Ready, Set, Start up!
Hark, ye designers, ye chefs, ye coders, knitters and otherwise innovators! Have you always wanted to sail the bright seas of adventure with your own business? Now might be the time to take the plunge! We interviewed three women operating startups – one in the process of opening, one a brand new business owner, and one who has been successfully running her own business for years -- in order to get you insider tips on what to do and what to avoid when embarking on this journey.
If you’re unemployed, now might be the right time for a new venture.
When Mary Grace Godfrey graduated college, she tells us the slow economy gave her a chance to try something new. “There weren’t a lot of jobs out there. I felt that people are out working tons of hours for little pay, or doing everything they can to get a job,” she says. “So right now, this is the time to go after your dreams, because there’s less to lose.”
She began making purses and clutches for friends, eventually setting up a website on Etsy (the store is called “Anagrassia,” after her Ukrainian heritage) and selling items at Made in Michiana. What she began as a hobby is now formalizing into an entity, and she is saving for the next step: a tailor apprenticeship in Italy.
Deb DeFreeuw, whose successful company Force5 specializes in marketing, media, brand development and web design since 2000, also agrees that if you’re unemployed, you can take advantage of slow economic times. “You don’t have anything to lose!” she says. “But make sure the business is well thought out and you’re passionate about it. Investigate it enough to know it’s profitable – a little homework is always a good idea. I recommend the North Central Small Business Development Center, which charges around $25 seminars for business or marketing plans.”
If you utilize your resources and strategically develop a plan, right now could be the time to go after your dreams.
If you’re focused on money, think twice.
Kristin Billings, owner of the new Kristin’s Kafe in Mishawaka, had worked in the restaurant business all her life. So when she heard that a building and the contents of an old restaurant were for lease, she snagged it to start a breakfast and lunch cafe. She’s been able to exceed her revenue projections and continue to grow, but it’s not because she was out to make a lot of money in the first place.
“This is all I’ve ever done, and it’s my passion,” she says. “I love working with food and people, so I pay attention to the small things that people look for when they visit a small diner. Everything is made from scratch. Everything is kept clean. We exhibit uniqueness, (for example, all our coffee cups are unmatched), and it’s small, so there’s a lot of conversation. Singles can come here and always have someone to talk to.”
Customers must notice that Billings is paying attention to the details of what she loves instead of starting a venture to make money from them, because they come back again and again to this fun and friendly atmosphere.
Another reason your passion must outweigh your interest in money, DeFreeuw says, is that there’s obviously a lot of risk involved. “The owners take the hit first and must sacrifice on their side to keep things running. You might have to go without a paycheck,” she says. “You also want to grow cautiously, and I think when a person is just interested in profit, they might not make the right decisions.”
All our interviewees added that beginning your own startup is a 24/7, all-consuming adventure, so when weighing your options, make sure the business will be one you can trust yourself with for the long haul.
Create a culture you want to be around.
When you’re choosing the people you want to work with, whether you’re opening a startup in a partnership or hiring your first employees, DeFreeuw advises that you don’t let yourself be run over – and don’t hire to be nice. “We women, we tend to be nice,” she says. “You might hire a person, but they’re not a good fit for you. Stop forcing a square peg into a round hole. I tend to be emotional and not want to hurt anyone, but if there isn’t a good fit, it will hurt them anyway.”
As for those whom you should collaborate with, DeFreeuw recommends choosing positive, creative people, especially since you’ll be spending a lot of time with them.
One of the exciting things about owning your own business is that no one can tell you how to run it. Therefore, the culture of the office is up to you to create. DeFreeuw took this to heart when creating the culture of Force5, not only in the office (“We even have an office dog!” she says) but in how Force5 presents itself online. Their website, instead of emitting cold and boring design, combines professionalism tempered with caricatures of each of the employees and more upbeat and casual language. The website itself radiates the fun and authentic culture that DeFreeuw strives to create.
Be okay with wearing many hats... but know when to delegate.
“At first,” Godfrey says, “I was learning everything at once, from getting better at sewing to marketing and filing, all while doing another job on the side.”
“I was wearing so many hats,” DeFreeuw tells us. “One minute I was doing paperwork, the next I was buying coffee and taking out the trash.”
“Not only do I run the Kafe, but I do all the shopping, and try to forecast how much business we’re going to have. I keep track of the weather and the dates and holidays, so you have something to reference next year. I also organize like crazy to pay each bill on time,” Kristin adds.
Clearly, as a small business owner, one needs to wear a lot of hats and be willing to do a lot of jobs. That just comes with the territory. But even though the company is your precious creation, to make it successful, a small business owner has got to ask for help from time to time.
“This is hard cause the business is your baby,” DeFreeuw says, “but you kind of learn it as you go that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. Make sure to have good strategic partners who help work through things like paperwork, and remember to take breaks because at some point, you have to mindfully delegate to scale it back for your quality of life.” Delegating, DeFreeuw reminds us, helps to create a balance between work and family life, which is essential for sanity.
Remember, don’t only delegate, but utilize the resources that can make the process of starting your small business a lot easier. “At first, I had the mindset that I would teach myself about small businesses because I like to learn,” Godfrey remembers, “but when I went into the Small Business Development Center, I thought, ‘If I had only done this a year ago I might be a lot further along than I am!’ I would definitely recommend that for anyone who is even just thinking about a small business.”
Celebrate the little successes.
“I’m constantly learning and doing things; I’m busy. When you see everything you have to do and how far you are from your goals, it can be overwhelming,” Godfrey says. “But at the same time, you can choose to look at it from a different angle and see how far you’ve come in the last month.”
So celebrate the small successes. After all, even if profits are slow, the benefits of owning your own business are tremendous. Billings describes, “It’s so different waking up in the morning knowing that you’re working for yourself. I set my own expectations. I put a lot more pride in work and reputation and overall product.”
Godfrey tells us, “I love making all of the decisions. I can do whatever, make whatever I want, market to whomever I want. I really like just doing what I love and making it into a business and seeing it grow, learning, and meeting new people.”
And DeFreeuw says, “The windfalls are sweet, the disappointments are bitter, but I love the excitement of owning my own company and the people I work with.”
No matter the ups and downs, successes or failures, life is lived more fully when it’s more fully yours.
Visit the websites discussed in this article:
North Central Small Business Development Center: southbendbcg.com
Anagrassia: Anagrassia.com or etsy.com/shop/Anagrassia
Force5: discoverforce5.com
Kristin’s Kafe: find specials of the day and other info about Kristin’s Kafe at their place page on Facebook.
