Media in Focus - MWWAH

Your Name & Position: Jess Simpson - Founder
Your Business Name: mwwah.com.au
Launched: Jan 2009
Staff: 1

See MWWAH's listing on MediaScope

What is your experience and background?
I began studying Business services focusing my skills on the administration and PA side, however my working career started out in retail. I honed my skills working up to management level however had a career change and started using these studies skills to hone my admin/PA skills working in several large firms including a well know real estate company specialising in Commercial realty.

How and why did you start MWWAH?
MWWAH went live back in 2009 with the aim to create and provide a place for the businesses/hobbies run by women to be found, seen and recognised. It all started with my own needs for tips & advice on breastfeeding issues, help about skin conditions like eczema which led me to parenting forums, helpful sites, natural and eco friendly products, products for the skin without the extra additives, Modern Cloth Nappies (MCN's), natural teething relief options and well as you can see it hasn’t stopped there. My passion grew out of inspiration from these amazing women.

In searching to find products for my own children I discovered (like many of us have) that not many BIG companies and department store have the products we need/want. It is well known that women have an innate ability to multi-task and are extremely capable of juggle multiple tasks at any given time. This ability has enabled them to step up and create their own home and online businesses with great success and enormous passion. Many women are now filling in the gap in the market and creating products for our families and/or personal needs. It was hard work finding these businesses in the beginning, the talent, skills, creativity & passion seemed to be limitless.....

Social networking communities like Twitter & Facebook have enabled us to build the foundations of our community from the ground up and it has allowed us to unite with others to help them also form new networks of their own.

Forming alliances and relationships not only in business but in personal lives has been a great journey. So many talented women out there and now we have a place to find them. The idea was/is to keep it simple, low cost and easy to use. Many of the businesses are run by everyday women who are all special in their own way and this is what makes their businesses so unique. Their budget for advertising, marketing and promotions are very small with many of them selling primarily to family and friends or by using social networking sites, market stalls or small websites (many of which they create themselves).

With this new trend or niche of home and online business comes more confidence for women and a sense of pride for being able to achieve what they thought was impossible. Work and life balance that many families strive for is now in reach thanks to the advance in internet. A mwwah-preneur with a modest amount of funding, broadband connection, relevant skills, creativity and a good idea can launch a successful online home business. The increased flexibility that is gained by being your own boss means that many women/mums are getting the best of both worlds.

Can you give an overview of MWWAH - your market position and forward plans?
We recently relaunched the new improved website with great success. The overall layout, design and website features have significantly improved the way in which we provide our services and content.

Our aim is to continue to encourage, inspire and motivate all women who have a dream or goal to use their skills and creativity. To advocate, endorse, share, support and showcase the magnificent businesses and products in which they create and importantly to help gain women the recognition and acknowledgement they deserve for their multi-tasking skills, creativity, motivation and determination.

We also aim to provide more resourceful information relating to small business, stories from other women like them, factorial articles about topics relating to women like Paid parental leave for example. Social media plays a huge role in our community with MOST women using Facebook or Twitter on a regular basis. Currently we have over 5500 “likers” on our Facebook and over 1800 followers on Twitter. Since the relaunch of the site in January 2011 we are working on building up our own database.

Our community is growing each and every day  with more women taking the plunge and creating their own small businesses. Our intention is to provide a safe and welcoming community for these talented women to join together and we intend to grow and develop our services and website features to assist with their growth as Small business owners.

What features & benefits do you offer advertisers?
-Direct marketing to our demographic - women between 20-45 ~ most with at least 1 child

-Product reviews by real women and their familiesFree and low cost advertising online
-Access to statistical tools (so you can view how many times your advert has been viewed and clicked)
-Social Media shoutouts for paid advertisers.

Can you outline the good and the bad about being an independent media business?
The worst- being disciplined enough to juggling everything at once with a small family and stay on track (sometimes children are unpredictable and your schedule can easily be influenced by them if you don’t plan right).

The best- work life balance. Definitely being able to do what I love when, where and how I want to is a great feeling. Now juggling 3 small children, a husband, the house and a small business is at times a challenge but it is something that is very rewarding when you see your work helping others.  

Please outline your sales structure?
For the last 2 years it has been solely myself doing all the work however I am working on adding a sales team over the next few months as well as other team members.

What tips can you offer when dealing with advertisers?
Outline your services clearly and concisely and be upfront about the costs involved. Find out what they are looking for, what their desired outcome is and then offer suggestions. Budget comes into play most times and businesses will always go for a cheaper alternative however cheaper isn’t always what is best. Point out how and why your option(s) will be more beneficial, what your point of difference is and connect with potential customers to form a solid business relationship.

What advice would you offer to anyone thinking of starting a commercial media business?
One important fact that every business person should take note of… Failing to plan inevitably means you plan to fail. I would strongly suggest that all would-be (and existing) potential business owners start with a business plan. It’s not necessarily the document that is important but the process and journey in which the structure of a business plan takes you. This thought processing, breakdown, examination, investigation, researching, advice seeking, information processing and skill acquisition you undergo in this process is what counts the most.

Also delegate! I have come to realise as much as you’d like to control every aspect of your business it is much easier to delegate  and get help. Yes you may be able to do it yourself however why not pay someone to do it better! Use your time more valuably on other aspects your good at. If your expertise is web development then do this but if accounting isn’t your forte hire some help! Don’t push yourself to take control of everything yourself or you will burn yourself out.

Where do you get your business information from?
Government websites, MediaScope, Startupsmart.com.au , Online Networks, Blogs, Forums, Social Networks also Industry specific magazines and websites etc

Would you like to be profiled like MWWAH?  Please get in touch

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