Mommy Bloggers

Mommy bloggers are a force to be recon with. Not only are their blogs cashing in on advertising space but they are changing how corporate America spends their advertising dollar.

Moms not only spend money on themselves but they are usually the main purchaser for the entire family. Moms are a powerful economic force that is controlling the blogging world.

Where can you mom bloggers go to blog with kids? That is right, tumble & tea cafe. Eat a delicious pannini, have a latte and let your kids play while you enjoy the FREE WIFI. tumble & tea cafe is designed to support you. tumble & tea cafe was designed by moms- we know what you want! Come on in, take a break and blog away!

This is why you need a tumble & tea cafe in your neighboorhood

When we were going through lease negotiations for the first location, the landlords were questioning the tumble & tea cafe concept. "Why would you need a cafe were you could bring your kids?" they asked. They just didn't get it. They were also in their 50's and their wifes raised the kids while they were at work or on business trips.

I found this video on you tube and I think it explains perfectly why there is such an incredible demand for tumble & tea cafe. Click here to see video. Enjoy!

It is the experience, not the products.

At the beginning of each week we all meet to discuss our weekly goals and the tumble & tea café development.

This week we discussed, “What is tumble & tea café?”

Most people think tumble & tea cafe is a café with a playspace. That is what we do but it is not what or who we are.

Yes, we serve amazing espresso drinks and our sandwiches, salads and paninnis are made to order from the best ingredients possible. Yes, it is true that we have a custom made indoor playground and host great birthday parties but that is not what tumble & tea café is- that is just what we do.

tumble & tea café is more than cappuccinos and waffles- much more. tumble & tea café is an experience. We provide a little escape for caregivers of little kids. Walk in the doors, take a deep breath, order a delicious and healthy meal and take a break. We are designed to pamper the adult side of parents while providing a fun, safe and learning environment for our smallest patrons.

The heart of our business is the quality in our products and the customer service we provide. Every decision we make from locations, owners, menu items, even design, we ask ourselves, “Does this meet our quality standards and will this help create the tumble & tea café experience?”

tumble & tea cafe becomes a home away from home for many of our patrons and when caregivers need a break to help them take the edge off the constant demand of parenting or in search of a kid friendly venue- they think of us.

Our food, coffee and parties are all very important- we only serve the best, but the true meaning of tumble & tea cafe is the experience.

I always explain to our franchisees- your not selling a cup of coffee; you are providing the tumble & tea cafe experience. The experience is what your customers are looking for. You can get a cup of coffee at home but you get a break at tumble & tea café.

Practical Mom Tips

See our founder, Gina DeCarlo, give tips on how moms can take care of themselves on channel 7 news.

Practical mommy tips:

1. Get Organized:
You will appreciate the sanity and your kids will like it too. Get yourself and your kids on a schedule- type it out, put it on the fridge and stick to it! Get up a little earlier than the kids (or have your partner get the kids ready) and take a run, jump on the treadmill, do a yoga video or meditate. Just 30 minutes of doing something physical for you will energize you throughout your entire day.

2. Multitask:
Most moms are an expert at multi tasking- usually doing two, or three things at once to take care of other people. What I mean is multi task for you. Take you baby on a walk in there stroller for their nap time and you get to power walk. Or maybe put your kids in the shower with a 99 cent bottle of shaving cream while you give yourself a facial or paint your nails right outside the shower. They will play in the shower with the shaving cream for an hour-easy!

3. Go to a kid and adult friendly venue:
Like tumble & tea cafe. It is a posh, wifi cafe with an indoor playground for kids. Great food, amazing espresso drinks, hip ambiance and an indoor playground for kids 0-5. tumble & tea cafe gives you a chance to take a break, enjoy a late, finish a sentence with another adult and gives the kids a fun and safe place to play.

So Moms, don't forget about you. Take at least a little time everyday for yourself. Just think of it as your bonus for all of your overtime for the most important job you will ever do.

Facts:
A study from Salary.com for 2008 determined that the time mothers spend performing the 10 most popular "Mom job functions" would equate to an annual cash compensation of $116,805 for a Stay-at-Home Mom. And lets be honest, "Mom jobs" amount for more than just 10 tasks. In fact the study also found the primary driver of mom's six-figure salary was the amount of overtime worked. This year, mom's overtime averaged 54.4 hours per week. Stay-at-Home Moms work a 94.4 hour "workweek" - over half her time spent on the job is overtime. Additionally the Working Moms reported an average 54.6 hour "mom work week" in addition to their paying jobs.

There are definitely benefits about being a mom. There is arguably no other job in the world that can be more rewarding or is as important. But with all the rewards- sometimes the job of mom doesn't come with coffee or lunch breaks and taking care of others can leave you with no time to take care of yourself.

From Single Unit Owners to Multi Unit Owners

There is an unique trend developing in the franchise industry. While other business may be slower, franchising is getting bigger, faster and better.

According to Darrell Johnson of FRAN data, since 2005, more than 50% of all franchised units are operated by a multi-unit franchisee and 20% of all franchisee own more than one unit. It is expected these numbers will continue to increase.


Are you an entrepreneur that think bigger than your bank account? Click here to read the rest of our blog on Entrepreneur.com to find out how you can meet your goals.

Think about your stages of Mommy Hood

Mothers Day is next week.

It makes me think of all the different types of mom I have been during my 7 year long mom career.

First I was the married, non pregnant mom who loved kids and judged every parent I saw. I would think things like, "My kid would never be that dirty" or "Why don't they comb that poor child's hair", or even, "My child will never have a tantrum in public- I would never let that happen!"

Then I was the married pregnant mom. I did my will, bought life insurance, started buying baby clothes at 3 months pregnant, read every mommy book possible and worried every day that my stress was hurting my unborn perfect child. I will never forget washing (with the expensive newborn detergent) & organizing my daughter's clothes at 8 months pregnant thinking, "This is the funnest thing I have ever done!" I sanitized the house 5 times, spent hours picking out the perfect color paint for the nursery and ordered a year supply of Disney books before she was even born. I was the perfect mom!

Then I was a mom. My first baby. I was in love like I had never experience before. She was perfect. She had matching outfits with matching blankets and hair clips. I stared at her the first 4 days to make sure she was still breathing until I had a tantrum from lack of sleep. I learned that milk curdles if left under the chin, yellow, mustard like poo does not stain and projectile vomit can literally hit the wall on the other side of the room. Little babies eat every three hours and it takes them one hour to eat. That means you are feeding your baby all the time!

I also learned that you still look pregnant when you leave the hospital and other parts grow even larger. You can not control if your baby cries or has a blow out when your boss is holding the baby when you visit the office to show off your new toy. The mother guilt started to kick in and I was so fearful that I had already screwed her up in some way. Was I too loud? Did she cry 30 seconds more than she should? Maybe I wasn't doing something right?

Then I was the single mom. By far, that is the hardest job I have ever had. I would be at a park with my daughter working on tumble & tea cafe and married, SAH moms would be talking about how it was so hard because their husband was out of town for 2 days and left them with the kids. They didn't even have a clue.

Now my daughter had to be my helper too. I was not a perfect mom and felt guilty about that. Sometimes an hour after brushing her hair it look as if I had never brushed it and I remember how judgmental I was. I guess I really learned how hard it was to be a mom, especially a single mom starting a cafe.

Now I am a pregnant, non single mom. I think this is the best. I have an amazing partner, a 6 year old daughter who is so excited about being a big sister and I am definitely not as emotional having number 2. It is still exciting but not as scary.

Take a moment to think of all the stages of mommy hood you have experience. This is the most important job you will ever have. Take time to do something nice for yourself- you deserve it. Take care of you, take care of you kids and love your life! Congratulations on being a mom or even mom to be and Happy Mother's Day!

Welcome to our ha, ha page!

Welcome to our ha,ha page. We will post a new something funny daily guaranteed to make you laugh (or at least smile).

With everything that happens during the day; work, kids, bills and random other b.s., we think you need a break- at least for a minute.

Enjoy your laugh, forgive us for for being inappropriate at times and have a great day!

Are you serious about your business? We are.

Are you serious about your business? We are.
Just because tumble & tea cafe caters to families and kids, don't think we just "kid" around. This is a serious business opportunity for you and your family.

We have analyzed every aspect of this business from design, layout, recipes, training, marketing and suppliers. We know what works.

Stop thinking about what you want to do and start doing it. Do you want to own your own cafe? Do you see the need for tumble & tea cafe in your neighborhood? Contact us- we will show you how!

We have received thousands of nationwide requests to bring tumble & tea cafe to neighborhoods everywhere!

Contact us now for your free franchise consultation!
Schedule your appointment to visit our corporate office in Berkeley, California. Meet our team, discuss your cafe with our designer and meet one on one with our founder and CEO to learn more about the tumble & tea cafe franchise opportunity.

Now you have the opportunity to own your own tumble & tea cafe!
We are expanding nationally and you can be a part of it!

Training, marketing, site selection, construction-we help you with it all!

A lot of nothing from tumble & tea cafe!

Most of you have spoken to us by now and reviewed our brochure package. If so, you have heard us say many times,

"We are here to help you run your business!"

Well, we do a lot more that just talk about helping you- We do it!

No royalty payments for your first 60 days.

Getting your cafe open is hard work- we know, we have done it. To say welcome to the team and good job, tumble & tea cafe will collect $0 in royalty payments for your first 60 days of operation.

We work at your cafe your first 7 days.

You have been trained, your operation manual is memorized, your employees have mastered our training videos, your opening check list has been completed and you are opening your door tomorrow.

AAAHHH! Don't worry. One of our corporate trainers will work with you and your staff your first 7 days to help you train, manage and answer any questions you may have.

Those are YOUR discounts, not ours!

We are serious about providing you with discounts on every product and vendor possible. Once you join our team, you get 100% of the discounts from your suppliers. We don't receive a penny in kickbacks or bonuses- all of the savings is passed on to you!

Contact us now for your FREE franchise consultation and learn more about what we do for you!

Check out our new Franchise Blog @ Entreprepreneur.com

All of us at tumble & tea cafe are proud to announce our new blog with Entrepreneur.com! The blog starts at the beginning and gives you honest advice and real life experiences about franchising.

Whether you want to know more about the franchise industry, curious about opening your own franchise or thinking about franchising your business, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU!

We will keep you updated on new trends, experiences, referrals and interesting facts you can tell your friends at cocktail parties. You will look oh so business savvy!

Have questions? Ask us! Feel free to post comments here or on the franchise blog
and we will get back to you with your answer.

Have a great weekend and thank you for your support and interest in the tumble & tea cafe business opportunity.

Disneyland started in a recession......

It's a sad fact that pretty much everybody knows people who have lost their jobs in this recession. It seems like the question to avoid at parties is, “How’s work?”

But for the wise, the rescession has benefits and can turn into opportunity. An article in USA Today states that a recession is a great time to start a business. Trader Joe's, Disney and Hewlett-Packard all started during recessions.

But it isn't just big companies arising in troubled times. Many mompreneurs view the recession as an opportunity to launch their businesses. Starting a business at any time is hard work. But these economic times create a fierce desire for success. Many moms are rethinking their careers after being let go or thinking about what career move works best for their families, and more than a few are choosing to chase their dreams rather than be at the mercy of an employer.

If you're considering taking advantage of these economic times and becoming an entrepreneur, stay focused with these steps:
• Create your vision for your business.
• Create your business plan. Make sure there's a need and that you can fill it and make money.
• Create a budget and make sure you can afford to launch your company. The company will require a financial investment, and you'll have to learn to live without steady income.
• Create an action plan and go for it. Don't be another person with an idea that never comes to pass.
• Know your limits. Knowing that you need help getting your business off the ground is better than pretending you don’t. Business consultants or franchises would be a good place for help.

Remember, challenging times for some mean opportunities for others. Change your mind-set and push your fear aside. In today's market, you can find amazing deals on retail space, amazing women looking for employment and a society that wants to believe in something. Ask yourself how you can create opportunity where others see none.

Happy birthday to You!

I love throwing birthday parties for kids. Everything is so magical for them and they appreciate what is really important- the frosting!

I can always pick out the birthday boy or girl walking in the door of tumble & tea cafe- they are so proud and excited. It is their day and they get to have their party at tumble & tea cafe!!! What more could they want?

But how about you? You work, have other kids, remodeling your home or just busy- how do you plan (and clean your home) for a birthday bash for your little one.

That is where tumble & tea cafe steps in. We do everything for you- you just show up for your birthday party and relax.

What is the everything we do for your birthday party? Our birthday parties for kids include invitations, decorations, pizza, drinks, birthday cake (and candles), goodies and treats for all the kids, time in our amazing indoor playground for kids and...... thank you cards! WOW- only thing missing is the margaritas! (sorry- you have to wait 'till you get home.)

Even though we include a birthday cake, lots of parents bring their home made master piece. Check out Parenting website for great cake ideas. You are welcome to bring your own cake (just save a little piece for us!)

Throw a great party, don't do the work, look like the most organized parent ever and have your child's birthday party at tumble & tea cafe. Check out our website for more information about our birthday parties for kids and remember- you are the one that gave birth...this is your day too! Enjoy & relax- let tumble & tea cafe do the work!

Looking for Parenting Websites & Blogs!

Do you have a parenting website or blog (or even know a parenting website or blog that you love)? tumble & tea cafe is building our partners page and we are looking for some great parenting websites and blogs.

Check out our list of parenting websites and blogs @ http://www.tumbleandteacafe.com/help.html. Hey, kids don't come with instructions. Check out these websites- great information and ideas!

Lets really look at this economy.....

The economy. Needless to state the obvious- we are in a recession. With the constant negative news and the public’s general misunderstanding of economics, people are scared. But let’s look at some facts and compare the recession in the 1980’s to our current recession.

•In the 1980’s unemployment reached its high of 10.82 in December 1982.
•The federal funds rate, which was about 11% in 1979, rose to 20% by June 1981.
•The prime interest rate, at the time a highly important economic measure, eventually reached 21.5% in June 1982.

Comparing unemployment, interest and inflation rates, the U.S. economy was in a much worse condition then we are now. But even in the recession, by 1980 there were more than 356,000 franchised businesses and by 1985, retail sales of franchises exceeded $474 billion.

In 1986, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that retail sales by franchised establishments represented 34% of all retail sales. Last but not least the sales of products and services by all franchises grew by $198 billion during the period of 1980-1986.

How did those businesses endure? Per the United States Chamber of Commerce, franchised businesses have had a 97% success rate within 5 years of opening compared to non-franchised businesses which only have only 48% success rate with in their first 6 years.

Surprisingly enough there tends to be growth during recessions. Not only do people loose their faith in corporate America and are laid off by “safe corporate giants” but the recession provides unique benefits to new businesses. Below are just a few of your benefits for opening your business now:

•There are more retail locations available now then two years ago and you are able to negotiate lower rents and higher tenant improvements than during a recovery period.
•You have a greater selection of high quality people to work for you with less competition from larger companies.
•Recovery periods follow recessions. Businesses tend to gain a greater clientele base when the economy starts to improve while enjoying the cheaper rents they negotiated during the recession.

I believe the success in business is based off three main aspects.
1.The concept and business structure
2.Your location/ marketing plan
3.You and your abilities

We are starting to ask ourselves, "What is safe?"
Do you trust big corporate companies for stability or do you trust in you?
Honestly- It is all risky out in the real world. As some business that do not provide a perceived value service disappear, others grow. What makes a business strong.... stay tuned for my next post.

I'll end with one of my favorite quotes, "If you're not a
risk taker, you should get the hell out of business."
Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's Corp.

Be passionate about what you do!

I just read this great blog about starting your own business.
www.startupnation.com/blogs/index.php/2009/03/10/lose-your-job-start-a-business/
The blog is an interview with a corporate executive who was laid off and couldn't find work because she was over qualified. Sound familiar? Check out her blog but this is the highlight.

"Be passionate about what you do. This is a second chance, an opportunity to do what you have dreamed about. Bring all of your collective knowledge and experience from your past jobs to your venture. You’ll have to work an exorbitant amount to launch your venture but it will be yours."

Starting a business has risks. But ask yourself what are the risk if you never try? No one, even expensive lawyers, can predict the future. If you believe in yourself and believe in the business- you can make it work.

Why is everyone so into this tumble & tea cafe thing?

I am not sure. Maybe because it is a new concept? A café that adults love with great food & a hip ambiance with a place that our kids enjoy too.

I don’t think the concept is all that revolutionary but no one has done it before- well not like us.

There are a few cafes with some toys and then there are kiddie playspaces that have ok food and pictures of Mickey Mouse on the wall.

Those places are great but just not us.

tumble & tea café is a posh, wifi café that serves great food with an indoor play space for kids. We serve espresso drinks, pastries, signature paninnis, salads and great soups. Don’t worry; we also have the kid favorites too.

Since day one we have been busy. People loved it and we have regulars that come in everyday. It was amazing to watch our idea come to life. Right away we started getting request from people who wanted to own their own tumble & tea café. After a couple of years we have received over 800 requests nationwide

So what better way to open more stores than to teach people how to open and operate their business at the same time?

We are franchising nationwide and hope to be in your neighborhood soon. Is your neighborhood filled with people who cant wait to come to tumble & tea café?

Welcome to the new tumble and tea café. You will love it!