Business Discussions

Sarah Herron is the founder of SheLift, a non-profit that helps girls with physical differences build self-esteem and connect with peers. In this pair of Ways to Grow episodes, Sarah talks discusses her business and how passion drives her work.     Does passion drive your business? How does passion inspire the work you do?   Share your experience in the comments below!  

   

I build websites for companies. I want to acentuate the postive and minimize the negative aspects of working with someone like me. What are some things that I should always remember to do? What are some bad experiences that you've had?

   

   

Has anyone gone through a natural disaster with their small business and recovered? I live in Sonoma and I'm witnessing the tragedies and triumphs of many local businesses in the Napa and Sonoma area trying to get back on their feet. I'd love to hear any stories or perspectives on recovering and staying focused and inspired after a disaster or tragedy.

   

  Eyona Mitchell had a plethora of unused beauty products living under her bathroom sink, leaving her husband questioning her purchases. Determined to find suitable hair and skin care products once and for all, she decided to do some research. What she she found was that beauty products are a lot more complicated for women of color, because they don't have a lot of options to choose from. That’s when Eyona decided to set up My Color of Beauty, a Shopify website selling makeup for women with darker skin tones. Now she's figured out how to keep her bathroom cabinet clear -- and keep her husband happy.  We caught up with Eyona to chat about how using Shopify and Pinterest is working for her small business and how she stays focused in her day-to-day by tackling small goals that always lead to achieving her main goal. Name: Eyona Mitchell  Business: My Color of Beauty Started: August 2014 How did you create your awesome job?

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   You’ve no doubt heard of popular crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo or GoFundMe. But name-recognition is one thing. Understanding if crowdfunding is right for your business is something else entirely. Even more important? Figuring out how to plan and launch a successful campaign.   Let’s start with the basics. Crowdfunding involves taking your idea or product to the masses and asking them, through a 30-60-day online, often multimedia campaign, to help fund its creation in exchange for a reward. Said reward could be as sweet as a free box of cupcakes from a fledgling bakery or as enticing as an equity stake in your growing company.   A crowdfunding campaign typically has three key components. You’ll be explaining:  Your story (who you are and what you do)  Your “ask” (what do you need and how much will it cost)  Your reward (what will you offer your backers if you meet your goal) While there’s no foolproof formula for getting funded,

   

   

What’s on your mind right now? We know folks who work for themselves have plenty to say about the business of doing business. That’s why we want to share your insights, ideas and best practices. Today, we’re spending a few minutes with Pascal Depuhl, a photographer and videographer who’s also an active member of this community. The last time we spoke with Pascal, he explained why his professional title at Photography by Depuhl is “Chief Mindchanger” and why he believes we all have a moral and professional obligation to give back. Given Pascal's focus on doing good, it was no surprise we caught up with him as he was recovering from jet lag after a whirlwind trip to Nepal. That’s where he’d been working with an organization dedicated to helping remote mountain communities get access to life-saving medical services. Pascal tells us why and how he got there. He also shares an unexpected realization that changed the way he thinks about, and provides, customer service. Pascal, tell u

Hello community, I just started my LLC a few months ago which is a business renting out lighting equipment to the film industry. So far I already had three jobs through the same client and I charged sales tax on the first two invoices. On the third invoice my client sent me a Form ST-120 Resale Certificate asking that I don't charge sales tax to them anymore. So far so good. We did not amend the first two invoices and just stopped charging sales tax from the third invoice/job on. However, I was never aware that I had to have a 'Certificate of Authority' in order to charge sales tax and I am now worried about what to do.   What can happen to my business based on the fact that I charged sales tax twice without the 'Certificate of Authority'? Do I still need to apply for the 'Certificate of Authority' although my client (which will most likely stay my only client) sent me a Form ST-120 Resale Certificate? I would appreciate some

   

Thinking about sending a holiday card to employees, clients and suppliers this year? If so, you may be weighing the time, cost and impact of sending a handwritten, personalized greeting vs. a more generic “thank you” or “happy holidays” message (email or otherwise). This dilemma got us thinking: Do *you* send out handwritten holiday cards?   If not, how else do you show your customers you care during the busy season? Do you send gifts or reach out with a personalized message? Something else?   We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one!

After the Gulf oil spill brought Tippy Tippens to New Orleans, she opened a design-for-good store that combined her background in both environmentalism and product design. Her company, Goods that Matter, donates 10% of all proceeds to causes that impact the health, happiness, and sustainability of local, regional and global communities.  In this “OWN IT. Every day.” series from QuickBooks, Tippy shares pieces of her small business journey. Enjoy! Learn more about Goods that Matter and Tippy right here.   We’d love to learn more about you and your business. Take a moment and tell us some of your story! How did you get your start? How do you get through tough times? How do you make time for your family? How does your business give back? What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?

Hello , I’m trying to start my own store and my own eyelashes brand . Who should I look for that can help creat my eyelashes and my own clothing for my store

   

Stacia's handmade skincare kits might be great at soothing chapped lips, but their purpose goes well beyond the superficial. She's learned through trial and error that when her customers — who are primarily young women — use her kits, they're also gaining confidence and nourishing their passions. We caught up with Stacia to discuss how she learned to price her products early on and why redesigning her packaging was the best decision she ever made for her business. Plus, read on to find out what she's hoping to learn next from you! Name: Stacia Guzzo Business: Handcrafted Honey Bee Started: January 2014 What inspired you to start Handcrafted Honey Bee? I started making skincare products a little over five years ago and became an entrepreneur by accident. My husband and I moved from LA to the mountains near Tehachapi to get away from city life. We bought some land and a few chickens, planted a vegetable garden and decided to take up beekeeping for fun.  We had a very good hone

   

I shared this over FB live, so I thought I would share it with you too. 1) Focus your year-end marketing on the ONE service or product that will help YOUR CLIENT finish strong because if they win, you win. 2) Reach out to top prospects INDIVIDUALLY, not through broadcasts. This is the one time during the year that people actually want to talk to each other (ha!) so pick up the phone and say hello. 3) Start NOW! While everyone else is using the excuse of business slowing down during holidays, you can get a jump on 2018 and when January rolls around, you'll be 30 days ahead of the game! OK, those are my 3, what are yours?

   

“Accurately forecasting the right production size is an art, not a science.” -- Leslie Barber, QB Community Leader & small business co-owner.   Are you, like Leslie, a bit of an artist when it comes to your business? If you can relate to this, we’ve got some great reading for you.   Check out this three-part series about managing relationships (of all sorts) with suppliers:   Invoicing: How to Put Your Mighty Invoice to Work Invoicing: Make Every Invoice Work Faster and Better Than Ever Before Invoicing: Frustrated By Late Payments? Some Tips for Tracking Down Your Dollars   Have any lingering questions? What about solutions to invoicing that work for you? Share what you know in the reply section below ;-)