Mumpreneur shares tips on running a home based business with your partner

This week Cas interviewed Alison Dias-Laverty from PhotoShow on DVD who not only shares her passion for capturing family memories on DVD but also shares some golden tips on how to harmoniously work with your partner when you run a family-owned home based business.

Tell us a little about the person behind the business?

I am a Portuguese originally from Singapore. I speak 4 languages and love cooking. As a mother of two very active pigeon-paired kids, I enjoy their vibrant energy and their sense of humor and adventure. My passion is music and I could spend hours going through my old family photos, just reminiscing the good old days of my travelling adventures.

And now a little about the business itself?

Photoshow on DVD was created to help you celebrate life and remember your joyful memories by creating your story in a meaningful way. Using your photos and videos, mixing it to your favourite music and adding special effects, I create personalised slideshows. I don’t just display your photos to music, I help you create your story.

How did you come up with your business name?

The name Photoshow on DVD was chosen because I use photos to create shows and transfer them onto DVD. It is just a descriptive name of what we actually do.

What made you want to begin a home based business and how did you get started?

The idea to start a home business came about just after my son was born in 2006. I wanted to be with him and guide him in his young life. It took me nearly two years to research online and to see if there was a market niche to fit into. I also had to find and test various multimedia software that would help me with the slideshow creation as well as create a system that worked. The Australian Business website was the first place I looked at for information and they provided me with everything I needed to know with starting a home based business.

What inspires you to keep your business going?

My inspiration comes from my passion for music and my fascination for inspiring stories of survival. As a young kid, I loved reading stories of ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives. Now, I think it is truly amazing to see photos and videos that show the simple joys of a person’s journey through life, their love for family and their passion to help the community. This truly inspires me to help others remember simple and joyful moments in life.

How do you advertise your business and which methods have proven more successful?

A lot of our projects come from clients’ recommendations or from word or mouth. Since I first started Photoshow on DVD, I have requested permission from my clients for them to subscribe to our email updates. I have been consistently updating them with lots of tips and ideas to help them preserve their photo and video memories. This has proven to be the best way for me to build a relationship with clients, and they in turn have always recommended us to others. I also write a blog of which has brought in many clients from organic searches. I have to admit that I still have a lot to learn and I always like a good challenge.

Do you have a current best-selling product or service? If yes, tell us about it.

Our slideshow creation and our good old fashion customer/client service is our unique selling product and service. I believe not just in providing a service but to share an experience with my clients that builds a continual relationship of mutual trust and integrity. 80 percent of our clients are regulars or from word-of-mouth. All of them have expressed their joys with our slideshows and our friendly service. Some have become our good friends, and in many ways we feel fortunate to be a part of this amazing community.

How do you juggle your family and your home based business? Any tips for other work at home parents?

It is never easy juggling family and work. Photoshow on DVD will turn 5 in 2013. During these five years, I had two kids and we shifted twice. Having very active young kids under seven is never easy, and there are many challenges. I’ve had many late nights and lots of naps during the day when my kids sleep. As my business grew my husband started working with me and we took turns to help each other with work and nursing my two year old daughter.

At least once a week my husband and I go for a coffee together to just to hang out while my mum helps me babysit my daughter ,and my son is at school. It is really tiring, but I enjoy it because my work is my passion. I have a really good relationship with my husband working together. Multitasking and flexibility are skills I learned from my work in the corporate sector. I work while feeding my daughter, while reading to my son and even while my daughter sleeps in my arms. I’d have it no other way.

My tip is to never give up, especially when you are tired. There will be times when you feel that everything is way too much to handle. Just remember, you have the choice to create a new day differently, choose your attitude wisely and believe in yourself. Take a leap of faith. As time passes, you will be glad you hung on, especially during the tough times.

And finally, what advice would you give to anyone wanting to start a WAH business?

My advice would be to just go for it. Make sure you do your research. Find your purpose through your passion. Once you find your passion, you’ll never feel like it’s work. Others have gone before you and they have succeeded; so will you, if you press on. Don’t be afraid to fail because it is through failure, you find the courage you need to move forward.