The Realm Mystical Fairy Shop's Blog: Fairies, Mermaids, and Dragons....oh my!

New Mermaid Figurines from Syrens Of The Sea featuring Jessica Galbreth based art and more!

New Mermaid Figurines from Syrens Of The Sea featuring Jessica Galbreth base art and more! NOW IN STOCK! The brand new for 2011 Syrens Of The Sea Mermaid Collectible Figurine Series is now available for worldwide shipping from www.therealm.ca!
Mystic Mermaid Figurine Jessica Galbreth	Siren Mermaid Figurine Jessica Galbreth
Princess Pearl Mermaid Figurine Linda Biggs	Coralia Mermaid Figurine Renee Biertempfel
Now available for worldwide shipping from www.therealm.ca!

Instant Gift Certificates! A Perfect Last Minute Gift and a Fairy and Fantasy Collectors Dream Present!

The Realm Mystical Shop offers Instant Gift Certificates!

Not sure what to buy or unclear what the collector on your list already has?  Looking for a last minute gift and it's too late to have something shipped?

SOLUTION! BUY A GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM THE REALM!

You can customize your gift certificate completely! You indicate who it is for, who it is from, the value of the certificate (MINIMUM $5.00 MAXIMUM $500.00), and add a personal message- THAT'S IT!

You will be able to either email the certificate to yourself to print out and give, you can email it directly to the recipient, or you can have us send it in the mail- your choice.  Each certificate generates a unique redemption code which is what your recipient will enter when they want to use the certificate to make a purchase on our website.

Here is a sample:

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR GIFT CERTIFICATE NOW!

Affordable and Unique Stocking Stuffers Gift ideas from The Realm Mystical Fairy Shop!

STOCKING STUFFERS and Affordable Unique Gift Ideas!

Check out these gorgeous stocking stuffers and affordable gift ideas from www.therealm.ca :

Keychains! Over 200 to choose from!

 

Fairy and Fantasy Necklaces

Huge Selection of Stickers!

 

Amazing Bookmarks! Tons of fantasy artist's images!

 

Shop our fairy and fantasy gift store today for the largest selection of figurines, art, gifts, and collectibles!  We have something for everyone and gifts to match any budget! Visit us today at www.therealm.ca

Now you can shop our Fairy and Fantasy Gift Store right on Facebook!

NEW! Now you can browse, "like", share, create a wishlist, and shop in our fairy store....right from Facebook!  Check out our new "Online Store" tab on our fan page now!

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, The Realm Mystical Shop is so pleased to announce that we have just launched a brand new store application that allows you to shop right from Facebook!  This new functionality will allow our customers and fans to browse our huge selection of fairy and fantasy art, gifts, collectibles, figurines, ornaments, jewelry, clothing, and everything else without leaving Facebook!  If you wish to make a purchase, you will be linked right to the product detail page on our website.

Our new online store tab on Facebook allows users to share their favourite items which also serves as a subtle hint to all of your facebook friends and family as to the perfect items to gift to you for upcoming occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, Weddings, Baby Showers, etc.  You can create a wishlist, you can "like" all of your favourite products, you can "share" or "send" links for products to friends who you think will be interested, and you can shop to your heart's content as every item links to our website where you can buy your fairy and fantasy gifts and collectibles at a great price and remember....The Realm ships worldwide!

You can even add our fairy store application right to your profile for super easy access!

Check it out and feel free to let us know what you think!  We are super excited to be able to offer this and hope you enjoy your fairy shopping experience on Facebook!

The Fairy Store Lady speaks her thoughts on being a Momtrepreneur and owning an on-line business

A day in the life of a Fairy Lady

I have been thinking about doing something like this for a while as I figured there might be some interest in the background of "The Realm" and also in what it is like to start and run your own business. So, in the wee hours I have been inspired to share a bit about who I am and what I do and how "The Realm" came to be.

Well, as I write this, it is almost 2AM.  It is not unusual for me to be up this late, actually it seems 3AM is about when I finally pull the plug each night.  I just got finished responding to some international buyers emails (where they are, it is day-time and business as usual). 

My day usually starts with a Vanilla Latte (non-fat and sugar free of course!) and strangely enough, it usually ends with one too:) What can I say but that it is that luscious caffeine that gets a busy momtrepreneur like me through my day- without it I would be lost-lol!

Now that I have my trusted coffee waiting for me, I sit my kids down and feed them breakfast.

During my morning coffee, I check to see what orders have come in overnight and review any inquiries.  I then spend about an hour or so responding to emails and returning phone calls.  I then print out all of my invoices and packing lists for orders going out that day and take them out to my shop to pick the orders.  Depending on the amount of orders in a given day, this can take 1-2 hours.  Then I bring all of the orders and packing materials to my office and proceed to wrap up and package all of the orders, weigh and measure them.  Somewhere in the middle of this, I have fed my kids lunch and switched their activity to keep them busy while I work (some days are easier than others-lol!) 

Once all of the orders are packed and ready to go, I proceed to print out the shipping labels and attach them and get them ready for pickup.  The postal service usually arrives at about 2PM to pick up the orders.  Once the orders of the day are shipped out, I then may try to grab a quick bite to eat and give the kids a snack.  Then I sit down at my computer again and answer more emails that have come in during the day.  I will also check on my Facebook page and blog and possibly update or post some news if there is any that day.

  At about 5PM I feed the kids dinner and then if my wonderful hubby is home from work early enough, I get suited up for Jazzercise- ah.....my daily release!  I spend an hour getting an awesome workout and blowing off any steam left over from the day.  Afterwards, I come home and am back on my trusty laptop checking emails, updating web pages, ordering new product and adding it to my website, composing newsletters or blog entries, and if there is any time left over, doing some bookkeeping (this is the boring part and tends to get back-burnered quite often until I hit a quarterly deadline and have to do it all at once-lol!) At night my husband is also very helpful after his long day of work when he helps me in the shop, building me shelving, inspecting stock shipments, and inventorying my shipping supplies.

The Cons:

All in all, my day is about 18 hours long.  I decided in 2004 that I wanted to be a stay at home mom and start my own business.  I thought that being my own boss would allow me to have huge freedom and flexibility and allow me to raise my own kids rather than paying for daycare. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  The joke was on me!  Having your own business does not equal freedom and flexibility nor does it allow me to spend more time with my kids- in fact sadly probably less than if I had a 9-5 job.  I don't live in a mansion or drive a fancy car or have a big bank account.  I can't call in sick ever and it is difficult to go away for any length of time as there is no one to conduct business for me because- I am it!  When I do go away, my laptop is always within arms reach and I have spent lots of "vacation" time at the poolside or beachside typing away while my children play and raise the question "Why are you working, Mommy when we are on vacation"  I can't count how many times I have had to explain that I have to work just like everyone else but I just don't "go to work" per se.  For young children (6 and 4) it is difficult to understand this concept because as far as they are concerned I live to serve their every need and desire 24/7 and especially when I am there right in front of them, they expect me to be available to them.  Honestly, this here is the most difficult part of my chosen path- I feel guilty about having to work so much and it is hard especially when I get to be with my kids but can't enjoy them and they can't enjoy me for much of the day.

Then there is the financial sacrifice.  When building any business from scratch, you have to be able to "put your money where your mouth is".  I have borrowed against my personal assets to gain funds to expand my product line, for marketing (which can be very costly on the internet), and to keep a large selection of product in stock at all times.  Fortunately I have a very supportive and understanding husband who believes in me and knows that it will all come back to us in the end and it has certainly started to now as "The Realm" has taken off.  Many people might think that you can start an on-line business without a lot of money- but this is not the case if you want it to be successful.  People will not come back to shop if you make them wait a month to get their products by consolidating orders and ordering stock after you have sold it- this is not acceptable to most consumers with today's standards.  Buyers expect that if you have something posted for sale, you actually physically have it and can get it to them right away thus the need for carrying inventory. Also, the cost of marketing is huge if you want to get noticed initially.  Time helps with this as you gain a client base and referrals, but to continue to grow, I still need to do some advertising and that is always a strain on the bottom line.

So, after reading that last  2 paragraphs, you may be asking yourself (as I have many times), why would anyone choose this path if it is so demanding and there is no "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow?

The Pros:

There is a Pot of Gold- a huge one! Read on...

My Pot of Gold is comprised of so many wonderful feelings:

1. The feeling you get from creating something out of nothing- I get this all the time, watching my business grow and evolve and can take pride in knowing that I made that happen. I created "The Realm".  I get this feeling in all kinds of little ways too each time I change up my website design, come up with a new marketing idea, or introduce new products.

2. The feeling of absolutely loving your job!  Not many people can honestly say that they love their job.  I may have to work extra hours, but I love every minute of it.  I get to communicate with people from all over the world, I get to choose pretty fairy and fantasy merchandise that I want to offer my customers- (this is the most fun!) I get to be creative in showcasing my products on my websites and on Facebook and emails, etc, I am challenged each day by new technology, new marketing channels, and business decision making that allows me to grow and evolve myself as an individual and as an entrepreneur.

3. The feeling of making people happy is one of my favorite aspects of my job.  I love it when people love what I do, how I do it, and what I sell. I take pride in offering my customers unconditional stellar customer service, amazing product quality, and a large reliable selection.  I also package up my orders with great care, often wrapping things up in pretty tissue paper just to make my customer feel like they are getting a gift when they receive their order.  When my customers comment on how happy they are with their order, or send me a special email in appreciation of great service, or one of my fans on Facebook "likes" or comments on a product I have posted- I feel absolutely terrific.  I love that in my own little way I can bring some "fairy magic" into peoples lives simply by supplying collectors with their must have fairy collectibles and figurines, or by introducing people to some fabulous talented fantasy artists whom they may not have otherwise discovered.  Making people happy makes me happy and fairies make people happy- there is no doubt about it!

4. The feeling of being in control of when I work and how I work.  Yes, I work insane hours and I work hard- but that is because I choose to.  I cannot wait afford to wait around and just expect that everyone all over the world is going to take notice of this tiny little fairy shop in Canada.  I have to aggressively grow my business by giving people a reason to keep coming back and to tell their friends. I do believe that you get out what you put in in the end.  I am working really hard now so that perhaps I won't have to work as hard down the road.  When I first started my business, I worked just as many hours and was losing money doing it! From an outsiders perspective, I am sure many wondered why I continued to persevere with what at the time seemed like it might have been a bad business idea.  I mean, really.....who thought you could make a living selling fairies anyway?  I did...and 5 years in the making, I am finally there.  A true provider in my household, a successful business woman, and most importantly....a happy Mom!

In regards to the family time sacrificing, I have come to realize that the feeling of guilt I have is universal among young mothers everywhere.  Regardless of how we do it, we all need to make a living even though we would all prefer to just play all day long with our beautiful children.  Mothers who "go to work" feel guilt about leaving their children in the same way I feel it while I must work in their presence.  For me, it has become more about quality than quantity and I do believe that I have huge quality in my relationship with my children.  I am hoping that they will watch me as they learn and grow and appreciate my dedication and hard work and develop those same qualities and as a result come to feel that they too can achieve anything they want in this world. It is an impossible balance to attain between family, work, health, and relaxation but I work each day to improve myself, my schedule, and my life as a whole in chase of that "perfect world" I am trying to create for my family.

So there it is.  Some background information on what it is like to own and operate a fairy store, be a stay at home and work at home Mom, and the pros and cons that come along.  While it is not a life for everybody- it works perfectly for me and I plan to continue to build my business over the years to come and will love every minute of it!

With dedication, hard work, and a positive driven approach, anything is possible!

It is now 3:25AM and I looks like I have a couple emails that have come in so off I go to answer them and then off to bed:)

With immense gratitude to all my customers for allowing me to do what I love and to the extraordinary artists that create the fairies, witches, goddesses, dragons, unicorns, mermaids, etc that i have the pleasure to sell...I sign off for now...

Tiffany

Owner- The Realm Mystical Shop

www.therealm.ca

Visit our page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRealmFairyShop

 

Thanks so much for supporting my business, The Realm Mystical Shop!