At-Home Businesses for Busy Moms: Sisters Leap Tea

Gen X Moms has moved to www.GenXMomsBlog.com. Don’t forget to update your bookmark!

So many moms want to run an at-home business. Whether it’s to pay a few extra bills, have more money to splurge on lip gloss that goes unappreciated by everyone except our other mommy friends, or just continue a hobby and use our brains, starting an at-home business can be scary but exciting. In this feature, Gen X Moms interviews a variety of moms who run at-home businesses. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom where you’ll find exclusive offers just for Gen X Mom readers!

Today’s Mom: Jackie with Sisters Leap Tea

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

Sisters Leap Tea is run by Jackie Mann and Theresa Banks-Edin out of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. We are sisters-in-law, and between the two of us, we have 8 children between the ages of 9 and 6 months.

Tell us about your business

We are an online tea seller and sell over 100 types of premium, loose leaf teas and tisane, as well as accessories like infusers, teapots, tsacs, etc. Many of our blends are custom blends, meaning that we came up with them, and blended them on our own. We are thrilled that these custom blends are often our best sellers. During the fall we do tastings in homes–they go over really well! It’s not hard to sell tea: how many gourmet items can you have that actually help your health? Tea can do everything from help to relax you, lower your bad cholestrol, add anti-oxidants and help fight cancer, improve your sleep, hydrate you–all while tasting of caramel or vanilla, raspberry or orange, spicy chai, strawberry or blueberry–or just pure and elegant black tea. Our custom blends are truly what set us apart from other tea sellers. Very few sellers offer the kinds of teas we offer. We even offer tea for kids!

We are based in Canada and have customers in both Canada and the US. Shipping to the US can be expensive, so we recommend getting together with some friends and making a group order to split the shipping cost evently. Group orders are a wonderful opportunity to plan a mom’s night in, a special tea party with the kids, or just unwinding at the end of the day. We will gladly help you organize a group order and select the cheapest shipping method. Within Canada, we offer $5/order shipping.

How did you get started in this business?

I just fell in love with tea. I live on the prairie, and around here, you get Red Rose in a box. I love strawberry tea and always searched for the perfect loose strawberry tea. I found a green strawberry; I adored it. I shared it with friends, and soon enough they came to me to buy some. It just went from there.

Did you have any kind of special education or training?

Theresa has taken the first step in becoming a Tea Master, and I will as well in the near future. We have researched tea online, but are largely self-taught. In this case, having a great palate and being a home cook really helps out.

How do you juggle motherhood and the business?

It’s pretty tough. We try to share tasks among us, which helps. Neither one of us have a break during the day where we are childless, so usually it’s after the kids are asleep, but generally, we seize every moment we can.

What would you say to other moms interested in opening a similar business?

I think anytime you can try and build your career to suit your family it is a good thing. In our family lives, our kids and families come first and we are totally honest with our clients about that. It is demanding and hard work to work at home, but it’s very important to me to be home with my kids. Expect a lot of hard work, find a good way to market your idea, and don’t count on a lot of income right away.

Do you have any special offers for Gen X Mom readers?

Free 50g bag of tea with your order! Please just note that you are a Gen X Mom reader in the comments box, along with your selection.

Stop by Sisters Leap Tea and check out our wonderful selection today! For the latest on our products and events, become a fan on Facebook!

The Gen X Moms blog is now accepting submissions for our Silent Sunday feature! If you’ve got a cute kid picture, or a kid-related picture, and want the fame, fortune, and adulation of being featured on the Gen X Moms blog, shoot us an email!