Life WITHOUT Television



Our LIFE without T.V.

I blogged here about a month ago about making time for family and making Sunday nights our Movie Night...WELL we took this a step further.  I did the unthinkable I canceled our dish television three weeks ago.  This makes our movie night that much sweeter!  I have never known life without T.V.  so much so (sorry mom and dad, I am going to tell on you) my parents leave the T.V. on while they are gone for the dog...yes you read that right, the T.V. was on at my house 24/7 as I was growing up.  So when I say I have never known life without T.V. that is just what I mean!  With that being said you all know too well about our busy life.  We just don't watch that much T.V.  so being thrifty I thought, we are paying for $90 a month for Riley (my five year old)  to come home and watch the DVR of full house episodes over and over again.  This was ridiculous, so I called and canceled our subscription. 

Although I never watch T.V. I missed it the first two days, you know that feeling you get when you can no longer have something? AND now you want it more than ever? This feeling was short lived and by day three I was over my with drawl symptoms!

NOW HERE IS THE NEAT PART.  I hate to admit this about myself but YES I was one of those mom's when I came home from work Riley would ask, "Can I watch Full House?"  I would say, "Yes that will be good."  She would go down and watch T.V and play in the family room until dinner was ready.  I HAD TO CHANGE THIS, I WANT MY KIDS TO BE ACTIVE, I WANT MY KIDS TO PLAY, I WANT MY KIDS TO EXPERIENCE LIFE, NOT WATCH IT!  I have seen a whole new kid in the last three weeks.  The first few days was rough on Riley too.  BUT we have enjoyed playing cards together, playing blocks,,,,did you know sneaking on mom and dad's bed and jumping little sister around is about the best fun you can have, well Riley sure thinks so.  I have seen a happier child and more active child.  It has been amazing.  We still have our DVD player and thanks to the grandparents we about have a movie gallery so yes for bed time she can watch a short movie BUT no longer are we coming in and watching T.V.  we are living life WITHOUT the daily routine of T.V. 

Different strokes for different folks I know.  I use to be addicted to the reality shows and ARMY WIVES, I LOVED T.V.  but let me tell you, this might be one of the best decisions I have made in my life.  Not to mention we will be saving a little over $1,000 a year...WOW another perk!

 It was windy and cold this past weekend, I told Riley to bundle up and go outside and play.  She agreed, there was no sneering, no whinning, no saying, "No I just want to watch T.V"  she actually put on her boots and coat with hat and spent a lot of time outside. 

I have had people tell me, "Your Family time is important don't get so busy making a living you forget to live."  I agree with this on a certain level.  I know I discuss our daily schedules and although busy, GUESS WHAT?  Most of this time is with my girls.  They are sitting at the table talking to me or playing around me while I paint, they paint with me, or they are in bed before I even start.  Today when I got home we played. I don't mean I sat there and watched them, I played.  Kids don't care if your having fun or not, they are having fun because you are actively doing something with them.  We collected trash out of the yard (yea like I thought this was fun,,,,but we were on a treasure hunt) we got out the side walk chalk and made hearts and bear paws....rooooarrrr!  Then came inside for left overs because it was already seven by the time we got done from our adventures!  Then as we are getting ready for bed I told Riley, "Let's play CraZy Eights"  We played a few games and laughed and talked about the day.  While I am writing this blog,  she is in her quiet time of watching a movie but I spent three quality hours with my girls today. The amount of TIME isn't that important in my book, it's quality.  If you come home cook dinner, run here, run there, then settle down to watch T.V. read a book,  or sit on the computer for 2 hours, how much quality time have you spent with your kids?

I would highly recommend trying this Life WITHOUT Television, especially if you have kids.  No I don't feel T.V. is the devil, I don't feel like T.V. is to blame for all the bad in the world but what I do know is I have spent countless hours watching T.V. in my life. I can't help but think just how much I could have gotten done without it!  Please share your questions or comments! 

Just another day in the life of RiOak!

Marketing your Small Business, "Don't hate Wal-Mart....."

I would like to start this blog off by saying I am in no means an expert on anything when it comes to business,,,,there has been many trial and errors a long our way but I thought I would share a few tips that have been very beneficial to our small home based business.

Vinyl Lettering, an affordable way to advertise your business!

 

 

This is new for us, but I do believe this is one of the best advertisements you can have.  Everywhere you go you are marketing.....getting your name out in the public is vital to having a successful business.  So how do you do this?  I have found Facebook to be a GREAT way to get your name out there!  We run giveaways and have had a great success.  We have over 2,000 likes now, I never dreamed our little home based business would have this many likes (the town we live in only has 1,023 population!) Do I push it, YES sometimes I do.  Are we BUSY yes we are BUT it is because I stay consistent in posting and getting our name out there.  Don't feel as if you are going to bother people, they have hit like because they like your page.  Facebook has changed their policy with how many of your fans get to see your post (it's not very many)  So more than likely not even a fourth of your fans will see your post,,,,,so post away!  It's the only way for your fans to see what you have!

 

(1900 like giveaway done at RiOak)

Tip: Make your giveaways good this way people will share, the more people who share the more people see your post!

 

Tell PEOPLE!!  Do you know everywhere I go I leave a business card?  I love those places (farm stores, restaurants etc.) that have those bulletin boards by the bathrooms....you know the ones I am talking about?  I leave them everywhere!  On a number of occasions when I am in the check out line and buying supplies (paint, brushes, fabric and so on, AND so on)  more times than I can count I have had cashiers ask about what project I am doing.  Here is what I say...Marketing one on one,,,,short and sweet.  "Oh I am sign painter, I paint custom wood signs for people, are you on facebook?"  If they say yes, I hand them a business card and tell them, "Here check us out sometime, I have a variety of projects I have done for people."  If they say no, I still hand them a business card and say, "Our pictures of most of work is on facebook BUT if you need any type of custom gift for a wedding or baby shower we enjoy creating and even do free consultations."  Then I smile load my cart and walk off.  People don't care to hear about every detail, (I was a marketing director for a very short time...BUT what I learned was you have about 30 seconds to impress someone, if you don't capture them in the first 15 seconds you have lost them...make every second count).

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER SERVICE.....the customer is always right!  Keep your customer's informed.  I have to admit with everything I have going on I sometimes don't communicate the best, but I strive to make happy customers, THE BEST ADVERTISEMENT IS WORD OF MOUTH!  I had a customer call me and order a sign because someone had brought one of my signs into WalMart and they had seen it.....asked for the business card on the sign and then she called me...WOW there's those business cards again. 

 

MAKE A GOOD PRODUCT.  This will help the word of mouth.  People are willing to pay for good craftsmanship, AMERICAN made products.  Famous words of my husband, "If your going to do it, do it right."  We have improved our signs and improved our signs.  We always are looking for more ways to make a better quality sign and a sign that will last a lifetime (or at least as long as the person wants it in their home).  I love the words from customers, "It's better than I could have imagined."  I know when I have heard this statement it was a job well done.

 

 

It seems pretty simple....maybe easier said than done.

1. Let people know about you.

2. Social Media is great -Facebook, Pinterest, AND blogging.  GET OUT THERE

3. Great customer service.

4. A great product.

 

If you can do all four of these I believe you will have a successful business.  Keep in mind if you don't someone else will.  This is by no way the "Correct Formula" or everything it takes to have a great business but this is what has helped us so far.

 

 I think it is great to help promote other small home businesses but let's face it business is competitive and really it is cut throat.  You know why?  Money is involved.  I mean I seriously doubt K-Mart and Wal Mart share their ideas or "know how" with one another.  I realize this is on a big scale but I think we can learn from it.  I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite speakers, Dave Ramsey, "Don't hate Wal-Mart, Learn from them, they are marketing geniuses."  

 

 

Hope you all enjoyed some sunshine as me and my family did today, the Vitamin D was much needed!

Journey of RiOak- Part 2

So we had a name, RiOak Western Design.  We honestly had no idea what our goals were or what we were doing...BUT we knew we had a work ethic, the willingness to learn and an eye for decorating and colors.  We started going to craft shows and meeting people.  My mom went with me (craft shows just aren't Clint's thing) it was so much fun decorating my booth and seeing people actually come in and buy what I was making, my pride and heart swelled with excitement.  


During Thanksgiving of 2012 my husband's cousin said, "Ashley we should start a business page for you."  I said, "Sure that would be great."  It was at this moment looking back our business was about to take on a whole new level that we never would have thought was possible.  I posted a few signs I had left over from the craft shows as well as some wreaths and odd and ends....they sold....hmmmm "This could be neat."  It was in March someone messaged me to do a wedding sign...."You want me to custom paint a sign for you?"  I was so nervous....Remember I never saw myself as artistic.  I couldn't believe someone actually had contacted me to hand paint a sign....It was March 18th of 2013 my life changed as I knew it, I painted it, posted it and two more orders came in.  Then I did my brother and sister in law's wedding in April.  A few more orders came, then I had 10 orders on the books.  I was so nervous when I started.  All the thoughts run through your head, "Am I good enough?"  "What happens if they don't like it?"   

                                                   (First Custom Order every completed)
Well the answer....have I improved---YES, Have I learned----YES, do I know how to fully run my business with no problems and know how to do everything....NO--BUT we are on a great, great, great journey.

We started being 2 weeks out, then three....then we decided if we were going to continue to grow our business we had to move... our house had no storage and we just couldn't breathe with all of my signs EVERYWHERE, so September 2013 we moved to our new home,  it has so much potential to house RiOak.  We are very excited about redoing the sign shop, it is 3,000 square feet...ahhhhh (it is in pretty rough shape but definite  potential---With a large office space,,,,maybe this will be my store front one day!

Our family has been a huge help in our Business, at least once a month my in laws take the girls for a day or two.  My parents have helped with the craft shows, paint, come over and cook for us while we work and or take the girls for a few hours.  This business has many factors that play into this to make it successful.

So in a nut shell this is RiOak and we are still on our journey---We LOVE our family, we LOVE our time together and We LOVE running this business.  It is exciting to have a blog to document our journey as we proceed.

Future BLOGS:  Craft Show List and Tips, Patience, Who is the Woman behind RiOak,
Counselor Ashley, Grudges and Anger, Politics....should I? (that might not be a good one)

Which one should I do next??  Comment and let me know!