Fighting cancer is difficult enough, but living with it is even tougher – and that’s where the Cleaning for A Reason Foundation steps in. This nonprofit offers free professional housecleaning, and maid services to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer – any type of cancer.

The applications can be filled in online by women with any type of cancer as long as they are currently under cancer treatment. In 2011, the American Cancer Society estimates there will be 750,000 first time diagnosis of cancer in women over the age of 18. They have over 800 maid services participating in our program nationwide, however, resources are limited and they are experiencing huge demand. The professional residential cleaning companies that participate in their program do not receive payment for their services. These small business owners agree to take a minimum two patients at a time, pay their employees to perform the work, and absorb the cost of materials and supplies. They have a heart for assisting women in cancer treatment and provide this service as a way to give back to their local communities.

To begin the application process for you or a loved one:

1. Check to see if they have a participating maid service in your geographical area by clicking the locations tab on their main website. Click the state in which you reside on the pink U.S. map or if you reside in Canada, click the Canadian map. This will take you to a list of the cities where they currently have partner maid services affiliated with their foundation. Not all cities are served even though they do add approximately 25 – 35 new partners each month.

2. If you are a qualified cancer patient fill out the online application under the cancer patient tab on their main website. Fill in the required information. When you submit, the online process will inform you if a maid service covers your area. In large metropolitan areas, some maid services limit the distance they will travel to the area they normally serve.

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1. Tell us about your business:

   YourNovel.com can put any couple into their very own personalized novel. We currently have 30+ novels and eBooks set at exotic location around the globe available for personalization. Our service lets customers input 26 details like their names, eye and hair color, best friends’ names, home town, place of work, type of car they drive, perfumes, places of work and more. The information is sent through a customized computer program that generates a book – either a paperback or hardback with or without a photo added on the cover, and here’s a fun part: each books comes in a “Wild” or “Mild” version, so the customer gets to choose how spicy the romantic interludes are. (The books are titillating yet tasteful, and not graphic, and 90% of the readers choose “Wild.”)

2. Why did you start this business?

   Back in 1992, Kathy was attending a public relations conference and Fletcher tagged along to keep her company. She was on a panel and the icebreaker question was: “What would people be surprised to find out about you?” She answered that she had written a yet-to-be published romance novel, which got an appropriate response. One of the women, a friend, at the lunch table said, “Wouldn’t it be great to read about yourself in one of those romance novels?”. Well, everyone at the table laughed and kidded around about it. Then, on the four-hour drive home, we looked at each other, and the proverbial light bulb went off. We said, “You know, we could do that!” and actually started outlining our first book, “Another Day in Paradise”, on the back of a manila folder on the drive. We started writing it the next day.

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Today, we’re talking to Gabriella, who recently turned her travel blog into a subscriber-only website that provides readers access to unique travel experiences and great deals on travel. She has insightful advice for those of us who are trying to “make money on the internet”. You can contact her at info@theexplorateur.net if you have any questions about her site or her experiences.

Tell us about your business: The Explorateur is a website that showcases honest reviews on hotels, information and insider tips on new happenings in the travel world, and exclusive offers at amazing hotels worldwide, for subscribers only.

Why did you start this business? I love to travel, have a passion for discovering new places. I am also aware that no matter what budget people have, they are always looking for a good deal on travel. And, with The Explorateur, we always have a great exclusive for them at a fantastic, unique hotel or venue around the world.

What is your background? I started out working at a tour operator, in the department handling contracting and advertising programs. After 6 ½ years I took a different direction and started my own company (Trumarketing) that handles sales, marketing and PR for hotels and destinations worldwide. I launched The Explorateur as more of a hobby and a blog, but it quickly took shape and turned into a more comprehensive venture with a more defined goal and reach.

What skills did you need to acquire for your new endeavor? The ability to adapt to a VERY dynamic, ever-changing environment. Everything about travel is different now: the way people get information, the way they process it, and the things they’re looking for. We have to be on the pulse of what makes sense for people who love to travel. We also have to negotiate the best deals possible and utilize different forms of social media to enhance our visibility while minding our own limited budgets.

Biggest challenges? Information overload. There is so much info, so many people saying so many things that it’s almost impossible for a consumer to keep up. But, by carving out a niche such as a pathway for exclusive deals, it keeps readers engaged and loyal to the e-publication.

What have you learned and advice to others: Always be willing to learn and take constructive advice- nobody knows it all and part of the biggest challenge in starting your own venture is tackling the unknown. Look to people who can help advise you or guide you based on their own experiences, while following your ideas and instincts as well.

a friend

Our Cottage Industry tab features small business opportunities and budding entrepreneurs. This week, we’re talking to Catherine Lieber Shimony and Joan Shifrin about the Non-Profit Organization that they have started to help alleviate poverty and promote social justice by strengthening women-led development initiatives for marginalized communities in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

1. Tell us about your business: Global Goods Partners (GGP) is a nonprofit, fair trade, international development and education organization all tied into one. Essentially, we create opportunities to generate income for our global partners and help fuel our partners’ community development goals. The first step is identifying effective women-led community organizations (CBOs) with a strong development focus. These groups are at the forefront of creating positive social change within their communities. Once we have decided to partner with a CBO, then we provide technical assistance to both strengthen their community development programs and their micro-enterprise in craft development. GGP brings handcrafted products from the CBOs to the US marketplace which translates into income-generation for the women and their families as well as income for the CBO to support their community development/social change programs.

2. Why did you start this business? During our careers, my partner and I saw the real benefits to family and community that result when poor women are empowered by earning an income. We saw an opportunity to contribute to local organizations that support women’s empowerment and economic independence. We wanted to contribute to the sustainability of the important social change work being implemented by the women-led CBO’s while at the same time develop a sustainable livelihoods program for the women artisans who wanted to to continue with their traditional crafts.

3. What is your background? Catherine and Joan, the two co-founders, attended the same graduate school program in international affairs, JHU SAIS and pursued careers in international development mainly in the nonprofit sector but also with experience in the private sector.

4. What skills did you need to acquire for your new endeavor? Analytical skills, to think innovatively and creatively, management skills, cultural awareness and understanding, respect for your colleagues everywhere, and the confidence that your work makes a difference in people’s lives.

5. Biggest challenges? Growing our market share in this challenging economy.

6. What have you learned and advice to others? Trust your instincts. Try not to take on too much. It’s important to start small.

If you’d like to find out more about Global Goods Partners, visit their website at www.globalgoodspartners.org.

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This week we are talking with the creator and maker of Book Boxes, Diane Thodos. Book Boxes are real books with fabric lined boxes inside them. Here’s what Diane had to say about starting her Cottage Industry:

1. Tell us about your business: I make Book Boxes – hollowed out books lined in velvet to hide small valuables on a book shelf. They are designed to blend invisibly with the books on your shelf and are the perfect place to safeguard jewelry, cash, watches, collectibles, coins, stamps, small antiques, letters, documents, credit cards, keys, cell phones, TV remotes, and other small valuables with simplicity and convenience. The price of Book Boxes average between $14 and $24 per book depending on the size.

2. Why did you start this business? To have independence. I wanted to have freedom to move my time around for my main career and also I wanted to earn effective profit from my labors, not share the money with someone else.

3. What is your background? I have an art degree.

4. What skills did you need to acquire for your new endeavor? You need to be good with your hands and good at listening to customers needs. I learned a lot about new uses for my product this way and could expand my reach.

5. Biggest challenges? Affording individual health coverage. Also you need physical energy and stamina for this labor-intensive business.

6. What have you learned and advice to others: To take the road less traveled and you can find new freedoms and well as responsibilities. Thinking outside the box can have minimal risk with good rewards.

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Rubbingnickels.com loves it when a Mom starts a business at home. We hope our Cottage Industry guests will inspire all of you to get something started and help bringing in the bacon. There are always challenges, but the feeling of contributing towards your family’s financial health is empowering.

This week, we chatted online with Teri Schulist, who started a business at home called School-Pak, Inc. It has been a Woman/Mom-owned business in Milwaukee, WI since 1991. You can visit her website and check out her goodies at www.schoolpak.com. This is a great service and can keep you from spending that dreaded day in August, taking the tour of Target, Walmart, Aaron Brothers and Office Depot to get all the darn supplies your kids need.

Tell us about your business: Schoolpak takes the teachers’ supply lists and packages all the items for moms and dads, saving them multiple trips to stores looking for hard-to-find items.

Why did you start this business? I was shopping for our son’s school supplies and found so many parents having the same frustrations I had. I felt that families could do better things at the end of summer instead of getting stressed out.

What is your background? I was a shift supervisor for patient registration at a major Milwaukee hospital.

What skills did you need to acquire for your new endeavor? Mainly accounting and purchasing. I had no experience with either. I learned how to forecast products, lead times for delivery, how to keep track of it all, pay bills, report taxes, just about everything about running a business without ever having done it before.

Biggest challenges? Finding enough time to get it all done. My husband was in charge of sales and production. It was difficult dealing with manufacturers when we were so small. We were kind of ignored.

What have you learned and advice to others: Go for it. While it’s stressful at some times of the year (paying bills!) the freedom to make decisions and change an industry can’t be measured. My husband and I are 24/7 in the business and in our private lives and having a great time. Since we’re together all day, our evening conversations very seldom have to deal with work. When one of us falls into that, the other just says, “blah, blah, blah, blah”. We then move on to home life.

Thanks, Teri and good luck with your Cottage Industry!

a friend