Moms Monogramming At Home

The Enquirer:

Tracy Stacey of Hyde Park has given the term “stay-at-home mom” new meaning, one that reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of the swelling ranks of women who have ditched corporate America and started home-based businesses to gain economic independence and job autonomy.

In addition to running a household with four children and a husband, Stacey, a former Procter & Gamble manager, last year started a monogramming business, Keep Me in Stitches, from her home.

“I wanted to apply my MBA and business knowledge from P&G to start my own business . . . and bring fresh ideas to monogramming,” she said.

According to the embroidery trade publication Embroidery Monogram Business, the number of people considering starting home-based embroidery business mirrors the growth in home-based businesses in general. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, home-based operations account for 53 percent of all small businesses.

Stacey, who received her master’s degree in business administration from Xavier University, developed her business savvy while working for Cincinnati-based P&G, where she was a sales and marketing project manager for 12 years.

She was also running a household and raising her 1-year-old daughter. When she became pregnant again, she and her husband decided that it made sense for her to stay home. She took monogramming classes and bought an embroidery machine, which was no small investment.