Three Things Every Mom Should Know When Starting Her Business
So many mistakes, so many things I wish I knew. If I could do it all over again I would but I cannot. Even in the information age where everything can be found on Google it's still possible to screw up and do it royally. I remember when I started my business I purchased so many subscriptions; I was paying for this and that and not making any money. I tried a little bit of everything, I remember paying for a fax number every month for about 6 months when I rarely sent faxes much less received them. I had to learn quickly that it wasn't about how much you spent but how much I kept. This week I'm sharing with you my top three lessons I had to learn when I started my business.
#1 Cash is king - I just said it, it's about how much money you can keep. Cut back on all of the UN -necessary services that you know you don't need.
#2 Build relationships and partnerships - It's all about who you know. People do business with individuals they trust and are familiar with.
#3 Keep good records - Come up with a record keeping system and use it! You never know when you may have to locate something from 3-4 years ago. Services such as Google Drive and Dropbox are great for this.
As moms it's natural for us to be overly prepared. In business I think it's a little different you have to really weigh the pros and cons of details especially when it comes to money. Overspending can hurt and cripple your business. If you haven't already create a business plan and use it as your guide, have your financial planner or someone with experience review it. Implementing these small details can save you time and wasted dollars. Take it from someone who has wasted hundreds.
October Feature: Honey Shea Sulich
She made me cry! Such a powerful and empowering story. She is the owner and operator of Honey Shea Studios. What I loved the most about my interview with Honey was her openness to share her story and journey as an entrepreneur. I'm so excited to share my interview with you. She is an amazing woman, and mompernuer. It's my pleasure to introduce you to Octobers' mompernuer Honey Shea Sulich.
·
Name: Honey Shea Sulich
·
Name of
Company: Honey Shea Studios
·
Years in
Business: 2yrs
· WHY: Tell
us why you started your business/blog – etc: There came a point in my life
where my skills and talents weren’t being used to there fullest potential. I
knew I had a lot to offer so I started putting them to good use for myself. By
the encouragement of my husband, who was deployed in Kuwait, asked me what do
you like to do? My answer was I enjoy
being creative.
The Easy Questions:
· When you were a kid what did you want to be when
you grew up? A teacher
·
What was your first business idea? Social Media
Manager
·
What do you wish you knew before starting your
business? Being my own personal accountant
·
What did you learn from your worse boss? How not
to treat your employees. Everyone should be treated equally
·
What’s your highest level of education? I left
high school after the 10th grade.
I have tried at least 5 attempts to obtain my GED. Scored higher every
time but never met the passing score. It was so heartbreaking. My ex husband
for years told me I was dumb and I would never amount to anything. When I
couldn’t pass my GED I started to believe he was right. But friends, as much as
I felt defeated I have never given up on achieving it. I have recently learned I’m dyslexic, which
explains why school was so hard, and why reading comprehension is the toughest
for me.
·
Who inspires you and why? I have so many
wonderful people around me that inspire me everyday. The storms they weather.
The mountains they climb. With my heavenly Father carring me through every
trial and test.
·
Top 3 books to read this summer? Chatter Box,
Girl Boss and Perfect over perfection. ( all audible books ) >> what a
brilliant invention for someone like me
·
What are you currently reading? Wild and Free
Let’s Talk About Business:
·
How do you maximize social media? Instagram is
my jam right now. But I use them all. Currently working on a google ad. But I
use all forms of social media available.
·
What did you learn from your biggest failure? Payment
first before starting a custom project.
·
How important is it for you to do your best? Very
important
·
How do you feel about failures? They used to get the best of me but not
anymore. What does it mean to fail? I’m not perfect we all make mistakes but
you have to take a step back and try to learn form those mistakes and failures.
·
Any money saving tips? I have currently managed
to do this business on cash with NO loans.
How do you do it?
·
Where do you find inspiration? God
·
As a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) how do you
balance? Prayer, Meditation and
devotions.
·
How is it being a (single mompreneur / mompreneur)
running a business, working, or going to school? You have to create structure
and balance
·
What advice would you give other (single mompreneurs
/ mompreneurs)? Pursue your dreams!
·
With the kids and other things happening in your
life, where and when do you find the time to work on your craft/business/
study?
Tell us how to find you:
·
Email: honey@honeysheastudios.com
Hastags you live by: #communityovercompetition
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It's All A Learning Experience
September Feature: Tonya Parker
- Name: Tonya Parker
- Name of Company: Singlemomchiclife.com
- Years in Business: 1
- Hashtags you live by: #singlemomchiclife #truth #goals
- WHY: Tell us why you started your business/blog – etc: I started my blog after publishing my book Single Mom Chic about my experiences as a former single mom. I received so much feedback from readers about how they were inspired by the book and I wanted another way to connect with readers on a more personal level.
The Easy Questions:
- When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? A counselor. I am a school counselor and I love it.
- What was your first business idea? My daughter and I had an online designer consignment business.
- What do you wish you knew before starting your business? That it takes time to really build your business and clientele. We had an okay first year but I was very impatient.
- What did you learn from your worse boss? How not to treat people. I always want anyone who works with or for me to feel valued and feel a connection with what we’re presenting to to the world.
- What’s your highest level of education? Master's Degree
- Who inspires you and why? Oprah, Steve Jobs and my daughters. I love Oprah’s story of survival and success and I admire Steve Jobs’ dedication and laser like focus. I admire both of my daughters for their creativity and authenticity. They aren’t afraid to think differently.
- Top 3 books to read this summer? Here’s to Us, Grit, and The Mindfulness Key
- What are you currently reading? All 3 listed above.
Let’s Talk About Business:
- What was your strangest marketing experiment? A giveaway. I didn’t know that people actually make a living entering giveaways. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I thought it was more organic. I was a little disappointed when a man won my first Single Mom Chic giveaway. I was hoping it would go to a single mom.
- How do you maximize social media? I am a little late to the Instagram party but I am loving it. I am still growing a following but I love connecting with other moms and bloggers. I know there are ways to increase your following but I love that mine has grown organically. I am all about authenticity. I use Facebook a lot as well.
- What did you learn from your biggest failure? Don’t give up, find another way.
- How important is it for you to do your best? Very important. I pride myself on always giving my all.
- How do you feel about failures? What does it mean to fail? I think that failure is really a route to success. You can’t fail if you don’t try and you can’t succeed without trying which will inevitably lead to some failure.
- Any money saving tips? Be minimalist but invest in quality. You aren’t really saving money if you are constantly replacing things. Spend more time doing and less time buying. I am working on that second tip myself.
How do you do it?
- Where do you find inspiration? Everywhere! News, social media, print, friends, coworkers, etc.
- As a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) how do you balance? Organization and scheduling. I plan out my days and keep myself on a pretty structured schedule.
- How is it being a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) running a business, working, or going to school? I was a single mom for 13 years and it was tough to balance it all but I did. I got two kids through school and into college and finished three degrees myself.
- What advice would you give other (single mompreneurs / mompreneurs)? Build your team. I talk about that in my book Single Mom Chic. I couldn’t have made it through my single mom journey without support from my friends and family. You don’t have to do it alone!
- With the kids and other things happening in your life, where and when do you find the time to work on your craft/business/ study? I make it a priority and post to social media daily and write blog posts on the weekends. I have a full time job but I used to teach part time at the local community college. When I moved I decided to let that go and make blogging a priority so now I have hung up my professor hat and blogging is my other job.
LOVE:
- What’s it like dating and being a single mom? I wrote a whole chapter on it in my book. It’s probably one of my favorites. It was definitely interesting and I have 13 years worth of stories. I think it is a little more difficult because you have more to consider. It isn't “is this person good for me” it’s “is this person good for us”.
- Challenges? I was definitely less forgiving in what I would accept in a long term mate because I had to make sure my daughters had the best person in their lives too.
Other:
- Sometimes you have to make tough decisions whether it’s personal, family, relationships or business. Do you ever feel misunderstood? Give examples or details. Not really, I am pretty straightforward and very decisive. I am kind of the go to person when someone else needs to make a tough decision.
- How important would you say is having a support system? Who’s a part of your circle? Again, building your team is a chapter in my book. I think it is essential. My parents, my brothers, my best friend and her husband, coworkers and other single mom friends were all a part of my team.
- Have you ever felt judged being a single mother? How? When? Sure, It is one of the reasons I wrote the book. I wanted to show other single moms that you didn’t have to listen to the naysayers and your children aren't doomed to be statistics.
- What’s one thing you’d like all of us non single moms to know about single motherhood? Sisterhood is essential. If you have a circle of friends don’t exclude single moms. They have as much to give as anyone else. My relationship with my married best friend was reciprocal. We did a lot of family activities together but I had their daughter over for play-dates and sleepovers as often as they had mine. It was a give and give relationship. Oh, and don’t worry they don’t want your husbands. Single moms want single guys!
Finally:
Tell us how to find you:
- FB Single Mom Chic
- IG @Singlemomchic
- Website: singlemomchiclife.com
- My book Single Mom Chic is available on Amazon
Steps To Reaching A Goal
We’re mid -way through the year, it’s amazing how time flies.
Are you on track for accomplishing your
goals? Have you added new goals? Or Have you forgotten the goals written on the
notepad from earlier in the year? As a
single mom running a business having goals is a part of everything I do. I have goals for myself, family and
business. Sometimes I’m on point and
other times I’m not; but I keep at it. There is a strategy to reaching and accomplishing
goals, as I go through my entrepreneurial journey i’m learning and applying these strategies. This week i’ll share with you my top three strategies I've learned so far.
Be realistic with yourself: Let’s say your goal is to sell
100K by the end of the year; however, you’ve never even sold 10K. That’s not realistic, you can sell 100K
however; you have to build to this nothing happens overnight.
Tracking: You want to
make sure you’re tracking everything you do, keep a log or journal. It’s important to log your wins and losses. Go back to your log and see what you can pull
out of it, what lessons you can learn and reapply.
5 to Dos’ For Every Mompreneur”
All businesses have their challenges. Running a
business and being a single mom is a circus and a juggle. With back to
school shopping at my doorstep I find myself being pulled multiple ways every
day! Like any responsible parent I’m making sure my son is set and ready for
his new venture into middle school. I still can't believe it, he's in middle
school! Meanwhile, I have to maintain my family, myself, clients,weddings, and everything else in between. Most days, I'm so happy to finally sit down, put my feet up and have a
full glass of wine. My personal key to saying balance and focused is: finding what
works and working the hell out of it! This week I want to give you my “Five to
Dos’ For Every Mompreneur”Delegate: Know the difference between non – income and income producing activities. You don’t have to do everything. Don’t be afraid to ask and accept help.
A Good Accountant -- Someone who will help you make decisions to
prepare for the growth of your company. There will come a time when you won’t be able
to handle your taxes on your own. Get in
the habit of visiting and meeting with you CPA.
A Smart Phone –I have a love and hate for my smart phone. My smart phone helps me stay on track, gives access to my calendar, and clients. It’s great for the on the go and busy mom.
Set aside 10-15 minutes just for you. You're no good to anyone if you're not well rested and focused. Make it a priority to take a little time for you. A simple pedicure goes a long way.
Be 100% Present: I recently learned this lesson, our kids will not always tell us but they want our attention. They want us to listen to them, play with them and even hug them. Take a day or two and just hang out. It’s worth it!
August Feature: Shawna Miller Owner Of Exploring Shawna
Name: Shawna
Miller
Name of Company: Exploring
Shawna
Years in Business: 7 months
WHY: Tell us
why you started your business/blog – etc: I got the idea to start my business
after a friend of mine suggested I turn my passions into an income. Something
inside me clicked and I just jumped right in. I started with my travel blog and
from there my swimwear boutique came next. Now I have started to incorporate
fitness into the mix.
Exploringshawna.com was created with the intention of motivating others to live
a healthy life filled with adventure and fitness. It also offers a place to
purchase quality swimwear handpicked by me.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? When I was younger my Mom put me in modeling school so for the longest while I wanted to be a model. But I quickly learned I was too short and not dark enough (in the 90’s) to be one. Now you can be a model no matter your color, shape or size but back then tall and dark is what they were looking for. When I got to high school my Mom was going to school for her AA and she brought home some Accounting work. I looked over her work and thought it was an interesting subject. I went on to major in Accounting in college.
What did you learn from your worse boss? What I learned from my worse boss is you can’t do everything yourself. You have to evaluate the strengths of your employees and then utilize them. Trust others to do their job.
How important is it for you to do your best? It’s very important for me to give my all to my business and do my best because I have 2 wonderful children that are watching me. I want to show them that no matter what you decide to do in life, you should always give more than 100%. I need to lead them by example.
How do you feel about failures? What does it mean to fail? I think failures are inevitable but our failures are what make us stronger. No one likes to fail especially at something they are passionate about. The failure itself isn’t the important thing. It’s the lessons we take from those failures that will help us grow and even push us to work harder towards our goals.
How do you do it?
As a (single mompreneur / mompreneur) how do you balance? It can be very difficult to find a work/business/family balance when you’re the one doing it all. Most of the time I schedule my business activities around the activities of my kids. I find it very helpful to communicate to my kids all the things I have going on. In any event where I can’t be with them because I have to work they always know what’s going on. If I can incorporate them into what I’m doing then they’re right there with me.
What advice would you give other (single mompreneurs / mompreneurs)? Communicate with your kids. Explain to them what you’re doing with your business. Let them know what your plans are and what you expect to get from all that you are doing.
LOVE:
What’s it like dating and being a single mom? The biggest challenge for me is finding the time to incorporate dating into my already very busy schedule. I don’t want to take any time away from my business or my children. I’m still trying to work on balancing that into everything I have going on. It’s definitely not easy. The person you’re dating really needs to be understanding and be very patient. You also have to be understanding of how it may feel to be with someone so busy and make time. It’s a balancing act that requires constant attention.
Tell us how to find you:
· FB Exploring Shawna & Exploring Fitness Challenges
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