owners talk: Pam Hocken, Cafepress Store Owner

I'm the proud proprietor of The Howdy Gal Emporium, an online clothing store catering to moms and babies looking for maternity and infant wear featuring off-beat, unique designs and logos.

I am slowly but surely building up my name recognition and clientele, and everyday is an opportunity to see how I can grow my little design shoppe.

Working from home is a challenging endeavour. I find my greatest achilles heel to be "motivation maintenance". As wonderful as it is to leave behind the cubicle labrynth, it has been quite the challenge to keep myself moving, establish my priorities and remain focused, organized and upbeat.

Here are some of the challenges I have experienced and how I've been working through them.

No coworkers! Is it heaven or is it hell? How do you stay connected to others?I've searched out online forums and websites pertaining to my specific marketing niche -- moms and babies.I have also joined a forum featured via http://www.mompreneursonline.comThere I experience a much needed sense of comradery, and am privy to wonderful advice from others experiencing challenges similar to my own.And of COURSE http://www.great-home-based-businesses.com must get a mention as a wonderful platform for those looking to grow their business and both share and learn from others doing the very same!

I established a blog through blogger.com. It's a free and easy form of advertising and also a place to share information about new products and features. Also, it grows your web presence by creating more doorways to your online site. The more you give google to work with, the more chances you have of reaching a potential customer. my blog: http://babblefishie.blogspot.com is a collection of personal musings and sites I think others might want to visit. It's yet another platform for advertising my wares, linking with others and getting mention of my product featured within the almighty google.

Also I've traded links with other cafepress entrepreneurs. Its free advertising and builds your network of business associates. Establishing these symbiotic relationships will have no end of benefit. In fact, one of my first sales came from a link swap with a more established kid's clothing store.

Do not give up! Home businesses often feel like they're taking longer to build than Rome, and it is incredibly normal to wake up some days feeling daunted by the whole hairy process. Make sure to take ample time to celebrate your successes and use them as prompts to keep going towards the finish line.

Finally, if you, like myself have a brain full of witty sayings or graphic designs you feel are desparately searching for a home on someone's t-shirt, do consider joining cafepress. It's FREE unless you would prefer to upgrade and feature more designs in your store. So the price is right. Paying for the upgrade provides you with opportunity to feature more of your wares for a relatively small fee.

All the best to each of you who have taken the heroic plunge. It may not get easier, but it does get more rewarding!

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