Rewards
As I'm writing this I am trying so hard not to quote the theme song to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air:)
In my last post, I told you about the joining of Around the Om and Darn Good Yarn. Have you checked out the belly dance scarves or the Tibetan Prayer Flags yet?
- Click Here for Hand Pieced Vintage Silk Sari Pillow Cover
I’m nosey and if you’re like me you might like to see a glimpse into my world and how both of my businesses: Around the Om and Darn Good Yarn got started.
It all started when I married a great man I am desperately in love with my Mikey after I separated from the Air Force as an officer. Muah Love you schnoogie woogie pants. Shortly after we got hitched his job allowed us to move. I actually joke about being a professional mover” but I’ve been all over. For awhile, we did not know how long we would be at any job site so it made it near impossible to work a 9-5 job. But OMG, I needed to do something! I had watched every re-run of the Golden Girls and The Nanny on Lifetime and this needed to be stopped!
- Mike and Squeakers
One day I had a light go off. I had all this great knowledge and experience in business from college and my ex-career and I’ve always loved anything that involved entrepreneurship. I’ve had little businesses as long as I could remember. A small home business would be portable and I could work on it when I had the time. Good solution!
- Click Here For Some Om In Your Home
So, what to sell, what to sell? Well, what do I like? I like color, I like exotic, I like eclectic, I like travel and I like to help people. Hmmm…how to combine all of these? I decided I was going to import items from all around the world. At this time I was renting a small area in the back of a home in Lincoln California and we had a bonus room. That bonus room quickly was filled with shelves, boxes, a work table, and a computer. (God bless Beth, out roommate, who watched as a box multiplied to boxes and then multiplied to shelves and shelves…) I started contacting different suppliers and purchasing all around the world. I knew for sure that I wanted to support the women from struggling countries produce and distribute products. I was adamant that I did not want to support child labor. This was very important to me that what I did would help and not hinder or hurt others. Aside from Around the Om turning profitable very quickly, I was able to give almost 10% of my sales back to UNICEF!
I began buying mixed lots to get a better idea of what I might want to carry. I ended up with tons of different items while doing this, all the time learning all about importing, tariffs, shipping etc. I was so excited I think I may have branched out into too many areas at once (it happens!). That has been a very useful lesson. But let me tell you Around the Om was and is great fun and lots of work. Every time a new product came in I felt like a giddy school kid getting a present. I found myself staying up late cataloging, organizing and getting the items ready for sale. There were many sleepless nights in the beginning for sure. Wait, what am I talking about, there still are!!!
Well then Mikey was transferred yet again and I could not take all these items with me just from the sheer weight and amount of items I had acquired. If I was going to be transferring every few months I was going to need some help.
Oh no what to do?!....stay tuned for the rest of the story. In the meantime, check out some of Around the Om’s new stuff!
- Shake Your Hips Belly Dance Scarf
