Ashley's Story: Business Beware

Today's story comes to us from Ashley, of Southern Florida. With a little bit of initial resistance, some persistence, and a lot of hard work, she found herself running a very unique B2B service that she had no idea she would ever have been so passionate about. The planets aligned for Ashley, all right - but in quite a different way than she thought they would.

Thanks for sharing your story, Ashley! And to the readers: what do you think of this concept? Have you heard of anything like it before? Interested to hear your feedback!

"I had absolutely no idea that I would be doing what I'm doing now with Business Beware. I had this whole idea of where I saw myself or where I would be working, but it's funny how life takes you on a different path even when you don't fully realize it.

I headed out to Los Angeles to work with a production crew on a documentary because I seriously thought that was what I wanted to do, and I jumped at the opportunity. Right before I headed out there, my Dad and I had discussed an idea about creating a website for business owners to use, in the same way that customers use the Better Business Bureau. He has been a business owner for over 30 years, and wanted something like that to be available to business owners. At the time I thought it was a good idea but didn't fully grasp the concept since I was not a small business owner, nor had I really worked with a small business yet. So that was in the back of my mind while I was in LA.

Things didn't turn out quite like I had hoped or planned with the whole documentary idea. I called my Dad and talked with him about working for the family businesses for a little bit to get some experience before jumping into a job, so I packed up and moved to southern Florida. We started talking about the concept of the website again, and after working with the family businesses for a few months, I was able to fully understand exactly why this site needed to come into existence.

I had lots of run-ins with problem customers that just could not be pleased, saw me as a young person who had no idea what I was doing, and didn't give me the time of day when I treated them better than I even should have. So we sat down and started working on the concept, and that is when BusinessBeware.Biz was born. While it all seemed like it was golden, I quickly realized I needed to build this website when I had no idea what I was doing; I'd taken only one web class in college. So after visiting the bookstore almost every week and spending many long nights and weekends teaching myself how to set it up and build the back-end database, we finally launched the site in late May 2008. We had no idea how people would react to it, but we quickly learned that the concept was a hit with business owners and they were thrilled it existed.

Since then, the site has changed quite a bit as I learned more and more. We have changed the site and bended with the wind in response to feedback, and even launched a new service we call our 'beware letter' that helps business owners collect from customers who won't pay, without charging a percentage. To be able to help business owners nationwide everyday is more than words can describe. In this journey that I have taken to get to where I am now, I've realized that I have a passion for learning about businesses and why they started, how they started, what they do, and how I can help in any way with young entrepreneurs trying to make it.

I didn't realize it at the time but things in my life were setting me up to lead me in this direction, building an amazing passion for Business Beware that I never knew existed. There were many times I pushed it aside, thinking I needed to concentrate on other things, but it kept falling right back in my lap, so I knew that it was something I was meant to do. Learn from everything you do, take what you learn and apply it to the next thing. Never stop learning and listening. When the wind blows learn to bend with it because if you don't, you will break. Learn from those older and wiser; they know what they're talking about. And absolutely never give up."

Make sure to check out the Business Beware website, radio show, Facebook, and Twitter to learn more about their service.

Michelle's Story: Kids Decor Inc.

Today's story comes to us from Michelle Miller, owner of Kids Decor Inc. A mom and former medical professional, Michelle discovered a renewed confidence after realizing that what she thought were professional drawbacks could actually be assets. Though it can be a challenging and unfamiliar task, recognizing your skills and using them to your advantage is important. You never know what exciting prospects could be just around the corner, and what you'll learn about yourself in the process! Sometimes, taking a step back is all we need to see the full picture and our place within it.

"If you had told me five years ago that I would run my own business someday, I would have laughed. I was a full-time stay-at-home mom (SAHM) with two young children. I had left a professional medical career after the birth of first child in order to stay home. My career had been challenging, exciting, and rewarding. Would I be able to find the same satisfaction as a SAHM? As many moms can likely attest, I felt like my brainpower had pretty much been sucked out by pregnancy and sleepless nights. I found that the confidence and esteem that I had felt while working seemed to be fading as the years passed.

I had been considering going back to work part-time in my previous role. I have to admit, I was scared to death. The field had changed significantly and I knew I would have to re-learn many aspects of my job. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up. As it turned out, the part-time opportunity did not materialize as I had hoped and I was faced with a decision. Should I pursue this field further or take my career in a new direction? What skills did I have that would allow me to be able to re-enter the workforce or run my own business? I wanted a challenge, but would it prove to be too much?

As I took inventory of where I was in my life and career, I began to realize that my role as a SAHM may have inhibited my professional development in some areas, but enhanced it in other areas. I found that I had a very creative side that I hadn’t utilized before. I noted my ability to manage multiple projects and priorities both at home and outside the home. I thought about how volunteering had given me great joy, the same joy I had felt while working with my patients. I recognized how much I still enjoyed learning a new skill and teaching others. I remembered the struggles our family had faced and how we had been able to join together to face them and come out even stronger.

A new confidence began to replace the self-doubting thoughts. If I could use these skills to run our home and manage responsibilities outside my home, I could use them to run my own business. Knowing that my priority was still going to be my children, I wanted a business flexible enough to allow for time with them after school and participation in their activities. As I started researching my options, I realized that an owning an online business fit my needs. It afforded me the opportunity to learn new skills, further develop my existing skills and provide our family with the flexibility we desired.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is never easy. Whether it is leaving a company you have worked for many years to start your own business, changing roles within your company or re-entering the workforce after years of being at home, there are certainly going to be times of uncertainty and doubt. However, as I have shared from my own experience, learning to recognize - not minimize - the skill set you already possess can give you the confidence to take on a new adventure in your career and your life."

Learn more about Kids Decor Inc. and keep up with Michelle at KidsDecorInc.com, Twitter (@KidsDecorInc), and Facebook (Facebook.com/KidsDecorInc). Make sure to check out the blog, too, at KidsDecorInc.blogspot.com.

Steven's Story: SalutWorld.com

Steven's story comes to us from the point of view of your typical, a-typical teenager. He's definitely not your average small business owner, and what sets him apart is more than just his years. Dabbling in business concepts by age fourteen, and a full-fledged entrepreneur at age eighteen, his unique perspective offers up an outlook on business and life that is beyond his years.

"My business life kicked off properly when I was fourteen. Before that, I would sell CD’s to friends to make some extra cash for the weekends.

But when I was fourteen, I was staying with a friend of mine and had just ordered the new Microsoft ZUNE off eBay, and 100 glow sticks (no idea why). My big plan was that I would re-sell the glow sticks in packs of ten in my own 'eBay store'... good strategy, right? I thought so too, until I realized that I needed to sell something like ten items on eBay before I could open a shop at all (silly rule I think, personally). Anyway I quickly gave up on the eBay shop, however it kick-started my mind into dreaming up business ideas.

The first one that I made into a reality was a online store, selling computer hardware. I set it up one summer and signed up to become resellers with some manufactures. I loved it. It gave me a buzz and I got some customers from it as well. Sadly I had to 'close up shop' due to taking exams at the time, and I couldn’t devote the amount of time it would take to develop the store properly. But from the day I decided to close it, that was the day I think I truly knew what I wanted to do with my life.

I have always done website design as a hobby, but after the online shop closed I decided to take the hobby and turn it into a job. This is when the first of my 'Salut' brands was formed: Salut Designs. It wasn’t long before I got my first customer and I was over the moon! It was a great feeling to be paid for your services, to see the finished product and the customers pleased with the results. Looking at that site now, I can see how much I have moved on, from basic HTML to PHP and CSS. But the design world in general has advanced a lot in a very short time.

So now I was owner of Salut Designs, working my way up in the world one client at a time, and it felt great! I already knew I wanted to expand into hosting as well, it was just a matter of when. The time came late last year (2009) when I started to create my hosting site and all the features. I am happy to say that it is all up and running now.

The main challenge I faced throughout and still do a little today, is my age. I recently turned eighteen and that is a big factor for me in business. It means I am legally an 'adult' and people just seem to treat you more like one in the business world. When I was fifteen, sixteen and seventeen, I would go to meetings worried that the client would look at me and think, 'Wow, he is young'. Now I go to clients thinking 'Yes I am young, but I can do a job just as well - or even better - than anyone else!' You have to think positively in situations like that, or you'll never get anywhere.

Financially I am lucky due to the fact that both the hosting and design side of things have very little start up costs, so my expenses are all easily covered by my income. But I've had to deal with unique issues, in part due to my age; for example, I couldn’t write checks until I turned eighteen - but that didn’t put me off. I just persevered and worked around it. I know a lot of teen entrepreneurs who are much younger, and I am really happy for them. I try to give them advice if they ask it. Honestly I am just a normal teenager trying to make something of his life. I'm just starting now instead of going to university and getting a degree first.

I plan to expand Salut into many different market areas in the next few years, and am hoping to become a success in each and every one of them. As they say, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again!"

Find out more about Steven's company at SalutWorld.com, follow him on Twitter @stevenhaggerty, and get the scoop on latest offers at the Facebook page. He's offering a special deal on hosting to readers of this blog, so make sure to mention Small Biz Stories!

Adrian's Story: Adrian Miller Sales Training

Adrian learned some critical lessons from her mother; some that she didn't fully absorb until it was time to start her own business. With all the "mompreneur" action that's been happening on this blog lately, I thought it might be nice to post a story today from the flip-side of the coin!

To the small business moms who read this blog: have you thought about what kinds of lessons your kids are learning by watching you run a small business?

"My mom wasn’t exactly a business woman. Sure, she worked as a bookkeeper for a number of years. Yet, I’m not certain that she ever considered it a career. And, I can’t say that I thought of her as a role model when I carved out the beginnings of my company.

Still, as I reflect upon her now, I realize there are several characteristics she embodied that I see in myself. And, these very same characteristics are those that I include in much of my consulting and training. Here’s what I learned from Mom:

Sweat the Small Stuff

My mom was always a stickler for details, and she was sometimes a real pain in the butt as she nagged to get things done correctly. Now, I preach to folks that sometimes the dollars are in the details. Whether it’s how you follow up, or your attention to returning calls and emails, these seemingly small things can make all the difference.

Work Hard

Energy was my mom’s middle name. Up early, she multi-tasked her way through each and every day, tending to the myriad of details that tend to fall into a working woman’s universe. And although she didn’t view her 'job' as a career, she was dedicated to completing everything that had to get done, even if it meant working harder or staying later. While I never consciously thought about my mom’s energy and diligence, it sure as heck rubbed off on me, evidenced each day by the amazing amount of things that I somehow get done.

First Impressions Count

My mom was hyper-vigilant about how she looked. Her makeup was always applied correctly and never a hair was out of place. I used to consider these superficial concerns.

Yes, she was on me constantly about grooming, and, for a while, I rebelled and pushed back by concertedly not embracing her values. However, once I started my public speaking and training career, spending my days in front of an audience that was focused on me for hours at a time, I realized just how critical my appearance actually was.

Don’t get me wrong, I was never a total slob. But that first impression when you stand in front of a room is a hard one to dispel if you don’t nail it from the beginning. And lately, when I get dressed for a speaking engagement, I think back to my mother paying such very strict attention to every aspect of her clothes and makeup.

Mom is elderly now, and she’s not as able to demonstrate these qualities herself. However, when I go to visit her, she’s still on me about my appearance, and she’ll always ask about what I’m doing and how it’s going. And, I take it as a compliment that she even tells me to slow down a bit.

So, thanks Mom for all that you have taught me through the years. I never told you when I was younger, and I thought it was time to tell you now."

Connect with Adrian at adrianmiller.com, adriansnetwork.com, adrianmiller.wordpress.com, and adriansnetwork.wordpress.com. Also be sure to check out her book, 'The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success' at theblatanttruth.com.

Katie's Story: Kt Steppers, LLC

When she wrote to me about her company, Katie O'Neill stressed the fact that Kt Steppers is a Mom-owned business. She told me she loves being referred to as a "Mompreneur", and after reading her story, I can really appreciate why. Recently we've featured some mom-owned businesses on this blog, and I am loving all these inspiring stories from women who do it all, and then some!

"The summer before my junior year in college, my life, vision, and future plans all came to a halt. Headaches, vision problems, and lactation were just a few symptoms I encountered before I learned that I had a brain tumor. I don’t know many people who can say this, but I had brain surgery when I was 22 years old to remove a benign (thank goodness) tumor on my pituitary gland. It was so large that surgical removal was crucial; otherwise it would've continued to more severely affect my vision and pituitary functions.

You could say being a 'MOMpreneur' means more to me than words can explain. Because of the tumor's location and size, the possibility of not having children could have been very real. So, as you can imagine, I am very proud of my mom-owned, children-inspired online gift boutique. I wanted a kid-friendly business since that is whom I spend my days, hours and minutes with, and can’t imagine it any other way now. I am a mom of two boys, ages 5 and 3. They have become my support and inspiration for Kt Steppers.

My dream business became a reality in 2008, after the birth of my second son. Kt Steppers, LLC was formed. I was always creative and loved to draw, and after we received a step stool for my son as a gift, I realized and told my husband, 'I can make these.'

The first 'stepper' was conceived when my sister-in-law was looking for something unique and personal to give her best friend’s son. I offered up a Kt Stepper as an idea. It was a hit! Doing further research and talking with other moms, I found there was a great need for that 'special something' to give as a gift for a birth, birthday, or to add a personal touch to a baby registry item. Our 'Steppers' have become a special, custom and truly personal way to say, 'you’re one of a kind!'

One of my favorite testimonies to date is from a mom who’s daughter has Down Syndrome, which causes low muscle tone: 'The stepper helps her coordinate gross motor skills and balance. She uses it to get onto the couch since she is still too short to get up. She is doing really well, and uses it to step up and down without using her hands, which is huge progress for her.' So not only are our steppers a great gift and a practical item for toddlers, but they are helping in other areas of development I never even considered previously. Stories like this make me very proud.

My business has blossomed and grown locally over the past year in NY/NJ, but we are also being recognized all over the country. During the holidays, Kt Steppers made their debut on National TV; Giuliana Rancic’s Gift Guide segment on E! News featured Kt Steppers, and we couldn’t have been more honored.

Celebrities have also become fans of Kt Steppers, and many have sent thank you notes after showing their child their very own custom steppers. Custom Kt Steppers were made for celebrities such as Alison Sweeney, Tori Spelling, Rhea Wahlberg, Jenna Elfman, Denise Richards, Jennie Garth, Jason and Naomi Priestley, and more. (Click here to see celebrity 'kudos'.)

My vision for Kt Steppers is to be the preferred online boutique when buying that unique gift for someone special, but we are also are pursuing retail outlets such as local boutiques and specialty gift stores. We want people to be able to find them both online and close to home."

Find out more about Kt Steppers on their website, ktsteppers.com, or on Twitter (@ktsteppers) and Facebook.

Sheena's Story: Lizzie Lou Shoes

First off, congrats to Lisa, the winner of the free GoCharmz offered as part of our last story! Many thanks to Michelle for participating in our first giveaway.

Today's story comes to us from Sheena, a mom, inventor, designer and entrepreneur based in San Antonio, Texas. Lizzie Lou Shoes have international flair, close family ties, and one-of-a-kind handmade craftsmanship built into each pair. Sheena's experience with her business brought a few financial challenges along the way, but of course not without lessons learned. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Sheena - it's important to recognize the role that risk plays in the development of a start-up.

"The Lizzie Lou Shoes concept was born in July of 2008. After a year of development, the shoes hit the market. I had a fantastic, sought-after product: comfortable, lightweight, hand-stitched flip flops - but I wasn't as prepared to run a business as I should have been. I took quite a few things for granted and have listed some of them here in the hopes of helping other entrepreneurs avoid the same mistakes I made.

Only after many months of planning and execution did I become familiar with how risk would take a part in my new business - how much money, time and total investment I was willing to risk for it. I realized that I had failed to take a number of financial variables into account during the planning process. I hadn't fully appreciated how high my start-up costs would be, or how those expenses would increase over time. We had some huge shipping delays which caused us to lose important sales, and the shipments ended up costing double the quoted price due to a customs intensive exam. This was very stressful and overwhelming for a start up company.

I also hadn't foreseen just how much trial and error would be involved and how many mistakes were inherent to the start-up process. Mistakes mean additional expenses (something else I had not planned for). Finally, I knew going into this venture that, as a full-time mother of three, time was as valuable a commodity as cash. There wasn't an excess of either one just lying around, so I had to move more slowly and cautiously than I would have liked.

It is so important to understand the risk before you start a business, so research and prepare. Estimating how much time and money you'll need to put into your business, then assuming it will take TWICE that, should help you during the start-up process and hopefully help you get through the tough spots. Don't be afraid to scale back some on your initial plans. The most important thing is to understand how much you are willing to risk."

Make sure to visit the Lizzie Lou Shoes website, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot to learn more about Sheena's company and get your hands (or feet, rather) on a pair of her unique flip flops!

Michelle's Story: GoCharmz (and Our Very First Giveaway!)

Michelle, of San Ramon, CA, always knew she would be an entrepreneur, selling drawings and Sno-Cones in her neighborhood as a kid. Now she's got two kids of her own, and her product is still focused on the younger crowd in her community. GoCharmz will launch this season and she's already got plenty of buzz behind her product, using a Facebook Page and the kids in her neighborhood as an inventive way to test the market. And what's more,

Michelle is giving away two sets of GoCharmz to one lucky Small Biz Stories reader!

(That's ten GoCharmz in total, which you can use to decorate almost anything!)

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post.
Extra entries are allowed if you:
- Tweet or retweet about this giveaway, including a link (Use the retweet button on the upper right, or copy/paste into a new tweet: http://bit.ly/9CLDth)
- Post about this giveaway on Facebook, including a link
- Post a link to this giveaway on your own blog page
- "Like" GoCharmz and Small Biz Stories on Facebook
- Follow @smallbizstories and @gocharmz on Twitter

If you do any of the above, please post an additional, separate comment to let me know. The giveaway will be open to entries for ten days; a winner will be randomly selected on Monday, May 24, 2010. Thanks, Michelle!

"I guess you could say I've been a persistent serial entrepreneur for as far back as I can remember. Growing up, I used to draw random pictures and go door-to-door selling them, or make Sno-Cones with my Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker and ask the neighbors to pony-up some money for shaved colored ice. It’s funny to think about it now, but many of us back in the day tested our own neighborhoods as a market for kid-driven ideas. I knew that when I grew up I was going to run my own company. Fast forward a couple of years (okay several, several years later) and here I am launching my fourth business idea with even bigger aspirations that the first three combined. Mind you I have done all this (like so many of us) in a moonlighting fashion, keeping my 9-5 job in the background. And since none of the previous three businesses ever took off with great momentum, I was fortunate and darn right lucky I kept my day job - but this project with GoCharmz feels very different. For once, I feel like a kid again, during my days as a 10 year old pushing Sno-Cones. And the ironic thing is that my test market back then is the same today: the kids and parents in my community.

It's been 14 months since I came up with the idea for what eventually became GoCharmz. I had the 'ah-ha moment' while riding to school on my son's scooter, which was slathered with stickers. At the time, I had been laid-off from a popular internet company (one of my day jobs) so I was keen to everything around me, looking for the next idea. All the kids passing by with their scooters couldn't help but look at the scooter decorated with stickers. I thought to myself, 'Scooters are fairly boring and generic - there must be a way to create a product that allows kids to decorate and personalize them.' That was pretty much all it took. Since then, the scope has grown into 'activity toys': not only scooters, but bicycles as well. The main theme of personalizing and decorating them has stayed the same.

It's a simple concept, but even as I write this 14 months later I still don't have a finished product to bring to market. We are close... very close. It may be weeks away, but just to get to this point, it’s taken a mind-numbing amount of money, patience and persistence. I have several contract people working for me to help bring this product to market. Often times, people really 'trip out' (for lack of a better word) when they learn that I am dealing with people on other continents, trusting them with my design and prototyping. Furthermore, all the overseas communications have taken place through instant message and e-mail. That alone is a crazy feat. Who would have thought creating something which seemed so simple in my imagination would take this long to come to fruition? Then again, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it, and I wouldn't be able to appreciate the milestones we've achieved so far.

Since I was laid off from my job, everything I've done to create GoCharmz has had to be fiscally responsible. I sourced out my own manufacturer overseas, filed for a patent and went through countless revisions on my design(s) with quality and budget in mind. I am a mother of two who is also back to work full-time with a day job, so it’s comforting to know I have income to help bolster the project. As the spring months heat up outside, I can feel the heat turning up on GoCharmz. Early on, we created a fan page on Facebook to test-market our designs. This has helped us out immensely. We invested a small budget daily to run ads on Facebook, which has helped increase the fan base prior to our official launch. It's worked out fairly well, and if you have a product that can be targeted to users on Facebook, I would recommend looking into it. Still, the rubber (as they say) has not hit the road. I have more questions than answers on how this will eventually take off, and by the end of June I should have a full-blown website where our customers can search over 100 charm designs that fit onto bicycles, scooters and helmets. That's when phase 2 will begin: marketing and selling what I have created. I have to keep reminding myself that bringing something to market is one thing, but making the market aware of it and encouraging people to spend money on your product is entirely different.

GoCharmz feels so different from the other start-ups I have created. Maybe it's because it involves more people in my family than ever before. Maybe it's because I am gaining fans daily on Facebook and feeling a sense of reinforcement. Maybe it's because I see reactions from kids in the neighborhood who enjoy the prototypes we've been showcasing. At the end of the day, I know that it is all those things. Each positive interaction with the outside world builds my energy and excitement for the next day. I feel like a kid again, and that feeling of joy and unbridled creativity is addictive. I highly recommend it.

I look forward to the 2nd phase of my business plan. I know I have something great, and now it comes down to the choices I make in executing my go-to-market strategy. That's a whole other topic entirely. Thanks for giving this a read, and I hope at a minimum I inspired other moms and early-phased entrepreneurs to pursue their ideas. If nothing else, create that product that once was in your mind, so you can hold it and proclaim, 'I did this!' Be a kid again. No holds barred."