Today we’d like to introduce you to Marjorie Peterson.
Hi Marjorie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
SHORT INTRO
My husband and I [1993] have two kids, they are grown and on their own now. Our daughter is married, and our son is getting married this summer. Family is a BIG part of our lives!
HOW EVERYTHING STARTED – SELF EMPLOYMENT
Actually my main reason for wanting to work from home was for our FAMILY. Since we started our family, I started looking at a home business.
I wanted to be able to set my own hours and not worry about taking time off when needed.
I soon learned that working for yourself, does not necessary mean your working FROM home or that it allows you to keep your profits. After dabbling in several home businesses, I soon learned that what I really wanted to do, was not be self employed, but to be both self-employed AND work from home. Delivering orders in person took allot of time and bringing young children into homes of people who I often did not know was not always a good idea.
So after having these thoughts in the back of my mind for many years, I felt like I had the advantage of teaching myself how to create websites.
All I needed to do was come up with a product that people would want, but one that wasn’t so easy to get that they could find it in local stores.
It had to be unique, and specialized enough that when people found me they would be so pleased that they would come back for more.
GETTING STARTED – THIS IS HOW I STARTED DEVELOPING ONLINE SKILLS THAT GOT ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY.
In case you don’t know… March is National Craft Month!
I have been interested in the creative side of developing websites pretty much since 2000. A long time, but I wasn’t developing for profit until around 2014. Before that I started an online store in 2004 selling clay push molds all over the world, and in the process, I learned a lot about my site as it constantly evolved as I learned and got better with self-marketing.
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I Love To Create…..
I have been creating my whole life and absolutely love what I do. A lot of my inspiration comes from nature, color and a passion for creating things, ideas and websites! Many people in my life have been a huge influence in my creative life. My grandma was always busy making others happy with her quilts and hand Crocheted doily Christmas ornaments. I also have an aunt who enjoys oil painting and decorating her home that displays her unique creative style. And of course my parents, who encouraged me by supplying me with all kinds of craft supplies as a child and taking me to the small craft shop in our tiny home-town in Southwest Minnesota.
As I got older, I immersed myself in as many arts and crafts mediums as I could. As a young child I was always amazing people with my creations using Etch a sketch, Play-doh, Lite-Bright, Shrinky Dinks and Spirogragh. I gave many of my creations away as gifts and I enjoyed seeing the smiles it brought to my friends and family. As a child, my small tiny fingers were perfect for quilling, which led to making church bulletin paper beads! I also did some weaving, string art and all those types of crafts that were popular back in the day. Eventually I started working in craft stores demonstrating all types of wearable arts, window display and enjoyed instructing craft classes. I couldn’t believe they were paying me to have so much fun! There haven’t been many mediums that I haven’t tried over the years, but polymer clay has definitely been my medium of choice. I love creating with mixed media and adding a variety of mediums to my polymer clay artwork.
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MY PERVIOUS WORK-AT-HOME BUSINESS PLAYED A BIG PART IN HOW TO GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY.
So what is Mad About Molds?
Mad About Molds was an online store, that sells Clay Push Molds.
We opened Mad About Molds in 2004 and gradually increased our mold line to over 1,00 to choose from. We have a had a large assortment of molds in many categories.
I was very busy and soon became known as the mold lady online. lol I had the top Google ranking for my keywords during most of this time. At the same time we were raising our kids, so it was perfect that I could manage our family’s activities and be there for the kids. I was the mom who wanted to be there for them for every moment, and this provided that, with a nice income. It didn’t take much space and the daily post office trips was less than a mile from the house.
I loved it and it was perfect, however I after many years, I was starting to get burned out trying to keep up with the demand. This is when I noticed that my keywords on Google Trends were starting to drop, and fewer people were looking for these molds. I noticed that the smaller sellers on Ebay were dropping in sales and prices at the same rate as the Google trends charts were. I’ve had people ask about leaving it up because there’s so much good information on it that people can still use. I do still have my Facebook page open here, but it’s not very active. You can see a lot of photos there. It was very fun and profitable for many years, but I was ready for something new.
THE BIGGEST AND MOST EXCITING STEP OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
Getting started with my business today “Your Designs Online .com”
After a bit of time, I started thinking about my backup plan. I knew I loved developing websites, but doing it for profit, especially since I am self-taught was a huge step for me. I knew I could do the layout and design, but I wasn’t very confident with the technical side. I soon realized I had to do something, and with a lot of research I realized that there were places I could go to have people walk me through the “hard stuff”
Our relatives got word of this and decided they needed a website for their new business, and I gladly accepted the challenge. It turned out so good, and they were the perfect first clients to get my toes wet. Then, when I was finished with that one, close friends of theirs approached me about doing existing business website. We had known them for years, and they wanted me to do theirs so bad. I knew they were good people and it was a complete pleasure working with them, and it was so rewarding when they were soon selling at the world’s largest county fair, and then Lowe’s asked them to sell their products online. Well, you see where this is going, and how it great it feels to help small businesses grow into successful businesses.
To develop websites you need to be a very detailed and task-oriented person. I have extensive checklists and checklists for my checklists, because I work on several projects at a time, so taking detailed notes is key. Organizational skills are extremely important. I’m not the type to do things halfway… It’s all or nothing.
I work freelance and work out of my home office, and often meet people in public areas or their place of business.
I was determined to learn everything I could in order to be good at what I do. I love a good challenge and the feeling you get when you learn how to do something and apply it to new projects.
People love having someone local to work with. They love it when a person answers the phone. They also like it when they find out that this is your full-time job, so they know you are committed to that personal touch that you don’t get with someone who is located across the country. Yesterday I had a guy here who wanted to redo their entire website, because they were charging him $460 per month for “maintenance” and weren’t doing anything for him, and didn’t answer the phone either.
I just jumped in and learned as I went. I did the same thing with my molds. I am completely self-taught – I love learning online and trying things out while using tutorials like you. In fact this is when I do for “fun” when I have “free time” People are generally so nice and understanding, and I’ve made a lot of new friends.
ABOUT ME
Read more on my about page here. https://www.yourdesignsonline.com/about.htm [The bottom of this page has some FAQ’s about myself.]
My story began growing up as a farm girl in Southwest Minnesota, with traditional values and a strong work ethic. I come from a place of good old-fashioned respect for faith, integrity, and persistence. I aim to turn any negative situation into an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve. I have been designing in one way or another my whole life which eventually lead me to website development and I absolutely love what I do. I am a huge supporter of small businesses because I know what it takes to start from the ground up. Much of my inspiration comes from a passion for executing creative solutions for the growth of businesses and organizations. “Your Designs Online” meets a direct need for clients to address their needs. You won’t find a one-size-fits-all approach here!
As a designer and developer, I help small businesses and organizations with website development .
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Challenges OF YDO Website development is generally a male-dominated field, with surveys indicating that roughly 73% to over 90% of web developers are male. While women are increasingly participating in tech, they remain underrepresented, often facing challenges related to industry culture, with women holding only about 26.7% of all tech jobs as of Web development is heavily populated by younger individuals, with 2024–2026 data indicating that roughly 64–65% of the global developer population consists of Millennials and Gen Z.
Let me know if you have any questions. I’m here to take the pain out of doing it yourself. If I can serve you in any way, contact me! ~ Marjorie Peterson (Stoesz) Your Designs Online – Freelance Website Developer in Southwest Minnesota
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Your Designs Online .com?
Your Designs Online Offers Affordable Rates For Websites That Deliver Results
Our flexible, budget-friendly website development service has the best rates in the area, with no monthly fees unless you have something to update. We believe in offering personalized websites tailored to your specific needs. This means you only pay for the features that are essential to you, maximizing the value you receive. We believe in transparency by providing quotes that break down everything, so you understand upfront what you are paying for. This way you can add or remove features to fit your budget. With a simple and fair pricing structure, you only pay for what you truly need. So if you don’t need a lot, you don’t pay a lot.
Because every website is 100% custom tailored to your business or organization, price ranges vary according to how basic or complex it needs to be.
consider that most, if not all, website developers charge a monthly fee for “maintenance.” This can easily be several hundreds of dollars per month, whether they do anything for you or not.
We don’t believe it’s fair to charge you for work we haven’t done, so there’s no monthly fees unless you request an update, which are invoiced at a very fair rate.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Visit my website and get a free quote for website development.
Here are the best ways to support small businesses:
• Shop Locally First: Choose local businesses over national chains.
• Leave Reviews: Positive reviews on Google, Yelp, or social media help build reputation.
• Engage on Social Media: Like, comment, share, and follow their pages.
• Spread the Word: Recommend your favorite local businesses to friends and family.
• Nominate for Awards: Recognize local businesses for their excellence.
• Sign Up for Newsletters: Stay informed about sales and events.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yourdesignsonline.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marjoriep123/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourdesignsonline/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjoriepeterson/
- Other: https://yourdesignsonline.com/plus/Self%20Marketing%20Your%20Website.htm
