biz-ymama interview: B*lota

1. What is the name and the online contact info of your business?

The name is b*lota and my Etsy shop is http://www.blota.etsy.com/.
I also have a blog http://www.b-lota.blogspot.com/
and a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/blota.handmade
2. How did you come up with it?
It's actually a bit of a spin on the word bolota. It's the portuguese word for acorn and when my daughter was a baby I started calling her that. I decide to use it for my business as I started sewing around the time she was born!

3. What is your business?
I combine beautiful and colorful prints in simple designs and shapes to create my bags and housewares for grown-ups and kids. Caring for the environment is very important to me and so I try to use as much eco-friendly materials as possible, be it organic or vintage fabrics or sewing notions, recycled/recyclable packaging.
4. When did you start your business?
I started it officially in April this year and began listing on Etsy in the beginning of May.

5. What made you want to pursue your own business? How did you do it?
When my daughter was born I decided to not go back to work and be a full time mom. Well, actually, I did go back to work when she was 4 months and quit 2 weeks later because I didn't want to be away from her all day! I started sewing during her naps and because I love bags, I bought a few patterns and started making them! After that, I went online and found a million patterns and tutorials and felt inspired to start developing my own! At some point, I just didn't have any more friends to give the things I was making to so decided to open a shop!

6. What is your daily life/ schedule like?
On the days my daughter doesn't go to daycare (she now goes 2 days a week), my schedule revolves around her! I usually have time in the morning to check my email, blogs, etc. Then the rest of the morning we do chores and groceries and go out for a walk or a bike ride. Her nap time is really when I get my sewing done and I am lucky enough that she still sleeps almost 3 hrs every afternoon! After naptime, we go out again or play in the garden, if the weather allows it. In the evening, after she goes to bed, I do admin work. On the days my daughter is at daycare, I sew all day!

7. When do you find the time to work?
Usually naptime is my time to work and then the 2 full days I get from daycare!

8. What are your future goals?

My goal is to establish myself on Etsy and build my customer base, brand recognition and online presence. Iam going to participate in my first fair and hopefully it will be the first of many. I also want to hone my sewing skills and keep learning new ones!
9. What is the hardest thing about what you are doing?
The hardest thing for me has been finding a balance for all my responsibilities! My daughter and my family is my first priority and that means that sometimes work has to take a back seat. I have accepted this and adapted my expectations for my Etsy shop but it is not always easy!

10. What advice do you have for other working mommies?
Don't expect to be able to do everything! My advice would be to really think about what is important for you, what your priorities are and then adjust your goals to it. There aren't enough hours in the day to do it all. And if the laundry doesn't get done one day or the kitchen isn't spick and span, don't worry, happens to all of us!