Small Biz Stories

Ashley's Story: Business Beware

2010-09-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-08-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

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!)

2010-05-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

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."

Leslie's Story: KneadALaugh

2010-05-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Today's story comes from Leslie Kahn, of KneadALaugh in Chicago, IL.

Stress is a tough part of day-to-day life, especially at work. Leslie knows all about the damaging effects it can have on employees, so she founded her company, KneadALaugh, with the goal of alleviating stress in office environments. Through massage therapy, humor therapy, and other stress-reducing techniques, KneadALaugh provides a one-of-a-kind service in corporate environments. Just think about it - when was the last time you had a good laugh at work? Didn't you feel great afterwards? Now think about what it would be like to get a professional massage at work - now that's service.

"I guess you could say I have led an unconventional working life. I've lived on a (mostly) self-sufficient organic farming community in West Wales gardening, farming, making pottery, and keeping animals, I've trained on the job as a gemologist for a wholesale diamond company, and most recently I became a licensed massage therapist in Chicago, having attended massage therapy school at age 40.

It has always been a struggle for me to make what most Americans would consider a 'good living', and it's very difficult to be a massage therapist when you are doing all the work yourself. The job is extremely demanding, both physically and emotionally; I recognized that fact very early on in my massage career. My intention has always been to 'run the empire from my penthouse' by owning a company that provides corporate massages, and hiring/managing other therapists rather than doing all the hands-on work. Don't get me wrong - I love giving massages and helping people relax, reduce stress, and become free of pain, but at age 55, after a spinal cord surgery, a broken ankle and an auto-immune disease called sarcoidosis of the lungs, I need to take it easy.

That is why I created my company, KneadALaugh, three years ago. We Americans are under a huge amount of stress to perform at work, and that stress leads to many different conditions ranging from back and neck pain to heart attacks and strokes. Workplace stress leads to ill employees, decreased productivity, absenteeism, increased health care costs and an overall demoralized staff.

While I have been promoting on-site massage therapy all these years, often I would encounter the decision maker at a company who would say to me, 'I just don't like the idea of massage' - and then I would have nothing else to offer. So I decided to try and find other services that would appeal to a larger audience while employing my husband, an actor, at the same time. The 'Laugh' in KneadALaugh refers to a service I created called 'Humor Therapy' - this is where my husband Martin comes in. He's one of those wacky Brits who entertains and informs in a sort of stream-of-consciousness babble. It's very funny and great for stress relief.

I also met a kickboxing instructor and thought that offering kickboxing, TaeKwonDo and personal training at the workplace was a brilliant idea. I'm striving to offer TaiChi and meditation as well, for those who prefer relaxation to aerobics as a way to get rid of stress.

Everybody loves the name of the company, 'KneadALaugh'. Unfortunately, in the current economy, it is a challenge to convince penny-pinching CEO's (who, in some cases, are not even supplying their employees with tissues) that paying for stress relief services actually makes good business sense. I am sure their opinions will turn around with the economic climate."

To learn more about Leslie's company, visit the website at KneadALaugh.com. You'll also find them on Twitter @KneadALaugh and Facebook.com/KneadALaugh.

Jack's Story: TeenBusinessForum.com

2010-04-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Perseverance is an important part of being an entrepreneur. Jack never lost sight of his business goals, and refused to allow discouraging moments to slow him down. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the challenges of being a small business owner, follow Jack's example and don't let temporary setbacks get you down. Thanks for sharing your story, Jack!

"My story doesn't pertain to my business in particular, but has to do with the life of an entrepreneur: the ups and downs, the great ideas and bad execution, the persistence needed to keep going. In addition to my day job, I have been working on side projects for two years now. Throughout those two years, I knew I needed a business coach: a mentor who would sit with me and tell me the ugly truth. I got advice from a friend who is a business executive, but he was too busy to be sorting through the weeds of my business. So for two years, I researched and implemented ideas and talked to a number of people, doing everything I could to keep my entrepreneurial spirit going.

I finally incorporated back in April for a generic IT consulting company. I did my first pro-bono work, free of charge in order to get my name, branding and quality of work out there. Then I saw an opportunity with the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) non-profit to receive coaching from veteran entrepreneurs (you know the type - guys who've hustled money for the last 30+ years, people you'd recognize from Inc., ex-CEO's, CFO's who have sold companies for fifty times the value of your house). It was the inaugural class of the NVTC FastTrac TechVenture entrepreneurship program. I wanted in, badly. So badly, in fact, that I applied twice; one application for my IT consulting company, and a second application for an idea I had for software that would benefit the architecture and interior design industry. But I didn't get in. The feedback I got was that the selection committee liked my entrepreneurial spirit, but did not like the fact that I submitted two applications. It made me look unfocused. Their advice was that I should take the coming months to develop my ideas further, and then apply again when the coaching program was about to restart.

That's when I landed on my most recent project, TeenBusinessForum.com, an online community where teen entrepreneurs connect to discuss business and share stories. I looked at it and thought, 'this has potential'. So I acquired the site, then talked to various people to see if there were any synergies. I found a retired business exec who was willing to contribute to the site as an expert, and another person who was a teen entrepreneur coach. I continued to brainstorm on how to grow the forum and make it unique. Soon after, I was notified that the entrepreneurship program was going to start again. So I applied. This time, I only submitted one application, and it was for TeenBusinessForum.com. I also submitted a partial business and marketing plan. A week later, I got the email; I got in.

Why do I tell you this story? Because entrepreneurs need to be persistent. I knew from the start that I needed a coach, and I sought after it with determination. When I got rejected the first time (and believe me, you will hear 'no' plenty of times), it just meant that I needed to work on myself and my business more. I never in the last two years ever said entrepreneurship was not for me. Frankly, the alternative wasn't much better. I'd rather take the harder approach, knowing that it's as much a journey in personal growth as it is in business. And it has been. In two years, I have become a better public speaker, networker, and leader. Don't we all want to be that? Who knows what the next five, ten, thirty years will bring; life is more interesting that way."

Make sure to check out Jack's website at TeenBusinessForum.com, and connect with him at his blog, OffTheBeaconPath.com.

Health and happiness,
Abbey

Leslie's Story: Grill Charms™

2010-04-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Everything is a process, right? Leslie knows all about that. She's a mom from Charleston, SC, who never predicted that she would become a small business owner. Thanks for sharing your story, Leslie; all this talk about grilling is making me hungry!

"I can honestly say that I never saw myself as the entrepreneurial type. I knew that someday I wanted to have a family and be a stay-at-home mom, like my mother before me. It is so odd how life takes twists and turns that you never could have predicted in a million years. That is what makes life so interesting, and makes me excited to greet the day. You just never know what the next 24 hours will bring. For me, my life changed for forever during a dinner party I hosted in my Charleston, SC home in April of 2006. At our house, grilling is a year-round sport. My husband made some chicken for our guests, and was courteous enough to make a mild version of the chicken for me because I don't like spicy food. By the time dinner was cooked, plated and served, he had forgotten which chicken was which and gave me what he thought was the mild sauce. I’m sure you can guess what happened… this very spicy 'light bulb moment' changed the trajectory of my life forever.

I couldn’t get the thought of 'wine charms for food' out of my head during dinner. After we cleaned the kitchen, I started sketching prototypes for my product 'Grill Charms™' that very evening, and I have never looked back since. I think that a lot of people make the mistake of thinking about the 'big picture' too early, and end up throwing in the towel while pursuing their ideas of bringing a product to market. You need to have some sort of big picture idea, but if you think too much, it becomes overwhelming. This is where many people just give up because the scope of the idea of 'bringing an idea to market' is just too much so they just don’t do anything. As with everything in life, bringing a product to market is nothing more then a process. It is a series of steps that get you from point A to point B. Once you break it down into small baby steps, it’s not so scary. You simply put one foot in front of the other and the path will appear. But be ready… the path that appears isn’t always the one you intended to take!"

To learn more about Leslie's Grill Charms™, visit GrillCharms.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @grillcharmer, and become a fan on Facebook.

Health and happiness,
Abbey

Debbie's Story: DebSparkles

2010-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Debbie's story is inspiring. She truly knows what it means to persevere when life gets tough. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Debbie. You really do sparkle!

"My name is Debbie, although I have found I answer to 'DebSparkles' much more quickly. Funny how our online personalities seem to take over.

I have been a single parent for 25 years. Most of those years, I worked for other people, several jobs at a time, to make ends meet and care for my family on my own. I started bead-weaving as a teenager, and the enjoyment and the passion I felt for it never wore off. As my kids got a bit older, I started participating in weekend craft fairs to sell my work, not only for household money but to resupply my ever growing need for beads.

I also was sick a lot; just little things, but it seemed like all the time, and I never let it interfere with my jobs or taking care of my home or children. I attributed it to exhaustion, doing it all by myself, just like every other single parent does.

Then in 2004, my world came crashing down. I could not get out of bed one day; it felt as if I had no legs. I could do nothing. After a few days at the hospital, and then a continuous circle of doctors and specialists, I was diagnosed with a rare illness. Well, I shouldn't say rare, just not well-known. I had Chiari Malformation and Syringomellia. That's a long story in itself that I won't bore you with, but I ended up going through major brain surgery two separate times.

The after-effects of all this caused me to lose all use of my legs, and even worse, my hands. I went from typing 90 words per minute down to 20 - with a mistake in every word. Even worse, I could not bead. My love, my hobby, my passion. So I went to work on me. Through a lot of effort, medications, therapy, and in the end a lot of personal self-help therapy, I got to the point where I could get around with a walker, then a cane, and then eventually with no support at all (never mind that to this day I walk like a drunken sailor). Then I decided it was time to get my hands working again, because I needed to bead. A lot of work later, I am able to bead-weave again; it's not exactly the intricate work I used to do, but good, solid, well-made, pretty things.

However, I did find that my disabilities would not ever resolve themselves to the point where I could go out and make a living again. Then I found Etsy. I have a fun little shop where I sell my work. Sales are small and slow, but I work every day to meet more people and share what I do. Being pretty much housebound, I have learned to use the computer to socialize, make friends, share my passion, advertise, and promote myself. My dream is to soon get to the point where I have built up a clientele in my Etsy store that will allow me to take care of myself, pay my bills, and enjoy my life as much as I possibly can in my situation. Every cloud has a silver lining, and I have found my silver lining in the Etsy community."

You can find Debbie on Etsy at debsparkles.etsy.com. Check out her website too, at serenitycollections.com.

Health and happiness,
Abbey

Susan's Story: Susan Weiner Nutrition

2010-04-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today's story comes to us from Susan Weiner, a nutrition consultant for individuals and businesses in New York. She's been learning a lot recently, thanks to some exciting expansions and changes to her company. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Susan!

"Recently, my business has been expanding from mostly one-on-one nutritional counseling to more media related work. Although I'll never give up working with clients to improve their health (one bite at a time), I've been given the unique opportunity to work as a consultant to a diabetes TV show, and as a contributor on the companion website to a book which was recently a New York Times best seller! One of my career goals is to continue expanding my business to work in media and with food companies, and I've found that it's challenging to find a balance.

I've been my own boss for so many years that at first, it was difficult to understand exactly what was expected of me from people I now work with, and to meet specific deadlines. As an integral part of several projects, I have to balance my private practice and consulting projects. When I was first consulting on the TV show, I remember being invited to participate in a conference call. My peers who worked for the show had no problems arranging their schedules for the call because they all worked together, in the same office. I, however, had to reschedule clients so that I would be available for the phone conference. I was really stressed the first time that happened.

I've since learned that as a consultant, I need to be flexible with my schedule, but that it's also important to speak up and decline certain events if they conflict with more important opportunities. It took a bit of time, but I learned to prioritize. I am also learning to turn down projects that I feel in my gut might not work out in my benefit. If I get a bad feeling about a project, I politely and respectfully decline the offer, no matter how well it pays or how interesting it sounds. If it doesn't feel right for you, don't do it.

I'm also now mentoring graduate students who are studying to be dietitians. When I initially started my own practice, I didn't think I had the time to mentor students. Well, I have to admit, I'm learning as much from them as they are from me. One student I'm working with has helped me tremendously on a research project; I guide her on how to distinguish between important information and 'fluff', while she manages to improve my computer literacy and technology skills. Mentoring is a great way to open the door to the future of my profession. I'm enjoying it very much.

My practice and consulting work is expanding at such a rapid pace that I'm now considering hiring other nutritionists. It's really wonderful to love going to work everyday; it makes all of my efforts worthwhile. Although I'm still working on balancing my busy schedule at home and at work, I'm enjoying every moment of the journey."

To learn more about Susan Weiner Nutrition, visit www.susanweinernutrition.com, and be sure to check out her blog. She specializes in weight management, diabetes and sports nutrition.

Health (especially today!) and happiness,
Abbey

Kathryn's Story: Global Entertainment Services

2010-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked what types of stories I'm interested in featuring on this blog. Many times, I have prompted inquirers to describe a unique client they've had, just as food for thought.

Well, here's a response I never thought I would come across; Kathryn Johnson has done business with one of the most unique and sought-after clients I could possibly imagine - the late, great, Michael Jackson. Small business owners and their clients are as diverse as they are talented!

"We own a small entertainment security protection company based in Southern California. It is an extremely niche market. Our company, Global Entertainment Services, handles tour and event security for various artists and bands. We've handled security since 1992, with New Kids on The Block as our first clients!

If you look at our website, you can see a list of our past and present clients. One of the most unique clients we've had in over twenty years in the entertainment security industry was Michael Jackson. Marcus Johnson, CEO, handled the personal security, tour security and home security for Michael. They became very close during the late 80's, and through the 90's. Marcus spent time with Michael and Lisa Marie traveling the world. The news of Michael's death last year was devastating to all of us, but Marcus had a chance to pay his respects at the family wake after the memorial ceremony at Staples."

To learn more about Global Entertainment Services, make sure to visit the website at www.globalentservices.com.

Health and happiness,
Abbey

Linda's Story: L'esperance Tile Works

2010-03-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Today's story recounts the emotional family roots of Linda Ellett's business, L'esperance Tile Works, in Rock City Falls, New York. Linda's grandmother inspired her to pursue her creative passions, and shortly after her passing, Linda started making beautiful work in the loving memory and namesake of her beloved grandmother. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Linda!

"My grandmother, Collopy, was always a great inspiration to me. In fact, she's the inspiration behind the name of my business, 'L'esperance'. Elizabeth Hope was born in the first year of the 20th century, on June 29, 1900. She met Harry Collopy in 1927, married him, had 2 sets of twins, and became a widow at age 33. That was in 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression. My grandmother looked adversity right in the eye and met it head on. She took in furrier work to support her family, and later opened her own dress shop - The Hope Shoppe - using her maiden name. She was always the life of the party, and her humor and kindness was endearing to everyone. She told us that we were the strength of the future, and helped us to believe in ourselves. My grandmother passed away in June of 1979, and I felt her spirit soaring above me for many days.

The week after she passed away, I left home for a summer apprenticeship at The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, where I had my first tile making experience. After one day at the historic site, I was hooked, and decided that tile making would be my profession and obsession. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, I headed home and began searching for a studio. To say that my parents were enthusiastically supportive is an understatement. My dad, who owns his own real estate business, had a customer who was selling her house and pottery studio. The place was equipped with kilns, glazes, a wheel, and all the extras to start me off. Mom gave me her inheritance of $1000 from my Grandmother Collopy, and we decided that the tile works should be named in her honor. Since the Hope family had moved, generations back, down from Canada, where their name was 'L'esperance' (yes, that's the connection...'L'esperance' translates to 'Hope') it seemed to be a fitting name for my new tile adventure.

Thirty-one years ago in 1979, I paid tribute to my grandmother by naming my business L'esperance Tile Works. Sometimes it takes a whole village to be clever!"

Linda's handmade tiles can be viewed and purchased at the L 'esperance Tile Etsy shop, and you can read her blog at linda-ellett.blogspot.com. If you're curious about what the tile-making process looks like, be sure to also check out this Flickr set, which features Linda creating a fossil-themed tile series.

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Lucille's Story: The Foxglove Foundation, Inc.

2010-03-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today's story comes to us from Lucille Ferry in Jacksonville, Florida. She is CEO of The Foxglove Foundation, a non-profit that will construct transitional housing for displaced families in the US. Her passion for this project and personal interest in the issue of home displacement made me take a moment to appreciate not only what I have in life, but also the people who constantly strive to make things better for others. Thank you, Lucille!

"The Foxglove Foundation is a non-profit established to help displaced families. Each day in our area and across the country, more and more families become displaced. The reasons for displacement are as diverse as divorce, job loss, foreclosure, landlord fraud, mortgage fraud, code violations, long-term illness, death, fire, flood, and weather. Knowing what to do, where to go, and if your family qualifies for any existing programs is a challenge. With the transitional housing we are in the process of building, that won't be a problem. Foxglove will take in a family and assist them through that difficult process, then help to get their home repaired, rebuilt, or replaced.

The most inspiring experience I've had so far as CEO of The Foxglove Foundation was the very first time I had to give a speech about the company. I spoke to twelve well-respected men and women whom I wanted to become members of my Board of Directors. I was (and still am) looking for people who empathize and sympathize with a displaced family. They had lots of questions, and I had few answers at that time. They inspired me to work harder, look further, and seek out the help of professionals and networking groups that could help me to spread the word.

The most challenging thing about Foxglove is that there are people who try to steal ideas from me; they perceive me as vulnerable because I am disabled and not financially wealthy (yet). When people first meet me, they think that I couldn't possibly be the CEO of a foundation trying to put together a multi-million dollar complex of homes for displaced families.

On a more personal note, I am the daughter of a vet. I have lived in eight states and one foreign country. I went to seventeen different schools from first grade to graduation. I have experienced being displaced many times, and so has every member of my current board."

To learn more about The Foxglove Foundation, be sure to visit their website at foxglovefoundation.org.

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Diana and Julie's Story: Gemela Design (on the new and improved S.B.S!)

2010-03-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gents, you may have noticed that Small Biz Stories has been a little quiet lately. That's because I've been in the midst of giving the blog a huge facelift! I hope you like the new and improved site. Today I will be working on a massive re-launch to get the word out about the new address. The Tumblr site will no longer be active, so please change your bookmarks to direct to www.smallbizstories.org so you don't miss a thing! You can easily subscribe via RSS using the link up top, and find Small Biz Stories on Facebook and Twitter using the links on the upper right. Also, each entry will now flaunt some nifty buttons at the bottom that allow you to effortlessly share to your heart's content. (I've officially entered the space age... I mean, 21st century!)

So, back to business. Small business, that is! I've got an incredible story to share with you today, from Diana at Gemela Design in Detroit, Michigan. She and her twin sister, Julie, have been through some tough times, but managed to bring beauty and inspiration to the world despite what most would see as a major obstacle. Thank you Diana, for contributing this moving, deeply personal about story with us:

"In December 2006, my twin sister Julie and I both graduated from the College of Engineering at University of Michican Ann Arbor with majors in Industrial and Operations Engineering, and minors in Spanish. We spent summers doing international engineering internships in Brazil, Turkey, Spain and Italy. Upon graduating, we were both hired to the International Leadership Development Program with the British engineering company GKN. While in the program, we each took three different six month projects in three different continents, working in three different languages. Julie was in California, Germany and Argentina, and I was in St. Louis, Germany, and Brazil. In February 2009, while both on assignment in South America, I was diagnosed with stage 3B Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and we immediately dropped our Latin American lives as engineers, packed up our things and were back home with our family in Michigan within 24 hours of the diagnosis. Julie immediately ended her position, and I went on medical leave. The first three months, we lived at the hospital due to a multitude of complications from the cancer and aggressive chemotherapy. Due to a bone marrow transplant in August, we again found ourselves living in the hospital for a month. We realized that despite the fact that I was in a very weak physical state, Julie could invest her time into something that could generate profits to be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Thanks to our intense brainstorming sessions, creativity, technical business minds, worldly experiences and colorful cultural backgrounds (our mother is from Detroit and our father from Chile), Gemela Design was born. "Gemela" means "twin" in Spanish and Italian.

We've always been creative and artistic, and took this perceived drawback during trying circumstances as an opportunity to redirect our energies into something completely different from our past "left-brained experiences" in engineering, while also helping other cancer patients and tapping into a developing Detroit market. We have both always carried an entrepreneurial spirit that never previously had a chance to develop. Our design aesthetic is influenced by nostalgia for our international travels; we physically display reflections of our experiences overseas and the world's beauty, ironically meshed with our industrial and technical backgrounds. Each unique piece of jewelry is named after a different city in the world and is created with unconventional materials that bring an industrial edge to a normally delicate jewelry design industry. 95% of all Gemela materials are purchased outside of the United States, in order to physically bring a piece of global beauty (be it leather from Argentine, Lapiz stones from Chile, vintage pieces from Paris, pearls from China, etc) into the hands of each of our customers. From there, one thing has lead to another and Gemela Design has organically created a thriving accessory label and business since August 2009, producing increasing profits since its first month.

We design and hand make every piece in the collection, and are currently selling our Ready to Wear (30 unique designs with a price point of $40-$70) and Couture Collections (20 unique designs with a price point of $300-$1300). Gemela sells online at www.gemeladesign.com, and in ten Michigan boutiques. We have also expanded internationally into Greece and Argentina, and are expanding to other parts of the US. In January 2010, we hired an intern from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit to keep up with the growth. Through the internship, we can mentor other young design students in Detroit and help cultivate their skills in a city that is quickly filling with potential, but offers very few opportunities for local design and entrepreneurial experience. With each business opportunity, we aim to raise awareness about LLS by donating a portion of every purchase to the society. This risen awareness has lead to business partners doing the same and donating a portion of their profits for a given month to LLS as well. In January’s issue of Styleline Magazine, we were featured with Chi Chi & the Greek Boutique for our fashion and charity collaboration, where 20% of January sales will go to LLS (Styleline, January 2010 issue, page 31). We are also honored to be Styleline's Featured Designer of the Month in the February 2010 issue (p 29). Our jewelry has been featured in a shoot in Styleline’s March issue as well!

In the future, we are determined to continue cultivating, promoting, breaking barriers and inspiring young entrepreneurs in the merging of left and right brain skill-sets, especially in trying situations, by turning ''problems'' into opportunities. We also look to promote Detroit as a city above and beyond its industrial image and replace its persona with one of creativity, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. As I finish up with treatment, we are currently studying for the GMAT and plan on getting our MBA's to fully cultivate our business skills. With a strong technical business background, a passion for fashion and design, and a drive to spread LLS awareness, we see only the boundaries of Mother Earth as our limits!"

To learn more about Diana, Julie, and Gemela Design, be sure to visit their website at gemeladesign.com and check out their some of their designs for purchase on Etsy.

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Laney's Story: Blue Thunder Creative Group, Inc.

2010-03-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Today I’m posting our first small business story. It’s from Laney at Blue Thunder Creative Group, Inc. in Plainview, New York. She has some advice for us about sticking to a plan and effective networking. Thanks for contributing, Laney!

“I started my business almost six years ago and just recently went through a re-branding exercise in order to offer expanded capabilities to my target audience. My advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to have a plan and stay true to it. A plan will keep an entrepreneur grounded and allow them to measure their success and make adjustments when necessary. Another piece of advice for entrepreneurs is to really understand what networking is all about. It is NOT about exchanging business cards and expecting to get a new piece of business immediately.
Networking is about:

building stronger relationships with like-minded individuals who you can trust and can eventually refer,
growing a great network of resources that you can rely on when you need help with something, need a referral and/or need business advice,
helping and thinking of others if you see a news article or learn something relevant about their industry that would be valuable to them,
making introductions that you believe will help their business.”

To learn more about Blue Thunder Creative Group, be sure to visit the website at bluethundercreativegroup.com.

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Thanks, everyone!

2010-02-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

Guys and gals, I have been getting incredible feedback with all sorts of exciting stories to share here. To everyone who contributed (you know who you are), I’d like to send out a giant THANK YOU! I can’t wait to post all of your lovely experiences. Make sure to stay tuned, because this blog is shortly going to be home to tons of personally inspiring small business reading.

Now that I’ve got that important announcement out of the way (you’re on the edge of your seat, I know) I’d like to leave you with a quotation to get you through the weekend:

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” -Walter Elliott

I was going to write a little something about why I find that so profound, but then again, the beauty of a good quotation is that it requires no further explanation.

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Want to be featured here?

2010-02-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

Drop me a line at smallbizstories@gmail.com with a story about your small business, or one in your community that you think is particularly special or unique.

Be as creative as you’d like with your input. I will include a link to your website, twitter or blog with the entry. Don’t worry about length - a couple sentences is just fine!

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Making Lemonade

2010-02-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

Saw a great article in the New York Times today called "Making Lemonade: Small Businesses Get Innovative".

This got me wondering… What’s the most innovative small business in your community? Is your small business innovative? What makes a business unique? Your customers, employees, service? Spill!

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Inspiring Quotation for Today

2010-02-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

On rainy days like today, I like to get a little extra inspiration from the many fantastic quotations that are so readily archived online.

This one especially struck me:

“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” -Vincent Lombardi

What’s your experience with surrender? We’ve all seen businesses going under in this economy, and it’s quite a difficult decision to make. Were you ever faced with this kind of heart-wrenching decision? What did you do? How did you get through it?

Health and happiness,

Abbey

I need your stories!

2010-02-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I’m still looking for stories to post here. If you have anything to add, please email smallbizstories@gmail.com.

Your tale can be funny, sad, inspiring, unique, short, long, silly, dramatic… anything you want! The more creative, the better. And I know all you small business owners are the most creative people around!

Send over an email if you would like to participate. I will post a link to your website, Twitter, blog or Facebook with the entry.

Health and happiness,

Abbey

Women Rock as Small Business Owners

2010-02-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

An excerpt from a recent Fox Business Center's article entitled "Study: Women Rock as Small Business Owners":

"Women are proving themselves to be a powerful small-business force to be reckoned with.

Not only are women-owned firms contributing $3 million annually to the U.S. economy and accounting for 16% of all jobs, but new research shows women entrepreneurs will create 5 to 5.5 million new jobs across the U.S. by 2018 – more than half of the total new small-business jobs expected to be created during that time, and about one-third of the total new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That research, recently released by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, also shows that characteristics such as being more customer-focused, more likely to incorporate community into their business plans, and more adept at creating opportunities for others are helping women excel in 1) running a business 2) keeping employees driven and productive and 3) building a loyal customer base."

Hey there, all you marvelous SBO's!

2010-02-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I want to know about your small business. Got any good stories? Horror stories? Inspiring stories? Why did you decide to launch a business? What’s your industry? Send your replies to smallbizstories@gmail.com and I will post them here. Feel free to include a link to your website, blog or twitter with your entry.

This blog is going be about you; a place where you can read about other people’s experiences, get advice, and stay current on the latest events. I’ll be sharing current events and news stories here as well.

Can’t wait to hear from all you marvelous SBO’s of Blogger land!

Health and happiness,

Abbey