and your business - you DESERVE it!

Guest post by Nancy Milton - www.lifedots.ca

Should sucks.  Really, it totally does.  I have been “shoulding” my whole life.  “You should call your grandma (daily), you should make a proper dinner (vs. serving myself a great plate of nachos with cheese and salsa), you should clean the garage, you should get up/ showered & dressed before the kids interrupt the process.”  See what I mean?  There’s a whole “here’s how it’s supposed to be done” guilt part of life that, to put it bluntly, I’m tired of.  So, I’m letting go of ‘should’, and have reintroduced  ‘would’. And today, I will make the introductions to you.

I’m a morning person.  Pre-kids, I would set the alarm in the morning (it’s amazing I still remember this, it seems so long ago).  When the alarm would go off (music, no shrilling “GET UP” ringing for me), I’d simply lie there for a couple minutes.  Listen to the news from the radio, open my eyes, do the mental check list on the body parts (and ailments), LOVE the feeling of the comforter cocooning me and the moments of pleasure without a to-do list running through my head like nails on a chalk board.

I gave this up 5+ plus years ago.  This 5 minutes of bliss. This ‘connect with my mind/ body/ spirit regime and all it’s benefits’ to instead thrust myself out of bed – to the point of sometimes dizzy – to begin the marching orders of my routine for that day. 

Then, one morning it all changed.  The kids “slept in” (for clarity, this is anytime after 7:00am) and I woke up independently.  I listened to the birds chirping. I stretched. I thought about the dream I woke from. I enjoyed a couple moments of “ahhh’.  Then it hit me.  I’VE MISSED THIS.  I NEED this back in my life.  Then my inner voice started with the ‘shoulds’.  “You’re now behind schedule. You should get dress FAST, make the bed, put on your make up, wake the kids and do it without seeming frantic because you’re late.”  Let me ask you this, does your inner voice know my inner voice?  This particular morning, I put a stop to it.

 Simply. I didn’t should.

Instead I “would”.

So, the kids come in within minutes of this blissful experience and the 5 year old literally asks me “Mommy what are you doing in bed?!?”.  I laugh out loud. Then asked them to both climb in (bed) with me so I could teach them to “would”.  So they climb in and I prep them for the “experience” (worded more kid friendly then I have for you). “Would it be nice to start every morning with a couple minutes giggling in bed? Would it be joyous to gaze out the bedroom window & enjoy the beauty of the start of the day? Would it be a better day to feel a connection (to self or each other) before throwing back the covers to rush to get to school?” 

It’s no shock to you I am sure, the answers to each would were yes.  So, every morning they climb in to wake me up.  We come up with shapes within the clouds & tree branches out my window, we talk about our dreams, we talk about our day.  We connect.  And the alarm is set for a specific time to allow us to wake each other up and have this “would” time in case anyone ever oversleeps again (ha...have only needed that alarm once).

Everyday my live was full of ‘shoulds’.  I ‘should’ empty the dishwasher. I ‘should’ get this stuff to the drycleaners.  I’ve got lots of ‘shoulds’ in my life that I’ve relabelled with ‘must’.  For the rest of them, I do my ‘would’ test to help me better access if the ‘should’ is a ‘must’.  If it’s not a must I then ask myself, what would be best in the situation? Or what would the benefit be for me to do that in the short and long term?  What would this do to make my (or others ) day better/ brighter/ easier? Then I let my gut answer.  My gut is always right, it’s the interpretation I’ve been screwing up on. What ‘shoulds’ are ‘musts’ in your life? And what ‘should’ needs to experience the ‘would filter’ to give your life connection back?

Nancy Milton is “the First Dot” of Life Dots; a Facilitation and Coaching organization that strives to assist all clients in making the change in their lives to give them the life they want to have. Life Dots is about connecting your Life Dots.  For more information on one or one coaching, corporate coaching or retreats check out www.lifedots.ca or contact nancy@lifedots.ca