Monday Spotlight: Anna Bella

Who is Anna Bella? Where are you located?
Anna Bella is an online stationery boutique offering unique pregnancy and birth announcements, shower and party invitations, holiday invitations, sassy stationery, magnets and more. We sell only our exclusive brand which is available on our web site at www.annabellastationery.com. We're located in Orlando, Florida.


How did you come up with your business name?
My business is named after my daughter, Anna.


When and why did you decide to start your own business?
I started my first online business creating custom wedding invitations almost 7 years ago in order to spend more time with family and raise my daughter at home. My wedding invitation business evolved into a wholesale business and I then made a natural progression into licensing last year. I closed the wholesale business but really missed designing stationery, so I launched Anna Bella in January of 2006.


How did you get started?
I did months and months of research about owning a business, ecommerce and the stationery industry. I then created my collection and set up an online store.


What motivates you to keep your business going?
I have such a passion for paper and design - particularly stationery design. My collegues also keep me motivated - our industry offers a great support system.


Do you have a new product/design you are featuring on your website?
Yes, several! We just launched a new set of Baby Milestone Cards that celebrate baby's amazing first year. We also recently launched a darling Tooth Fairy Kit that comes with a petite tin for the child's tooth.


How do you juggle family and work at home?
It's difficult. And there's no magic formula for success. You just have to make a conscious decision to turn the "business" part of you off at a certain time and learn to separate yourself from that role and switch to your "mommy" role.


What advice would you give to moms seeking to become a WAHM?
Working from home is just as challenging as working away from home - and in some cases, even more so. Be sure you have lots of love and support from family and friends, a great business plan (plus a backup plan if things don't work out), and all of your ducks in a row before jumping in.


Visit Anna Bella at www.annabellastationery.com