Mums Who Juggle

Precious Memories website at http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

Black Eyed Peas is blasting out on the radio, as I sit in the kitchen writing this with my youngest daughter who is eating baked beans for lunch. No-one could ever describe life at the Hickmott home as normal. This morning began with Savana throwing up (so no need to call the office to say I can’t come in), a list of emails to do, laundry, tidy the house, food shopping and completion required on a proposal for a huge corporate company to which I am visiting the head office after the weekend. To say I have learnt to juggle is an understatement, but would I change my life?– quite simply “no”.

Since I became a mum 7 years ago, I was in the fortunate position to stay at home when my daughter Bailey was born. However, I was not one to sit and twiddle my thumbs, so taught myself to create 3d casts. At the time, it was for family and friends but as time passed, my hobby became a business, which today exceeds all expectations. I am constantly asked “how on earth do you do it?”, I do not have any magical answers, it is sheer hard work requiring endless amounts of energy, and I have certainly learnt to juggle my time as a mum, wife and business owner. But in summary I would say some of the key aspects are:-

Time – Management:- As a mum I ensure that I have quality time with my girls and work just has to wait. There have been times when plans have changed, but I have always talked things through with my girls and at 3 and 7 they are incredibly supportive. When I first began creating casts the nature of the job allowed me to do this with the girls around and this is a significant factor in why so many mums are now joining the company. Without fail they go to bed by 7 pm every evening and are brilliant at doing so. Routine was key and from an early age I have never had any problems at bedtime with them. I then know I have time to do my emails and telephone calls and have a glass of wine!

Support:- Having a good support network is key, sharing taking and collecting the girls from school with my husband and other mums. Within the company, they have my support as well as the support for each other.

Multi-tasking – I am often doing 3 or 4 things at the same time without realising it. The moment you become a mum you learnt to adapt often using one arm as you carry your baby in the other. Buy the shopping, whilst confirming a booking on my mobile, and watching your child does not run off to the sweet aisle. Being able to adapt naturally has helped me to juggle my daily life.

Flexibility:- Throughout life I have always had an open mind and when you become a mum your life is turned upside down. The ability to adapt in different situations is so important and I love the fact that I am now in a position where I can offer a job which offers flexibility for others.

Work :- No matter how good the deal, there are always cons. These include being constantly busy and telling myself there is only so much time in a day, so set myself realistic targets. I remain very grounded and take each day as it comes knowing that without a certain amount of self- belief, the business would not be where it is today. Against all odds in the current climate, I am thriving and feel very honoured to now be in a position where I can offer an attainable low cost entrance fee back into work helping a large group of frustrated mums to find a way out from a mundane job, encouraging them to build on their creative skills in a job working around their family.

Products Offered by Precious Memories:-

Head Office based in Aylesbury which creates unique keepsakes for adults and children including:-

3D Casts of hands or feet in various luxury materials in frames or with mounts

 2D Impressions of hands or feet set in beautiful frames with client photographs

Unique silver jewellery set with imprints from adult or child fingerprints, footprints or drawings

These are sold, produced and delivered by a network of franchised mums operating across the UK.

Current positions available within the company:-

Jewellery Makers £100 plus VAT wendypw@preciuos-memories.co.uk

Jewellery Agents £150 plus VAT contact janu@precious-memories.co.uk

2D Impressions £1000 plus VAT (half amount paid up front other half in commissions) info@precious-memories.co.uk

3D Cast Artist – £1250 plus VAT (half amount paid up front other half in commissions) info@precious-memories.co.uk

http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

info@precious-memories.co.uk

telephone 01296 399280

Job Opportunities with Precious Memories for 2011

Precious Memories website at http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

Job Opportunities for 2011




JEWELLERY MAKERS


Joining Fee is £100 plus VAT

• Role is to be involved with making Jewellery & Keepsakes


• Materials and Training Provided


• £rate given per product produced

Recruiting in the East Midlands ONLY

JEWELLERY AGENTS


Joining Fee – £150 plus VAT

Supplied with:-


• Materials and Training


• Marketing Collateral


• Web Presence


• Samples


• £ commission based salary


• Recruiting throughout the UK

Immediate areas needed to cover, Manchester, Nottingham, Norwich, Worcester, Lincoln, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire

 2D IMPRESSION FRANCHISE


£1,000 plus VAT paid in 2 parts.

Supplied with:-


• On-going Training


• Materials


• Frames


• Web Presence


• Exclusive Territory


• Opportunity to also be a jewellery/keepsake agent


• £ commission based salary

Immediate areas needed to cover Nottingham, Oxford, Liverpool, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire






3D CAST FRANCHISE


£1,250 plus VAT paid in 2 parts.

Supplied with:-


• On-going Training


• Materials


• Frames


• Web Presence


• Exclusive Territory with a £ commission based salary


• Also eligible to be a jewellery/keepsake agent


Immediate areas needed to cover, Norwich, Oxford, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Derbyshire


IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EITHER 2D OR 3D POSITIONS PLEASE EMAIL laural@precious-memories.co.uk

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A FINGERPRINT AGENT PLEASE EMAIL janu@precious-memories.co.uk

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A JEWELLERY MAKER PLEASE EMAIL alisons@precious-memories.co.uk

* Please note that all funds paid to join are non-refundable.

Happy 1st Anniversary to me

Precious Memories website at http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

I cannot believe I have reached this milestone of my first anniversary since opening my Precious Memories studio in sunny (snowy) Huddersfield so I thought I would do a little blog to tell you how things have gone.

It’s hard to believe it was a year ago that I was waiting for my first client to turn up – 5 week old Tess Ledgard – with owner and trainer Glenda Hickmott at my studio. I had been shown how to roll the clay, take impressions….but I chickened out and allowed Glenda to do the impression whilst I watched!! Ha ha

How things have changed, fast forward a year, 144 casts later and I am thrilled, and honoured, to now be Operations Director the company, responsibly for training our new mums as they come on board in both 2D impressions and 3D casts. I work closely with Glenda and our hard work is paying off – we now have 13 locations across the UK offering our fab products with two more due to open in January 2011! We have exceptionally exciting and big plans for 2011 which will see Precious Memories moving forward but I won’t kiss and tell, you’ll just have to wait and see!

I love and adore my job. I love dealing with the clients that come to me, the thought that I am creating this beautiful handmade product they will have on their wall for years to come still amazes me. So far I have come across sleepy babies (who don’t stir whilst having their cast done), screamers (who scream blue murder whilst it is being done), gigglers (who just laugh either at me singing to them or the sensation of the alginate setting) and nonchalant babies who couldn’t care less! After starting with 2D impressions and progressing to 3D framed casts, I now offer the full range of luxury 3D items, from solid bronze through to clear resin, and our 2D casts have seen MANY MANY ex-Kindercast customers coming through the doors to have replicas done of their originals once more babies arrive in their families.

My favourite cast – hard to say because sometimes it’s not about the cast, it’s about the relationship between me and the client – there are some truly lovely mothers out there.
Worst moment – when opened a 3D cast to find all 5 fingers missing and the hand detached from the wrist – thank god for taking duplicate copies!!!
Funniest moment – chasing Glenda’s alsation around her kitchen whilst trying to hold the bag of alginate on his paw to get a 3D cast. Amazingly it came out perfectly!!

I have heard stories of absolute heartbreak and stories of pure miraculous joy. I have been pooed on, sicked on and had my hair pulled more times than I care to remember (I am generally talking about the children, not their parents!!). This job is not just about ‘taking a cast’ it is truly about creating a ‘precious memory’ and I love it. Here’s to the next year.

Personal Thanks to a great team!

Precious Memories website at http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

Wow who would have thought it – turning 41 and recruiting 5 more mums to my home business all in the same week.  Precious Memories is truly turning a new corner in the world of business.  I am due to hold my first official company meeting later on this month.  It is going to be a fantastic opportunity for all of my mums to meet under one roof, chill chat and talk PM!

I never imagined when I started 7 years ago that I would now be in the position that I am in today a mum, wife and BUSINESS WOMAN giving a fantastic and very different opportunity for other mum’s in the UK.

In today’s climate it is often both parents who have to go work and often the woman who has to sacrifice their personal aspirations. There are not many jobs which offer the money and flexibility to work around a family and often they are also faced with expensive child caring costs so work just becomes a necessity rather than something to be enjoyed.

I believe that my business, Precious Memories offers an attainable low cost entrance fee back into work helping those frustrated mums a way out from a mundane job, encouraging them to build on their creative skills in a job working around their family. Furthermore, many women have often lost their self-confidence being at home for several years and find the whole aspect of returning to work incredibly daunting. As a mum myself, the key to this business is I am able to offer life changing opportunities for mums in a great company which believes in one-to-one long term support, working with a colleague who creates one of the other key products and networking.

My own two daughers who are currently 3 and nearly 7, see a very busy mum and know that it is through my business that they have the fantastic opportunity to attend a great school.  I feel very privileged to play a part in the lives of some great mums who have great drive and enthusiasm for my company.  They are all currently VERY BUSY with the xmas season upon us and are creating some truly unique bespoke gifts for families all over the UK.  I would like to say a personal thanks to each and everyone of them.

To view their work visit our comapny webstie http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

Joining Precious Memories in Norwich

Precious Memories website at http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

In April of this year myself and my husband took our 6 week old son along to Precious Memories to have a 2D hand and a foot cast taken. We were very impressed with the service and the products on offer. We received such a warm welcome in a relaxed homely environment that I thought ‘what a perfect job this would be’, working from home, organising my working hours to suit me around my little boys’ needs and capturing the Precious Memories of other people’s children. I enquired as to whether they needed a Norfolk Branch and the rest is history as here I am.

Precious Memories allows me to be a mum at home and enjoy watching my son grow up as well as earning my own money by doing something creative which I really enjoy. I chose to do the 2d impressions franchise, as this particular product is growing in demand.  A company by the name of Kindercast used to create these precious momentoes for 7 years and were in all Debenhams branches.  Kindercast no longer offer the impressions but Precious Memories do. 

Much to my husbands annoyance I always have to be doing something in the evenings whilst relaxing and watching TV so this is perfect as it makes me sit down with him but gives me something to do as I can work away at my casts, so we are both happy.

I have also been trained to take silver hand, foot and fingerprint impressions for our jewellery and keepsakes range, which helps me to earn that little bit extra each month.

I thoroughly recommend it!!!!

If you live in the Norwich area and would like to come and see the products I have proudly made or are interested in hosting a party which is a great way to earn yourself up to £50 off your own product –  then please feel free to contact me debp@precious-memories.co.uk

The things I wish I had done when my children were tiny…

Precious Memories website at http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

My ‘babies’ are 3.5 years old and 15 months old. Time has just flown since they were newborn and weeny. There are SO many things I wish I had done when they were little – hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Now this blog is not about just pushing our products (which of course I think are wonderful) but just a few general regrets which have been triggered by all the organised parents getting their babies hand and feet casts done with me who are under 12 weeks old!!

I wish I had spent the time and money on a few fabulous brand newborn photographs. I work closely with quite a few photographers in different areas and some of the work is absolutely breathtaking of tiny babies. One of my clients last week had her 5 week old twin boys photographed professionally and showed me the results on her i-phone. They were amazing. It had taken 6 hours to get the shots perfect (the photographer came to her house) but the results were breathtaking.

I wish I had got our video camera out more and captured the very very early days. All I have is a few grainy videos on my mobile phone.

I wish I had enjoyed the early days more and not been so keen to rush on to each stage (parents of first born children will DEFINITELY relate to that).

Finally, I wish I hadn’t waited 8 months to have my first son’s hand and feet prints done with Kindercast and had done it earlier, I then wish I had joined Precious Memories before the birth of my second son so I could have done a 3D cast of him just days old. My youngest client to date has been 3 weeks old – now THAT is organisation for you!

Meadowhall casting day fun!

Precious Memories Make a Lasting Impression in Sheffield!
http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

Sheffield (well Rotherham technically) was the home of ‘Kindercast’ – the baby impressions company who used to be in Debenhams. So what better place for us to be than in Sheffield.

The place? Boots in Meadowhall – in the childrenswear department to be exact.

This was our second month in there, we are in there monthly now and it was lovely today seeing client’s from last month coming in to collect their casts. One mother – an ex-Kindercast customer after a matching cast for her little boy Harry – was thrilled to pieces when she had a peek at her finished frame when I gave it to her.

Anyway, Jan was kept busy taken fingerprint jewellery orders off clients who flocked round to admire the gorgeous sterling silver jewellery we had on display. There were whispers of the words ‘Christmas presents’ in the air as people priced up potential gifts from us.

The people Jan chatted to loved the fact that once the print was taken it can be reused to 18 months without having to come back to us to have another print taken…

Anyway, that is for Jan to blog about, I was too busy enjoying my castings. From Lewis, aged just 7 weeks and having his feet cast in 3D, to Brianna – a 17 month old having her hand and feet impressions taken into clay – all the clients were adorable. Even little Isaac who promptly drooled all over his clay impression once I had taken it – don’t worry, the drool and cast are just fine!

(in fact, so excited was I that upon unpeeling Lewis’s cast this evening to discover he had his toes curled up JUST like his mum had hoped for, I had to give her a quick ring to let her know how well they had turned out!!!!)

At about 4pm we packed up and headed home happy and tired. Problem is, I am writing this blog when I should be pouring plaster into those casts…..

Would you like to be a WAHM? Working at Home Mums we need you!

Precious Memories website at http://www.precious-memories.co.uk/

Just one of the exciting positions on offer at Precious Memories

2D IMPRESSIONS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Laura Lambert – Impression Artist

What made you decide to open a Precious Memories studio?

“In 2009, I wanted to have a matching 2D cast done to match my first son’s but the company Kindercast, who did my first son’s cast had stopped trading. I came across Precious Memories, was so impressed with their products and service that I enquired whether they wanted a Northern studio opening. They did and here I am!

I now trading full time as Precious Memories in Huddersfield and the surrounding area. I love my job, I get to meet lovely people young and old, build on my creative streak and earn my own money whilst having the support of the Precious Memories HQ and other team members. With two young children myself I can organise my own hours to suit me and offer clients a relaxed, home from home environment – much more relaxing than being stood in a department store having a cast done as I did with my first son!”

What have you needed to invest?
“Initially I was a little reticent about joining a ‘franchise’. However, what appealed with Precious Memories, was the opportunity to be a working mum at home PLUS unlike traditional franchise fees which start from approximately £5,000 I only needed to pay a small joining fee of £1,000. I get continued support from the HQ who are always available to help, any time of the day and late into the evenings sometimes!!”

What do you get for the £1,000?
o one-on-one training, which is very relaxed and has been adapted to my needs
o the materials needed to create fantastic 2D impressions
o a marketing pack and ongoing marketing resources
o publicity via precious memories website and advertisements
o An exclusive territory which guarantees no one else will be taken on within this area

The time it has taken me to be fully trained was very quick and now I am slowly building up my own client/customer database.

What I enjoy the most about my job is that I can:-

o work from home with my children around!
o choose my own hours
o have no pressure with sales targets
o earn great money from creating personal gifts

Working for Precious Memories has made me realise, you can work and still do the most important job – be a mum!

PRECIOUS MEMORIES ARE KEEN TO OPEN STUDIOS AS THE DEMAND FROM FORMER KINDERCAST CLIENTS IS RISING DAILY

So If you are interested in joining the Precious Memories team – then please contact Precious Memories on 01296 399 280 or info@precious-memories.co.uk