Mom of the Month
March 2009

Who is The Purple Pug?
My name is Kristy and I am the person behind the purple curtain! I am the mom to 2 boys-My older one is almost 6 and the younger one is almost 4. They are my world, my inspiration and my proudest achievement. I have been married for 15 years to an extraordinary man. I am also a Work at Home Mom and I absolutely adore what I do!

How did you get started?
I have always had an interest in planning the perfect party. Through the years I have helped with planning for many showers, weddings, birthdays and holidays. I love unique stuff and I love handmade items more than anything. My mother has always been an amazing crafter and I am sure part of my talent and interest is in the DNA! When I had my own children, I became even more of a handmade addict. I would search high and low for whimsical items that could never be found in the local superstore. When my older son’s First Birthday rolled around, I became disappointed at the lack of creative and beautiful handmade party items available, especially for boys. I decided to create my own handmade party items and the rest is history! I discovered my passion and the stars began to align-this is what I wanted to do. I honed my skills on my own parties, parties for my kids, friends, etc. Everyone would tell me “You should start your own business,” and eventually I did! I started my business online, selling on eBay at first, and I launched my website about 6 months ago. I am so lucky to be able to work from home, be with my kids and fuel my passion for creating handmade items.

What do you sell?
I design and handcraft invitations, party favor bags, thank you notes, banners, cupcake toppers, centerpiece flags, and coordinating accessories. All of my designs are from original artwork created by me or my super-talented little sister. My designs are one of a kind and appeal to those who desire something more special than can be found at a local party store. Any item I sell can be made into a package of coordinating pieces, which makes for a spectacular presentation. I specialize in amazing kids’ parties, but I also create items for every age and occasion.

What have been your biggest challenges of the business?
I am very comfortable selling on eBay. It is easy, effective and I have conducted hundreds of transactions with very happy customers. For whatever reason, many people do not see eBay as a “real business” and I wanted to see what would happen if I had my own website. I received a lot of positive encouragement and decided to branch out and take everything to the next level. Challenge number one was to find a web designer. I searched a very long time to find someone I felt would be able to take my vision and make the perfect site for me. It took a lot of research, but I found an extraordinary designer and am thrilled with her work and continued support. The biggest challenge for me now is figuring out how to maintain my website on a day-to-day basis. I thought that is would all be fast and easy to run a website. I found that I am truly out of my element and comfort zone with coding and “web stuff.” I am constantly researching and reading to try to figure things out. I do not like to do it, but I know it goes with the territory. I also do not fully understand SEO and am making it a priority for 2009. It is paramount to make myself a well-rounded businessperson. “Web Stuff” is my weakness, but I learn something new every day. The WAHM Shoppes forum is a helpful, encouraging environment for me and I take an enormous amount of knowledge from those women.

Can you share your tips for survival and success?
When it comes to business, first and foremost in my mind is always to treat my customer as I would want to be treated. Customer service for me is just as important as making a beautiful invitation. There are a million places online for someone to purchase party goods and the fact that they choose The Purple Pug is an honor that I do not take lightly. I want my customer to be thrilled and excited when they open their package from me. I value the relationship with the customer and I strive to make every one of them a repeat customer.

I have picked up so many tips and so much advice over the past few years.
Highlights for me include:

   ♦Do what you love. That has been said a million times over, but it is so true. I am excited every day to get to work and design and create and make someone out there in cyberspace very happy. If you do not love your business you will burn out very quickly.

   ♦I have learned that I need to trust my instincts. I know what works best for my products, my customers and designs. I design from the heart. Not everyone will love my items, but I stay true to myself. I do listen to opinions of those I trust and I take critiques and advice seriously. I am always willing to listen to what someone has to say about my products and business. I like to hear different perspectives. It helps me grow.

   ♦I have also learned that research is vital for business success. At least half of my time online is spent doing research on trends, techniques in my field. I educate myself on how to best run my website. I have to research on marketing plans and SEO. I am always learning something new.

Thank you for reading a little bit about me. I am honored to be March’s Mom of the Month! I wish all of you continued success in 2009.