Homepreneurs Success Story – HealthPetsLive.com

Are you a pet owner?  Do you like animals and want to help them live healthy and happy lives?  If so, Homepreneurs has another wonderful success story to share: healthpetslive.com.  We had a chance to sit down with Marie W. and talk to her about a business – healthy pet products and expert advice – she started after retiring from corporate life.  Marie’s enthusiastic attitude and passion for her work shines through our brief conversation.  It was a real pleasure to meet Marie and learn more about her successful home and online business.  Kudos to you, Marie!  We should all be as blessed to find our true calling.

-        HP: Why did you start your own business?

-        MW: For years I have done volunteer work for SPCA and animal rescue groups – my passion from childhood. After retiring after 40 some years in the corporate world, I wanted to help pets, their owners, and pet professional in a different way. That is when I decided to help educate pet owners on healthy products for their pets.

-        HP: When did your business start?

-        MW:  I have been in business since 2007
-        HP: What industry is your business in?

-        MW:  Holistic pet products which includes food, treats, supplements, grooming products and pet safe cleaning products.  We also have our own Non-Profit Foundation to help unwanted animals and animal rescue groups.
-        HP: What are the greatest challenges you face?

-        MW: Educating the public on how important it is to keep your pets healthy from the inside out not just outside in.  So your pet can live a long, healthier and happier life and cut down on cost and veterinary expense.

-        HP: What advantages does self-employment provide?

-        MW: Self-employment gives you the freedom to do what you want to do and be able to enjoy it.  In my case it gave me the freedom to do more things with my husband, children and grandchildren and still be able to do my passion which is to help pets and there owners.

-        HP: Do you have any tips/suggestions for those considering entrepreneurship?

-        MW: Think about something that you have a passion for, love doing, and have a drive and a skill you are very good at or an idea.  Always think outside of the box and never, never give up.  You are always going to have people telling you not to do it but don’t listen to them.  Surround yourself with people who think and believe like you. You can always find self-help information or a mentor to help.  Just remember to think long-term, not for the short run; it takes time to get idea out there and working.

-        HP: Do you use social media at all (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)?

-        MW: I use Facebook and LinkedIn.  I like LinkedIn because they have groups that you can join that like what you like and are very helpful.  LinkedIn is very easy to use.

-        HP: Where do you get your clients?  Word of mouth, networking, social media, advertising?

-        MW: I use everything: Word of mouth, networking, social media, free online advertising or sometimes paid, post cards, flyers and car magnets.  I keep an open mind so I try different ways to see what works best.

-        HP: If you could change one thing when you started, what would that be?

-        MW:  Be knowledgeable about what you do and always remember that Customers Always Come First.  Customer Service is very, very important.

-        HP: What are the rewards of self-employment?

-        MW: Freedom (being able to work full time or part time), self-satisfaction (being able to help people and their pets), having more control over my future and my income.

-        HP: What sources do you use to fill in your knowledge gaps? Why?

-        MW: I read a lot, try different things and speak with business owners, pet professionals and pet owners. You can never have too much knowledge; there is always something new that you can use or try that will help.  Always remember NEVER give up or quit.

Find Marie and everything about healthier pets at http://www.healthpetslive.com/.  Marie can also be contacted by email at healthierpets@hotmail.com .

Thank you, Marie for sitting down with us today and sharing your experiences and wonderful product line.  We wish you the very best of success in your future business endeavors!

- By Dion D Shaw

Dion D Shaw is the founder and owner of Homepreneurs

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunity.

© Homepreneurs 2010 – 2012

Homepreneurs Success Story – Nature Restores Me Photography

Homepreneurs is very fortunate to meet remarkably talented people that also own home based businesses.  These individuals are featured as part of our ongoing success story feature.  This story features a wonderful artist – Linda S. – and her photography business, Nature Restores Me.  Though we have a common friend, Linda and I never met until a recent local arts show.  I asked her to provide some details about her success and give tips for those interested in starting a home business.

In Linda’s own words: “I have always had a profound love of nature. I just love to be outdoors, whether I’m riding a bike, taking a walk, skiing, or in a canoe. And it doesn’t matter how bad the weather is, I can handle the cold, the rain or the heat. And the bugs don’t bother me. Just let me be outside!

For the past 10 years, I dabbled in photography. But two years ago, I took a macro class, and that changed everything. It opened up a whole new world for me. I noticed things about flowers, bugs and bird close-ups that were just astounding.”

Underneath some of her wonderful pictures please find our Q&A discussion:

The Beauty Inside & Learning How to Fly

All rights reserved – Linda Strickland

HP: Why did you start your own business?

LS: I had become increasingly dissatisfied with the corporate world. But I felt like I needed my job and couldn’t afford to live without it.  However, after some health challenges happened to me, I was forced to quit my job and take some time off. I had never done anything like that before. But I can honestly say that the first 2 months were such a blessing, I didn’t even think about the implications of what I had done. I went out everyday, anywhere I pleased, and photographed all the wildlife and nature scenes I wanted to! And since it was May, spring was in full bloom and migrating birds were passing through. It was like heaven. I realized I felt more alive than I had in a long time.  I had long toyed with the idea of being a nature photographer. I was already photographing nature on my weekends, it was a very enjoyable hobby. But after my corporate job was gone I started to think more seriously about it. I picked an accountant who showed me what was needed to start a business, and then applied to as many art fairs as would accept me. I have been doing this ever since! And I’m still learning so much.

HP: How long has your business existed?

LS: I began it in July of 2008, just in time for the recession!

HP: What are the greatest challenges you face?

LS: I don’t really have a mentor or anyone that could give me sage advice. I have just learned to ask questions of everyone I meet: other artists, framers at Hobby Lobby, store owners who can sell my photography, other business owners even if they are not in my field. I have found a wealth of information, and realized that most people are willing to share what they know. 2) The weather is also one of my greatest challenges. I lost a tent due to heavy rain, and had damage done to my pictures because of high winds. But outdoor fine art fairs are where I make the most money, so I have learned to rainproof my tent and move my panels in a way that blocks the wind.

HP: What advantages does self-employment provide?

LS: For me, it has been a godsend. I have been able to use my creativity to describe how I feel about the world. I never realized how stifled I was behind a desk, when other people assigned me tasks, and I had no say in what I would be doing. Even though it is hard when your day is a blank slate, and you have to fill it up, the possibilities are endless. And when you are doing something that you are good at, and other people appreciate it, your gratitude is always at a high level. And you see beauty in yourself and in the world around you.

HP: Do you have any tips/suggestions for those considering entrepreneurship?

LS: Never stop educating yourself! Talk to everyone. You will learn something worthwhile. Whether it is the person you’re buying your camera from, or someone you met in a nature preserve, or another artist who is selling on etsy or some other online store. It is important to be outgoing and create a network of friends that can help you.  2) Give yourself credit! I didn’t go to school for photography, so I am grateful for each success.  3) And don’t give up. If something you tried did not work out, learn from it and move on. When I hired Discover Network to help make my website more noticed by giving me hits on Google, it did not help.  I was a new artist that no one had heard of and I hadn’t established myself on the art fair circuit yet. I decided that people have to see your work in person and you have to establish yourself before a website can start paying off. The people that know and want your product will then go to your website. That’s how it has worked for me so far.

HP: Do you use social media at all (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)?

LS: Not as much as I should. I have accounts on each of these, but don’t use them very often. This is something I want to work on and develop.

HP: Where do your greatest number of customers come from?

 LS: Definitely my art fairs.

HP: If you could change one thing when you started, what would that be?

LS: I wish I had planned for this career while I still had a corporate job and had more money to buy expensive camera equipment, a good tent, and pro panels.  If you are considering starting your own business, have faith in yourself and your product and try it first on a small scale. Buy the bits and pieces you need along the way, as you can afford them. And apply for a few art fairs and see how you do! Then you will know if this is something you could grow into. I met an air traffic controller who was doing photography on the side, and was doing so well he knew he could quit his day job and do photography full time. In fact he had already set a date.

HP: What are the rewards of self-employment?

LS: The greatest reward for me as an artist is that I am sharing a part of my life through my work. I know the story of each picture I have ever taken.  I can share these memories with the customer if they want to know. Sometimes the customers share with me why they are buying a particular picture, why it has meaning for them. It is wonderful to have these conversations.

As a photographer, I get to be outside all the time. Since I like the outdoors, no matter what the weather is like, this is heaven for me. I get to be a witness to little miracles in nature, like watching a mama goldfinch teaching her baby how to fly, or finding a newly hatched dragonfly drying himself on grass stalks. It calms and centers me, and makes me a better person. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.

HP: What sources do you use to fill in your knowledge gaps? Why?

LS: 1) The internet is a great place to find instruction for any type of photography, or even to find out what camera to buy.   I discovered flickr on the internet (a photo sharing site) and met other photographers through this website. I also discovered IBET (Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts) which is a good resource to find out where birds are.  2) I like talking to other photographers and enjoy going on photo shoots with them, to see how they capture their pictures, and where they go. 3) I have also taken a few photography classes from other nature photographers, so I can find out the best way to do things.

For more information about Linda and her stunning nature pictures, please visit her website: www.naturerestoresme.com

Thank you Linda, for sharing your time, experience, and expertise.  Best wishes and much success for your future endeavors!

Image Credits: © Linda Strickland and NatureRestoresMe, All rights reserved

By Dion D Shaw

Dion D Shaw is the founder and owner of Homepreneurs

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunities.

© Homepreneurs 2010 – 2012

10 Tips from a Successful Small Business Owner

Small business owners wear a million different hats. From product development to customer service to order fulfillment to basic HR functions, you do it all in the course of a typical day. But how do you ensure the success of your business when you’re focused so much on day-to-day survival? We talked to successful small business owners to see what advice they had to share, and we’ve pulled their best tips together right here.

10. Create systems that can run without you.

As a small business owner, you provide the heart, soul, mind, and muscle that keeps your business running, so the idea of your company running without you can be difficult to accept. But as hard as it is to relinquish control, it’s essential if your business is to grow to the next level. There are only so many hours in the day, and one person (even one extremely dedicated person) can only do so much.

Be sure that the information and knowledge you possess exists somewhere besides your own brain. If there are critical skills that you alone possess, train your people to do them better than you do, and see how much faster your company can move when there are more hands to share the important work.

9. Hire great employees, then get out of their way.

It can be intimidating to hire and work with people who you’re pretty sure are smarter than you are. But just as keeping key information to yourself restricts the growth of your business, so does burying yourself in the minutiae of day-to-day operations. Train your employees well, listen to their ideas, and give yourself the freedom to move on to strategic pursuits such as growth planning and business development that will ensure your company’s long-term viability.

8. Set specific goals, then take time to review them.

You’re busy all day, every day, but are you moving in a positive direction, or simply spinning your wheels? Take some time every quarter, or at least once a year, to review the goals you’ve set for your business, measure your progress toward them, then adjust as necessary.

7. Create a culture that you would want to work in.

Small businesses are vital to our local communities and our national economy, but small and family-run businesses are also notorious for being difficult to work for, due in part to the complicated dynamic that often exists among company principles. If you have one or more business partners, hash out any differences behind closed doors and present a united front to your employees and customers. Even if you’re the only one in charge, think about the work climate in your office. Are your employees smiling and energetic, or tense and stressed out? If you don’t like what you see, ask for feedback, and be willing to act on it.

6. Invest in improving yourself.

If there’s a core area of your business that’s lacking, find ways to make it better. Work with a business coach to set and achieve realistic goals. Look for workshops or webinars on sales strategies or customer relationship management. Talk with others in your industry about tools and technologies that help them save time and money, then invest in training on those that might benefit you. Knowing when to call in the experts can help you move beyond your comfort zone to become a more well-rounded business manager.

5. Don’t waste your time on tasks that you can outsource.

If you’re still keeping your own books, doing your own taxes, and managing employee work schedules in a cumbersome Excel spreadsheet, you might not be using your time as efficiently as you could. Consider hiring a part-time bookkeeper, retaining an accountant, and using an online scheduling application to let employees create and maintain their own schedules. You can even outsource functions such as staffing, payroll processing, invoicing, and collections, as well as certain aspects of the sales cycle, like lead generation and appointment setting. Think about how much time these tasks consume over the course of a typical day, week, or month, then decide whether your energies would be better spent on more strategic projects.

4. Stick to your core business.

Develop a set of core business principles, then live by them. Begin by identifying your unique selling proposition (What product or service do you provide that differentiates your company from any other business?) and defining who your core customer is (and is not!). If you’re having trouble committing to one core service or market, consider working with a business consultant until the path seems clear. This could very well be a situation where it pays to call in the experts!

3. Always know where you stand financially.

This one may seem obvious, but many a small business has failed because the owners, although experts in the service they provided, were novices at managing the money. Create a detailed profit and loss (P&L) statement that tracks your revenues and expenditures, and always keep current on loan payments, small business credit cards, and other accounts payable, as well as invoicing and receivables.

2. Find a partner.

While many entrepreneurs are autonomous by their very nature, there’s a great deal of truth to the saying that two heads are better than one. A carefully selected business partner can be a source of ideas, a sounding board, another set of hands, and a counterpart to your own management strengths and weaknesses.

1. Do whatever it takes to achieve that elusive work-life balance.

Force yourself to take a day off, schedule a real vacation, and, above all, remember why it was you started your own business in the first place. Long hours come with the territory, but if you barely recognize your children and your work life has all but consumed any semblance of a personal life, it might be time to reevaluate your priorities. As a small business owner, you could probably find enough work to fill a 37-hour day, so it’s important to make a conscious decision to step away from it frequently enough that you avoid burning out or damaging your personal relationships.

Article Source:

http://www.inkfromchase.com/business-tips/

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunities.

Homepreneurs Success Story – Women are Game Changers

Homepreneurs has mentioned in the past how much we enjoy posting articles about success stories.  This time we had the good fortune to catch up with Vernetta, the editor-in-chief of Women Are Game Changers (WAGC).  In her own words, WAGC’s blog is “A woman empowerment blog that focuses on teaching women how to empower themselves through business, health and family relationships. Also women will be featured sharing their path to becoming a gamechanger.”

WAGC’s Mission:  To create a network of women who are changing the game called life by setting it on fire with our dynamism.

Vernetta is a dynamo: a fitness enthusiast, a writer, and a woman with a serious and noble goal of empowering others.

Vernetta has some very interesting and wise words of advice for start up businesses.  She is quite successful, driven, and her words are sage advice.  I interview Vernetta; what follows is an unedited transcript:

1)      Why did you start your own business?

I want to have more control over my finances. I do not want to depend on someone else to decide how much my skills are worth. I also want the freedom to choose what jobs/contracts to take.

2)      How long has your business existed?

I started my blog in September 2011 and I became self-employed teaching English to corporate employees who come from overseas in July 2011. So I am new to all of this but the learning is fun and challenging.

3)      What industry is your business in?

My blog would be considered a social networking site I believe and teaching English is in the education & corporate industry.

4)      What are the greatest challenges you face?

The greatest challenges I face are having to learn while I am also working in new fields and understanding how to make sure I become profitable.

5)      What advantages does self-employment provide?

The best advantage of being self-employed is working for myself and from home. I only need to leave to meet with clients and to network. I don’t have to worry about extra expenses of renting an office space and commuting.

6)      Do you have any tips/suggestions for those considering entrepreneurship?

The one tip I would like to share is make sure you have some savings for personal use because you won’t always have the ability to start earning a lot of money right away in some cases. That way you are not stressed about paying your personal bills and you can focus on growing your business because that takes time and money.

7)      Do or will you use social media at all (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)?

I use facebook, twitter, linkedin, black bloggers connect, black business women online, blogher, and I am also in three meet up groups. I’ve found all of these great for networking, learning from others and exposure for myself and business.

8)      Where do your greatest number of customers come from?  Word of mouth, networking, social media, advertising?

My greatest number for my blog has come from facebook. As far as teaching English that business is still in the developing stages. I contract my services out for another established company.

9)      If you could change one thing when you started, what would that be? (or change something in planning)

I don’t know what I would change because so far I’m enjoying the learning experience because it is all new to me.

10)   What are the rewards of self-employment?

I get to set my own schedule and take or reject contracts if I want to unlike being employeed by a company. I love the freedom to work from home as well.

11)   What sources do you use to fill in your knowledge gaps? Why?

I have bought and read books by other bloggers and entrepreneuers. I joined a business oriented social networking site to learn from other women who are more established than I am. I read and listen to what other  bloggers are doing.

12)   Please self-identify with either initials or first name & first letter of last name

Vernetta F.

13)   Would you us to publish a link to your business?  If so, please provide an email address, Facebook or Website

Yes I would appreciate it. My links are below

www.womenaregamechangers.com

www.facebook.com/womenaregamechangers

www.twitter.com/womengamechange

www.linkedin.com/in/vrfreeney

www.youtube.com/user/womenaregamechangers

womenaregamechangers@gmail.com

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunities.

Homepreneurs Success Story – StellaredgePR

Homepreneurs is fortunate to meet some very talented entrepreneurs through this blog.  If appropriate for this forum, we love to share their success stories.  For this post, we were able to interview a web designer – Lindsay Coats – that we’ve worked with on other website projects.  I have seen Lindsay’s work and can attest to her ability to manage projects, work within a budget, and deliver the requested product on-time.  Lindsay not only has creative talent, but she is people-oriented and essentially an extension of your business.

This superior customer service combined with a self-motivated and can-do attitude has made her successful and constantly adds to her clientele. We sat down with Lindsay and asked her 11 questions to see what makes her design business a success:

1) Why did you start your own business?

I had a professor in college, Dr. Gary Ernst, who was very influential in my decision to start my own business. He guided me in the basics on opening my business and gave me the confidence to know that it was even possible.

Over the years, I have had four different home-based businesses. In every case, I started my own business because I love to create… and you can only create so much for yourself before you get bored!

With regards to my current business, Stellar Edge PR (formerly Lindsay Shannon Design), I began self-learning web design while working for my parent’s greenhouse in 1996. It was fairly early in the days of the Internet so things were not nearly as polished and complex as they are now, but it was thrilling to put something together building up all the different pieces and learn as I went.

2) How long has your business existed?  (When was it formed?)

 I worked as a freelance artist from 1999-2007. During this time, I was also employed outside of the home but did web design on the side to earn extra money and fulfill my desire to create. When my son was born in January 2007, I had to make a very important decision – go back to work or officially start my own business (Lindsay Shannon Design). It was a big risk, but it has definitely paid off in so many ways. 

Stellar Edge PR launched in April 2011 when I took on a partner, Sin Van V, and expanded my services beyond just web design.

3) What industry is your business in?

Stellar Edge PR is a public relations company. We provide a full-service offering of event planning, marketing, design, promotions, social media services, and public relations.

4) What are the greatest challenges you face?

One of the hardest things about working from home is balancing my schedule. With two small children (ages 3 and soon to be 5), it is sometimes a struggle to manage everything. Also, it’s hard to shut off. With email and everything being so accessible, it is hard to NOT work sometimes.

5) What advantages does self-employment provide?

 One of the main reasons I started my business was to have the ability to be home with my children. I have spent the last 5 years watching them grow and I love that I was able to be there for all their milestones. Yes, it involved a lot of late night working, but it’s all been worth it. Now that they are older, I can focus more on my business while still allowing myself time to enjoy my family.

Another advantage is the capability to work from virtually anywhere. My parents and my husband’s family all live in different states so it is wonderful to be able to go visit and still work when we are there and not have to worry about being back to work on Monday.

6) Do you have any tips/suggestions for those considering entrepreneurship?

Prepare yourself for months of hard work and not a lot of payoff. There are a lot of things that must go in to a business before you can get anything out of it – marketing, website, business cards, accounting software, materials/inventory, etc. depending on your industry. These are up-front costs that are hard to avoid, but they will allow your business to run smoothly and successfully. Also, think about the future. Even if you plan to start small, keep possible growth in the back of your mind and as you make decisions think, “How will this change or affect my business if I’m more successful?”

7) Do you use social media at all (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)?

Yes. Social media is an important part of marketing and branding any company. It’s interesting to interact with my clients on a different level and create a community of people who have similar interests. This allows for exchange of information and a wonderful opportunity for networking and referrals.  Lindsay and StellaredgePR have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/stellaredgepr and Twitter page: http://twitter.com/#!/stellaredgepr

8) Where do your greatest number of customers come from?  Word of mouth, networking, social media, advertising.

99% of my work has come from word of mouth. My biggest goal has always been to be an affordable option to working with a major marketing firm. I pride myself in working within a budget and truly becoming an extension of someone’s business allowing them the opportunity to implement a true marketing plan without having to hire someone internally. When you do that and do it well, people talk.

9) If you could change one thing when you started, what would that be?

I wouldn’t change anything. Everything I have encountered along the way has been a learning lesson and has made me the successful business owner I am today.

10) What are the rewards of self-employment?

Personally, I am able to fulfill the drive to create and I enjoy helping others with my skills. Also, I am happy that I can help provide for my family while still doing what I love.

11) What sources do you use to fill in your knowledge gaps? Why?

I have a network of professionals that I have worked with in the past that I am able to consult when I have questions about certain projects. Also, now that I’ve taken on a partner, we are able to bounce ideas off of each other to create an even more dynamic package for our clients. In addition to my human counterparts, I can always count on Google!

Lindsay Coats is an owner of Stellaregdepr, a growing company that specializes in event planning, marketing and design, promotions, and PR and social media.  Stellaredgepr is on the Internet at these sites:

http://www.stellaredgepr.com
http://www.facebook.com/stellaredgepr
http://twitter.com/#!/stellaredgepr

By Dion D. Shaw

Dion D. Shaw is the founder and owner of Homepreneurs.

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunity.

© Homepreneurs 2011