1. Talk to your kids about their safety: how to handle going/not going with people, what to do if they become lost, what to do if someone is taking them. We have two products to help with these Stranger Safety DVD, Kid Escape DVD.

2. Children need to wear an ID everday. See our child ID bracelets and our other physical ids.

 3. Parents should carry a current photo of your children. See our Wallet ID kit.

4. If your child is lost in a crowded place, teach them to look for another MOMMIE to help them.

5. If your child is being abducted, teach them to take off their id and leave it as a clue for law enforcement.

6. Parents should understand how CODE ADAM works and how to get  a CODE ADAM called if your child is lost.

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009, 10am -11am eastern time zone
Channel 7, Greenville/Spartanburg, SC

 If you are not local, you can view the show using their LIVE STREAMING and be a part of the show with LIVE CHAT. Just go here and both of those links are there: http://www.yourcarolina.tv/

This time I will be discussing Child Safety Products and specifically vacation child safety.

I know that I already have great prices (under suggested retail). And, you can always get a discount by entering the Loot4Mama Giveaway where you will also be entered to WIN a free pair of baby shoe bronzing. Now, this is just an added benefit to my clients.

If you are not local to me:
I just got word that starting 3/5/09 there will be live streaming on this page: http://www.yourcarolina.tv
There is also always a live chat while the show is going on. Look for the live chat link and talk me up!!

If you miss the live show, they will have a video clip after the show on the Your Carolina link (above) later in the day.

I will be talking about Patty-Cakes and Baby Shoe Bronzing.

UPDATED: You can see the segment on YourCarolina video log: http://www.yourcarolina.tv/ycvideo/entry/chicks_and_cubs/

(Moore, SC. February 3, 2009) Chicks & Cubs has been awarded the 2008 Top 20 Sales Award from The Senti-Metal Company, the world’s oldest and largest baby shoe bronzing company.

“There is a definite resurgence in shoe bronzing keepsakes,” said Cynthia Powell, the owner of Chicks & Cubs. “We see a lot of families who grew up with their bronzed baby shoes sitting on their parent’s shelves. As they have children and grandchildren of their own, they want to continue the tradition.”

Chicks & Cubs is approaching their 10^th anniversary and has steadily grown their shoe bronzing business, helping families preserve their baby’s first shoes. A dynamic, small home-based business, Chicks & Cubs offer their baby shoe bronzing for less than suggested retail and with stellar customer service attention.

Chicks & Cubs prices for baby shoe bronzing start at $145. The price depends on the finish, the size and number of shoes and the mounting choice. Their prices include custom engraving, shipping, tax and a lifetime warranty.

An ideal Mother’s Day gift, many items besides baby’s first walking shoes can be bronzed and preserved. Chicks & Cubs had the honor of bronzing ballet shoes and pacifiers for several proud parents.

Bronzed baby shoes are available in four finishes: antique bronze, bright bronze, pewter or silver. Besides displaying baby shoes unmounted, they can also be securely mounted on book ends, with a photo frame and on solid walnut bases.

“Bronzed shoes are a wonderful way to remember that brief moment in time,” said Powell. “Families keep and treasure these mementos for years. Our company is thrilled to produce heirloom keepsakes for our clients.”

A celebration of their 2008 Sales Award, Chicks & Cubs is offering a free giveaway. The grand prize is a pair of shoes preserved in any finish and on any mounting. The current contest ends March 31, 2009.

On February 10, 2009, if congress doesn’t ACT, the child safety products I have in stock will be NON-Sellable and I will not even be able to give them away, until I can get them tested. To increase awarness, I will be giving away up to 3 of my products (depending on # of entries, see below). 

 Enter to win one of these Child Locators ($30 value).

You must comment below, finishing one of these sentences:

1. I’m a fellow business owner that will be effected by CPSIA in that….

2. I am a parent, I think CPSIA is…….

3. I had not heard about CPSIA before, but now that I have I will……

I will give away 1 product for every 20 comments I get, up to 3 products given out. Winners will be randomly selected. Giveaway will close 2/2/09. You must include email and/or phone # for me to be able to reach you to win.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED — Comment #19 was the winner.

As parents, I’m sure most you heard of all the toy recalls for lead paint back in 2007. So what has the government done to protect your children from lead contained in toys? I’d like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.
CPSIA will ban toys, take books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, kill the entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we’ve seen in decades. Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on February 10, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren’t originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children’s books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there’s always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it’s passed testing. It won’t even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can’t sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can’t even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children’s items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you’ll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you’d better start buying now because it’s all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren’t certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Other good information:

http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/ 

http://www.karen-clark.com/cpsia-information/

http://www.wbaltv.com/video/18479590/index.html

February is Baby Shoe Bronzing Month

Each year I try to run a GREAT special in honor of Baby Shoe Bronzing Month. I think giving my clients specials is what has helped me be named as one of the TOP 20 sales reps for The Senti-Metal company in 2008.

Don’t forget to enter the Loot4Mama Giveaway to possibly win a better discount, more prizes and the GRAND Prize of a pair of shoes done, FREE. If you need more information about our style, prices and how to order. Request you full color baby shoe bronzing brochure packet.

So here are the specials for 2009:

NOTES: These offers expire 2/28/09. You must reference the voucher code or you will NOT get the discount. % off discounts is on the pre-tax and pre-shipping price, please contact me for your final price.

1. recieve 10% off one order. use voucher code: BSBM1

2. recieve Free Shipping (-$20/order) on two orders mailed in together (get a friend to do it with you) use voucher code: BSBM2

3. recieve 15% off 3 orders mailed in together (again, get some friends to do it with you) use voucher code: BSBM3

4. recieve 20% off 4 or more orders mailed in together. (talk with your friends and family) use voucher code: BSBM4

My first answer is that you need to get your site UP in the search engines for your products/services. So when someone goes to Google looking for Baby Shoe Bronzing then YOUR site is on that first page. The way to do that is Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  The best, free way to learn about SEO is with Cricket in her FREE SEO Training Class. That is how I am ,where I am, with my search engine placements. And it has made all the difference in my business. I would not be where I am today in my business without the concepts I learned from Cricket.

My second answer is give people that were not looking for you a reason to come see your site. I do that with my Loot4Mama Giveaway. I have found that contest and giveaways are a great way to get traffic to your site. Now, does that turn into immediate sales - not usually. But if they come and know you are out there and see a GREAT site, that plants a seed. I think there are many people in our Internet world that have not thought about doing Baby Shoe Bronzing. But they see a giveaway that they can win a pair done for free and maybe win some other great prizes and they come to enter. They like the giveaway and take a minute to look around. I just got some “foot” traffic to my Internet store. It takes that “foot” traffic to build a name recognition and product branding to build potential buyers.

 Another thing I do is donate prizes to other site contests/giveaways. Usually you are donating a prize in exchange for advertising. People love to get something for free, so they enter. They want to see what they might win so they visit the sponsor sites. Or at the least they look at the prize photos, sponsor listing. This gives me that name recognition and product branding I want. Depending on what I donate, I get advertising at a reduced cost. I donate a $50 gift certificate for Baby Shoe Bronzing. If they use the gift certificate, the $50 comes off the total price so the cost to me is much less than that $50.00. I donate a child ID bracelet at a retail value of $10. But of course it costs me less than that.

I am in the process of thinking over ways to do free child safety product sample giveaways through my site and/or through twitter. I want to do it but what I have not figured out is how to control the costs. I would need to have a budget and do so many an day. And may make then sign up for my newsletter, follow me, make a comment on my blog, or something to get the sample. I am still working the logistics out in my mind. But I will be doing it sometime soon, stay tuned.