What inspired you to start your company?

I am a life-long sufferer of eczema and atopic dermatitis and was looking for a solution to help manage my condition. My husband has a background in Oriental Medicine and Cosmetic Science. He and I were involved with developing and manufacturing various natural health products at that time and noticed that all over the counter ointments and even homeopathic ointments are petroleum and synthetic chemical based. We wanted to offer a healthier, more effective and ‘body friendly’ option in the medicinal ointment category and I especially wanted to help people who were experiencing what I went through.

Tell us about Derma Wise Skin Care and Théra Wise.

We are Vancouver-based Canadian company producing the Théra Wise line of bioactive, all-natural therapeutic ointments for First Aid/Wound Healing, Cold/Flu, Anti-Acne, Diaper Rash and Hemorrhoidal conditions. Théra Wise products are biodegradable and made entirely from bio-active plant ingredients without the use of petro-chemical based ingredients. A minimum of 99% of the total ingredients are of natural plant origin (excluding water) and a minimum of 35%of the total ingredients are from organic agriculture including certified, non-certified and transitional organics. Théra Wise uses plant material that is transformed with low-impact environmentally friendly processes without the use of hydrocarbon extraction methods. Our line is also vegan friendly with a commitment to providing cruelty free products, free of animal testing on the raw materials and finished product.

What’s your vision for your company?

We want to empower people to make healthier choices for themselves and the planet. To be the name that families can trust and feel good about when they need a remedy ointment to work fast.

What excites you about what you’re doing?

Discovering the wonder and magic of plants, to learn from them and understand their potential to heal us. We are also continually inspired by all of the positive feedback we receive from people who have used and benefited from our line.

What are some early examples of success?

Théra Wise was the first plant-based medicinal ointment line to receive a Health Canada Natural Health Product License. With an approval rate of only one in three applications, the license ensures products have passed stringent requirements for safety and efficacy. This approval was a key factor that allowed us to make health claims required to be carried in major pharmacies such as Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs and natural health stores.

Tell us about some of your challenges.

As with many small businesses you end up doing everything. Time is so precious, I feel like I would need 48 hours a day to properly balance my duties of being a mom and a business woman. Of course we can’t forget about marketing, marketing, marketing, I am constantly thinking about unique and engaging ways to reach our target customers.

What’s next for you?

We are planning to launch a natural diaper rash ointment this summer and organic tamanu oil (which is a rich body moisturizing oil from the tropics). We are also looking for partners for cross promotional opportunities – for example, we may donate products at school fundraising events or to charities.

Théra Wise

www.therawise.com | Twitter: @therawise | Facebook

First of all, Lovey’s has an amazing scent that has the ability to make changing diapers a little more pleasurable. It’s refreshingly aromatic and leaves you with that spa-like “ahhh” feeling. Even my husband commented on the how much he liked the scent. Lovey’s also seemed to get my son’s bottom just a little cleaner and softer. I first tried it with an ultra-soft biodegradable bamboo cloth but it works fine with a simple wash cloth as well. Overall, what’s great about this product is  that I feel guilt-free using it, knowing it isn’t harmful to the environment or my son.

Lovey’s is available for $12.99 at www.loveys.ca or at retailers in the lower mainland including Baby’s World, Hip Baby and Health on the Drive.

Lovey’s Tushi Wash

www.loveys.ca | Twitter: @LoveysTushiWash | Facebook

Why did you get into jewellery design?

I got into jewellery completely by fluke. One day on a walk, I discovered a little gem shop not far from where I was living. I picked up a few findings and beads and thought I would make myself a pair of earrings like I used to when I was young. Before I knew it, I was making earrings for all my friends and throwing myself into the world of jewellery!

Tell us a bit about your company.

Bella-Bijou Jewellery is really about story telling. Each piece has its own chapter in my book of creativity, and I hope to pass that on to its new owner so that they can make it part of their story.

How would you characterize your style?

I have never been one to stick to one particular style. I define my style by my mood that day. Somedays its artsy and organic, others days its clean and minimal and occasionally, even sleek and sexy!

Who are your clients?

My clients are woman who want to treat themselves to something all of their own – something that their girlfriends won’t all have. Essentially, women who likes to feel unique and one of a kind.

What do you think moms should know about your jewellery?

Moms should know I make my jewellery with the very best quality materials. Being eco-friendly is very important to me, so I use recycled metals, recycled packaging, and I believe in supporting other small businesses. I know that a busy mom may not get the chance to treat herself very often, so I want her to know that when she treats herself to Bella-Bijou it is made to last, made earth friendly, and made by a one-woman-show trying to make her mark!

Where can people buy your jewellery?

I sell from my etsy shop and soon will have my work in a couple boutiques around the city!

Bella-Bijou Jewellery

www.bellabijoujewellery.etsy.com | @bellabijou | Facebook

What inspired you to start your company?

Kim: I am a custom photographer and my clients tend to budget for my services every 1-3 years. I was turning away a lot of smaller jobs because I was busy and I started asking myself, where do people go for those in between sessions, something that’s quick and easy? It got me thinking that a new type of studio was needed to fill the gap between what I do and department store studios – something modern and affordable. I called up my greatest ally, Elizabeth and ran my idea by her. We got really excited about it and pitched it to our husbands and they were quick to jump on the band wagon too.

Elizabeth: I have been photographing weddings with my husband for the last 9 years and we noticed many of our clients coming back wanting baby and family photographs. This was a whole new market for us and far more than we could offer at the time. Kim and I had been wanting to work together on a project and the idea of a retail studio was one that excited both of us. Knowing that there was a niche that we could fill we decided to run with it! We put our heads together and after months of planning and countless hours of work ADORE pictures opened on October 1, 2009.

Tell us about ADORE pictures.

ADORE pictures is a retail studio located in downtown Chilliwack. ADORE offers fun, fresh and affordable photography for everyone! With session fees at just $29.95 and no obligation to purchase it is virtually risk free. The studio is set up to accommodate new mommies and families with kids and furry kids. Each session is 30 minutes and images are viewed following the session. Clients are offered tea and coffee, kids are happy playing in the playroom and there is a private mother’s room for changes and breast feeding. ADORE shoots product photography and headshots for actors and realtors too. Our products include print packages, digital images, custom cards, collages and mounted portraits and photo jewelry. We also sell hats and tutus in the studio.

What’s your vision for your company?

When we started our business plan our idea was to create a photo studio that we could franchise. With this in mind we created a strong brand, and a business that we are able to duplicate to give someone the tools needed to own and operate their own photography studio. Every community needs a place to go for convenient and affordable photographs that are modern and fun.

What excites you about what you’re doing?

EVERYTHING! It’s wonderful to have a great staff and a great concept.  It’s amazing when people walk into ADORE and comment “Are there more of these?” We are seeing our vision turn into reality and it’s so exciting for us. We’ll never forget when we put the finishing touches on the store the night before opening. We stood out front on the sidewalk looking into the windows and we were in awe of what we had done and what we could achieve together as a team. The sky is the limit!

What are some early examples of success?

We are six months into it and getting great reviews from clients and many of them are returning already! We are fielding franchise enquiries and everyone seems to know about ADORE pictures and what we’re up to and they are very supportive. The word on the street is that it’s a great place to go.

Tell us about some of your challenges.

Of course juggling family priorities, two studios, clients, marketing and everything in between is a challenge for us. We need to remind ourselves that it’s okay to take a day off, or be sick or just do nothing or we don’t stop working. We are lucky to have husbands who support us and are able to be there to help with the family and household!  Our staff at ADORE are great too and give us the support we need to ensure that the studio runs smoothly!

What’s next for you?

We are in the process of determining if it’s the right time to hire a Franchise Consultant.  Things are happening a little quicker than we expected and we want to be prepared when it’s time to take the leap into selling our first franchise. We are also both taking a month off this summer to travel (and maybe scout out some new locations along the way!). We are super excited to have a much needed break. It’s been a crazy ride!

ADORE pictures

www.adorepictures.com | Twitter: @ADOREpictures | Facebook

What inspired you to start your company?

Cynthia: Having been a graphic designer for over ten years, working for design firms, companies and doing my own freelance work, I was always looking for “the” project — something to use what I have learned so far, try new things, meet new people, and get recognition too! Plus to be able to have control over the design - a total moot point! I had been involved with various projects with Tamara over the years, so much so, that our styles and personalities were in sync with each other. It seemed like a perfect fit to take on the magazine when Delish was decided on. Despite being pregnant with my third child, it was just too exciting to pass up. With print magazines going under left and right, going all-digital with the magazine was such an obvious choice.
Tamara: I have been a broadcast and print journalist for 16 years and my most recent position was as Editor-in-Chief of a magazine in California. When my husband and I moved back to Vancouver, I knew that this was the type of work I wanted to continue doing. Such positions with established magazines are very hard to come by and I quickly found out that all was fairly quiet on the print front in terms of openings, so I decided it was time to start my own venture. Many magazines are folding their print operations and going electronic and I have been a blogger for so long that I decided the burgeoning genre of e-magazines would be perfect.

Having worked with Cynthia on other projects, I knew I couldn’t do this without her. She and I were both pregnant when we first started discussing the start-up in earnest but we decided we would just try to make it work. Then I had our son Finn very prematurely at 28 weeks of pregnancy! Seven weeks of hospital care in the ICU followed for him. The project was put on hold and has been a few times since then, but we both manage to fit it in between nursing sessions or during – we’ve become proficient at one-handed typing!

We now plan to launch in May and just keep getting better from there. We brought in Managing Editor, Emma Alvarez Gibson, who is based in San Pedro, California, as I had become familiar with her work when she was one of the writers at my previous magazine. Her style and sensibility meshes perfectly with ours and she embraced and even enhanced the vision of what we wanted Delish Magazine to be from the beginning. Plus, Emma has a young son as well and so my final wish, to create something that I could do at home, will hopefully grow to the point where it can sustain three work at home moms.

Tell us about Delish Magazine.

Maybe it’s better to start off with what it’s NOT all about. It’s not about making a woman feel inadequate, like she is not enough or does not have enough. It is not about rampant consumerism, but rather it is about appreciation of and participation in a way of living that begins at home – the heart centre of our lives, and extends to health, relationships, work, our larger community, and the world. It will celebrate true efforts made by real people to live consciously, responsibly and joyously. It will offer (primarily a female audience), information you can use, in all areas of life.

What’s your vision for your company?

Our vision is that Delish will become a self-sustaining entity – a new media success story. We would love it if the e-magazine genre became popular but hope that readers are able to separate the wheat from the chaff. What we mean by that is that we want them to recognize journalistic experience and integrity, as well as beautiful design on our pages and continue to read every issue. Also, the stories will keep coming – we never, ever worry about a lack of good content but the fact is we need advertising revenue to make this work and for that we need eyes on our pages.

What excites you about what you’re doing?

This is such a new genre, and it might be mistaken for blogging in the beginning, but we’re out to show readers what can happen when journalists move from established mediums into a new form of medium. Everyone was into fusion a while back and hybrids are everywhere to be found now. It’s exciting that we’re forming our own media hybrid – a cross between a print magazine and blog, while offering the best of each. Things like sharing of personal stories and first-person perspectives meeting solid research and commentary from experts, with a healthy dose of truly useful information – recipes, reviews and you-heard-it-here-first helpful product news.

What are some early examples of success?

The word of mouth and excitement that are building are just infectious. People are talking about what we’re doing, asking questions, inquiring about advertising and signing up for news of our launch. And you should see the pages that are coming together, wow! Our premiere issue will likely be the smallest one and we’ll build more in for the Fall 2010 issue, but we are so pleased with what is being written and designed already.

Tell us about some of your challenges.

We have three principals involved in Delish Magazine, all with kids and all living in different cities (but thankfully in the same time zone!) Plus, there is no formula to follow for success. What we are doing is throwing together the parts that each of us is good at and winging the rest. The good thing about this though, is that we are creating our own thing completely. The freedom and potential it represents makes us all giddy.

What’s next for you?

We are working crazily to launch our first issue in May, and along with that an accompanying website and blog. Then it’s on to the Fall 2010 issue!

Delish Magazine

www.delishmag.com | Twitter: @delishmag

Why did you get into jewellery design?

I started tinkering around with jewellery design about four years ago, making beaded accessories with some of my girlfriends. Very quickly those same girlfriends started asking me to make them pieces. Soon I entered the limitless bounds of wirework and I haven’t looked back. I absolutely love the light, organic look that you can achieve by simply using your hands and a spool of wire.

Tell us a bit about your company.

Spark officially was born about six months before my first baby Diego, back in the summer of 2008. Before that I was simply making jewellery for family, friends and as requests. But those requests started getting more and more frequent and I was ready to take my work out into the world! After humble beginnings in art galleries and local gift shops, I began doing shows, fairs, and artisan markets like Portobello West. As a full time high school Chemistry teacher, this artistic outlet is exactly what I need.

How would you characterize your style?

Versatile. Like most women, I want to be able to wear my jewellery with jeans, or with that perfect dress. By showcasing the beauty of the silver and gold  on their own, with only the occasional splash of coloured crystals or gemstones, it allows my pieces to be worn with your entire wardrobe. By being simple, yet eye-catching in their intricacy, it allows the versatility that I require.

Who are your clients?

My clients range from senior high school students looking for the perfect custom-made grad jewellery, to brides looking for the perfect spark to add to their day, all the way up to a 93 year old fan who loves the simplicity of many of my pieces. I have fans that are extremely casual and ones that have never even worn a pair of jeans.

What do you think moms should know about your jewellery?

As a mompreneur, I’ve put lots of thought into what I use and how I use it. From using Argentium sterling silver which is anti-tarnish but without chemical coatings, to making my own clasps instead of using the hard-to-handle lobster claw clasps, I want to make my jewelleryeasy for people like myself to enjoy. That means they need to be easy to put on and not require any cleaning. It also means that my pieces are economically priced. I work hard to find the best prices for my materials, and make my own clasps and earwires so that I can allow Spark to enter the hearts and homes of women in all walks of life.

Where can people buy your jewellery?

Online at www.sparkjewelry.ca and I am often at Portobello West Fashion market, as well as other artisan markets around town.

Spark Jewelry

www.sparkjewelry.ca | Facebook | 778-338-4247

What: Animal Grossology Exibit

When: May 15 – August 22, 2010

Where: Metropolis at Metrotown (Grand Court) 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby

More info: www.metropolisatmetrotown.com

Image courtesy of www.vancourier.com

Giveaway alert!

I was surprised to learn that Vancouver has been home to the one most decorated and diverse dance institute’s in the country since the late 1970′s, Goh Ballet Academy. Established by National Ballet of China’s Choo Chiat and Lin Yee Goh, the academy was created to pursue technical and artistic excellence - both customary traits of ballet dance. What makes Goh Ballet different is their dedication to raising cultural awareness in the dance community and around Vancouver. Over the years, Goh Ballet has trained generations of dancers whom garner respect and accolades, and perform for anticipatory audiences, both locally and internationally. But despite the international recognition, Goh Ballet continues to be about community first, reflecting Vancouver’s cultural diversity and serving as an inspiration to aspiring young dancers who want to transition from student to professional.

This June, Goh Ballet will be showcasing the talents of their students with two unique perfomances, one in particular aimed at families. On June 18th and 19th, follow little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill and all of your other favourite nursery rhyme characters in Once Upon a Fairy Tale: Dances that Live in Your Imagination. This collection of charming and enchanting tales will be perfomed by the Goh Academy’s Junior School. Also, on June 17th, the Senior School will perform, Then and Now: A Process of Artistic Interpretation, featuring stunning original choreography in addition to excerpts from renowned classics such as River and Swan Lake.

What: Once Upon a Fairy Tale: Dances that Live in Your Imagination Ballet

When: 7pm, June 18 & 19, 2010

Where: Vancouver Playhouse

Tickets: Goh Ballet 604-872-4014 | info@gohballet.com

Giveaway alert! VancouverMom.ca readers have a chance to win a family pack of four tickets to see Once Upon a Fairy Tale: Dances that Live in Your Imagination! Entering is simple: just leave a comment below telling us why you love the ballet.

What inspired you to start your company?

My son was the inpiration. When he was born I had a difficult time finding natural, organic skin and bath care products for him. I would go into one store and they would have one or two products I was looking for but not the entire line. Plus with feedings every two hours it was difficult to physically go looking for products. I thought it would be great if I could offer moms like myself a one stop shop for all the organic baby essentials – one that was open 24/7 so moms could shop at their convenience.

Tell us about Organically Hatched.

Organically Hatched is about finding natural, organic and eco-friendly products to bring to our customers. It’s also about making it easy for parents and caregivers to shop for all the baby and kid essentials they need. At the same time, we aim to keep prices affordable.

What’s your vision for your company?

It would be great to see an Organically Hatched store in every community. We also need to continue doing what we feel we do best, which is bringing a great selection of quality products to the store. It would be great to expand our selection of products so that it caters to the entire family, not just kids. We’ve started to do this and want to continue to add more products for moms and dads too.

What excites you about what you’re doing?

I enjoy looking for quality products. There is also great satisfaction in researching products and learning what ingredients to avoid – in order to ensure that the products we add to our line-up are good for kids as well as good for the environment.

What are some early examples of success?

We doubled our sales in our second year! We have a solid customer base with lots of repeat customers even though we just turned two years old. We also receive positive feedback from our customers telling us that they love the store and product selection.

Tell us about some of your challenges.

One of our biggest challenges is how potential customers find us online. Search Engine Optimization is tricky and with the rules constantly changing, this has been and continues to be one of our biggest challenges. For the first six months, we didn’t even show up in the Google organic search results and this was frustrating.

What’s next for you?

I plan to keep growing the business, adding great products and spreading the word about Organically Hatched. It would also be great if we could partner with other local businesses to cross promote. Finally, I hope to conquer the search engine optimization challenge one day soon!

Organically Hatched

www.organicallyhatched.com | Twitter: @orghatched | Facebook