Business Discussions

  How many times have you read a how-to and wondered, "How do I really use this for my business?"   We're rounding up real-life stories of how small business owners and self-employed professionals just like us are taking their businesses to the next level. So far we've covered how to tap into the power of Instagram to get new customers, tips for tracking cash flow and tried-and-true ideas for finding more time in your day.   With this new guide, we're tackling the social platform that just about everyone has declared the next big thing of 2016: Snapchat.   Read on to learn how other members here in the community are using Snapchat to grow their businesses + get our quick and dirty guide for getting started.   Hack 1: Start With Your Why Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of how Snapchat actually works, let's talk about why you should even consider adding Snapchat to the rotating arsenal of&n

  Paul Heffner has always had a knack for numbers. So when Finance Pals took off — the side hustle he launched to keep himself afloat while working on four other ideas — he made a smart calculation and turned it into his main focus.    We sat down with Paul to talk about playing to your talents, the importance of networking and how he learned to negotiate on pricing.   Name: Paul Heffner Business: Finance Pals Started: October 2015   How did you create your awesome job?   When I graduated from Duke University, I went into management consulting at Accenture. I liked figuring out which parts of businesses worked — or didn’t —and why.    I’ve always loved numbers, even back in middle and high school, so after six years I moved on to Cricket Wireless, a small cell phone company, where I eventually became the Director of Finance. AT&T bought Cricket, and when the merger went through I was given a severance package th

    Ever had a moment when you needed cash right away? So much so that you headed to your couch to see what might be hiding in the cushions?   Yeah, we've done that, too.    But here’s some good news. We’ve learned there's always a way to manage expenses better and, as a result, find extra cash when it's needed most. Over time, we’ve figured out how to ditch expenses we can live without. We’ve scrutinized where every dollar is going. We’ve cashed in on money hiding out in long-lost invoices. And that’s just the beginning.   Today, we’re sharing some of our go-to strategies for managing expenses and making the most of our moolah. Best of all? There’s no couch reassembly required :-)   Hack #1: Cut one expense right now (even pens count!)   When cash gets tight, pull out your chopping block.    We guarantee some of your precious pennies are hiding in sneaky places like high credit card interest rates, rent increases and unnecessary suppl

  Carolyn Phillips was always passionate about food and entrepreneurship. Yet, she wasn’t quite sure how to combine her two passions until her husband asked why she had two freezer chests full of homemade frozen pops in their dining room.    We caught up with Carolyn to ask about the journey to becoming a small business owner, the big lessons she's learned about pricing and the exact moment when she realized she had to start thinking like a CEO.       Name: Carolyn Phillips   Business: Alchemy Pops   Started: March 2015   What inspired you to start Alchemy Pops?   My undergrad major was in Entrepreneurial Management and I focused on the sustainability of food systems in graduate school. I always intended to start a business, but I weaved my way into creating Alchemy Pops completely sideways.   Originally, I threw a party at my house and combined ingredients from the farmers' market with my liquor cabinet to make a bunch

    Seth David is a master of maximizing profits and productivity — both within his own business and as a consultant for other accountants, bookkeepers and small business owners. Recently, we chatted with Seth to learn more about how he built his business over time by tapping into the power of YouTube and social networking channels like Twitter to reach a wider audience and automate his work via online courses and training sessions. Take it away, Seth!   Name: Seth David Business: Nerd Enterprises Consulting Started: 2003   Tell us a little more about your background and how you got to where you are now. I was a computer science major in college and, long story short, my interest in academics was waning. I'd been doing some acting at the time, and one of my directors said that he would write me a recommendation for a theater arts program in California.  I left school and planned on getting in my Jeep, driving across the country and working in restaur

Michelle’s business was almost over before it began when her relationship with her boyfriend — and his distribution network — came to an end. But that wasn’t enough to stop her from achieving her dreams.  Today, Michelle runs a successful jewelry business that she launched all on her own. We asked her to break down the exact formulas she uses to price her items and share her tips for experimenting with pricing when you have items that just aren't selling. Name: Michelle Chang   Business: Michelle Chang Jewelry Started: October 2007 How did you create your awesome job? When I lived in New York City, my boyfriend at the time owned a successful company that designed custom watches, which were sold across the US.  He had a good distribution network already in place, and he wanted to expand his business to include jewelry. He thought I had a good eye for design and asked if I’d start the jewelry section for his company. At the time I was doing illustration work and my

With clippers in hand and a keen eye on the financials, former accountant Ellie Pamphilon's quirky barbershop has become an Instagram star – and to top it off they're also beating all of their cash flow forecasts.  So, what's Ellie hoping to improve next in her business? Read on to find out!   Name: Ellie Pamphilon Business: Owner of Barber Streisand Started: May 2015 How did you create your awesome job? I’d love to say my move into barbering came from a lifelong passion, but actually, as an accountant, it was the logical outcome of my research. I loved working in retail when I was at college and knew I wanted to set up my own shop, so I looked into low-risk, financially viable small business models. I figured, people will always need haircuts – and technology won’t put me out of business anytime soon. I worked full-time at my accounting job while I learned barbering. I took a one-on-one course from the London School of Hairdressing so I could fit it around my

Precious Williams likes to dream BIG. Three years ago, she took a risk and entered a series of pitch competitions to see if she could fund her idea for a lingerie business aimed specifically at curvy women. It worked. Today she's juggling multiple roles — CEO of Curvy Girlz, self-employed attorney and occasional actress — and scheming up her next big goal: to turn Curvy Girlz into a million dollar business.  Name: Precious L. Williams, Esq. Job: Owner of Curvy Girlz Started: 2012 Tell us the story behind starting Curvy Girlz. I grew up watching Perry Mason and dreamed of becoming an attorney, so I went to law school and eventually set up my own firm. With that goal achieved, I set my sights even higher and resolved to become the best entrepreneur of all time. There aren’t many celebrated African American entrepreneurs out there. People talk about Oprah and Bob Johnson, but they’re 20 years older than me and I want to show the world how it’s done. The

  The perennial Kudzu plant isn’t widely loved, but for Tiffany — who named her company after the root — it’s come to stand for a self-sufficient lifestyle.  Tiffany Everett has been making art for others ever since her classmates asked her for portraits of their pets at school, but it wasn’t until she discovered Etsy that she realized she could turn her hobby into a career.  Now that she's getting ready to launch her new website, we asked Tiffany to dish on making the transition from full-time employee to up-and-coming business owner and the biggest branding mistake she made early on.   Name: Tiffany Everett Business: Kudzu Monster on Etsy Started: November 2014   Who or what inspired you to create Kudzu Monster? I started using Etsy in 2009, selling hand-bound journals while I was still in college. I also designed and sold baby mobiles with a friend through Etsy, but Kudzu Monster is my first really successful shop. I went to art school in Geo

You might recognize Desiree as one of our top 10 finalists in Small Business Big Game or from her recent appearance on Shark Tank.  Desiree co-founded Unshrinkit back in 2013 as part of a class project — two years later her solution for shrunken sweaters is flying off the shelves. Along the way she's learned a ton about how to handle customer service and why solving an existing problem is key to finding a market for your product. Let's hear from Desiree! Name: Desiree Stolar Business: Unshrinkit Started: December 2013   Tell us a little more about how Unshrinkit was born. Who or what inspired you to create your product? My co-founder Nate and I started Unshrinkit while we were still students at Harvard Business School.  In the winter of 2013, we were given $5,000 to work on a micro-business as part of a class. Our team of six decided that collectively we wanted to build something with our hands — it was important to us that at the end of the project we could s

Kimberly was recently one of our top 10 finalists in Small Business Big Game, so we sat down with her to learn more about her own journey as a small business owner. As the founder of WiggleKids in Swansea, Massachusetts — an inclusive fitness studio for all ages and abilities — Kimberly gets to have fun every day on the job while also providing a unique service in her community.  Take it away, Kimberly!   Name: Kimberly Ferrara Business: WiggleKids Fitness Studios   How did you come up with the idea for WiggleKids? When my own kids started taking classes in our local community for different activities and sports, I realized there were always children who didn't fit into the typical "sports" model, but they still needed movement classes just as much as anyone else. A friend asked me to come up with a program for the town recreational department that was specifically for toddlers. At the time, another friend whose son has autism asked if I could take that sa

When Spencer Pickslay first opened up his Etsy shop to sell the handmade wooden items he was making on the side as a hobby, he had no idea that someday his biggest seller would also be his smallest. Four-and-a-half years later, Spencer is making a living selling his custom wooden guitar picks online and exploring what it might mean to begin wholesaling his star product. Read on to learn more about how he got here and what he's hoping to tackle next in his business!   Name: Spencer Pickslay Business: Woodworker and Owner of Pickslays Woodworking Started: April 2011   How did you create your awesome job? I wasn’t always into woodwork. I didn’t enjoy it in high school and I didn’t have handy parents, or anything like that.  It wasn’t until I started working in a hardware store and got to playing around with some old materials and watching YouTube tutorials that it really clicked. In 2010, when I was getting really into woodworking as a hobby, my grandmother taught me how t

      Turning her baking hobby into a profitable business has been as much a labor of love for Felicity as a money-making venture, but only after countless hours of playing with the ingredients to find the perfect mix.   According to Felicity, the old saying "speculate to accumulate" is still an effective way to generate business. But she also told us that spending too much time indulging in a passion can hurt a company’s bottom line.   To get the inside scoop on baking as a profession, on why freebies are an effective marketing tool and how time management is crucial, we talked with the mom of Buttercream Babies.    Name: Felicity Price Business: Buttercream Babies Started: November 2012   What inspired you to set up Buttercream Babies as a business?   Apart from my love of cake, I really wanted to do something creative. Like most people I wanted to work for myself, but the real reason I started baking full time was because

      Since their commercial appeared in the Super Bowl on February 7, 2016, Death Wish Coffee Company has seen the kind of growth most small businesses only dream of!   Above, we're sharing the BIG highlights — including a 550% increase in sales (um, wow!), how they crushed it at social media and what you can expect from them next (hint: it may involve a celebrity sponsored brew!). Congrats again to Mike and his amazing team. :-)        

  Cozy Friedman launched the first ever salon for kids in New York City after a friend told her about her nephew’s bad experience at an adult salon. She calls that conversation in 1992 her “lightning bolt” moment. Since then, Cozy has opened the doors to multiple children’s salons. Her latest endeavor is the launch of her professional-grade hair care line that was created just for kids.   We chatted with her about how she discovered there was a huge gap in the market and what she's learned about juggling work, motherhood and everything in between. Name: Cozy Friedman Business: SoCozy Professional Hair Care for Children Started: 2002     What inspired you to open up your first salon?   I heard a story from a friend about her nephew’s horrible experience at an adult salon. It was my lightning bolt moment! I started wondering why there were no salons for kids, so I did some research and was shocked that there really was no such place. T

     After Brian and Shannon Barker created beautiful custom décor for their daughter’s outdoor wedding, their guests were so impressed that they persuaded the couple to sell some of the items on Etsy.    Then, after Brian’s 12-hour work days became too much at his full-time job, they decided to turn that hobby into a business. We chatted with both Brian and Shannon recently to learn how they price their popular items — and what they *most* want to learn from you.    Names: Brian and Shannon Barker Business: Country Corner Goods Started: October 2015   What inspired you to start your own business? Brian: It all started when our oldest daughter got married in 2013. She wanted an outdoor, country-themed wedding. Since I’m a carpenter by trade, I made most of the décor myself — including the dance floor, centerpieces and cake stand. Later on, when the economy slumped, I got HVAC-certified (Heating, Venti

  Krista Young was destined for a creative profession, but it wasn’t until she quit her full-time job to spend more time with her newborn twins that she found her true calling.  Using basic skills in welding that she learned from her Dad, Krista started to make jewelry whenever her girls were napping. Now that her Etsy shop has taken off and she's hired her first employee, she's looking for ideas on how to grow her business even further by outsourcing more of her production. Let's hear her story!     Name: Krista Young Business: Gem & Blue Jewelry on Etsy Started: Spring 2012   How did you get started as a jewelry designer? I was working as an interior designer before I had my twin girls. Becoming a mom changed everything.  I quit my job to spend more time at home and started making jewelry in my very limited spare time. I had no real experience, but I'd learned a little bit of welding from my Dad. He showed me how to work with big, in

Angeline Crowder is at a crossroads in her business. After receiving tons of international acclaim for her beautiful, handmade gemstone rings, she's now getting requests to wholesale her products. But is it the right move for her business?? Read on for the full story, and tell us your thoughts in the comments below!     Name: Angeline Crowder Business: By Angeline Founded: 2013   How did you create your awesome job? I’ve been selling rocks ever since I was five, when I collected agates from my family’s farm in Oregon and took them door to door.  When I was 24 and a single mom in need of a little extra money, I started making belly-button charms and sold them to local beach stores. I was also worked as a raft instructor at the same time, near where I lived in Colorado. While out on the river one day, I was crushed by a raft and I broke my back. During my recovery, I took a jewelry course in Portland, Oregon. The instructors noticed my entrepreneurial spiri

Dan Cordero is an Emmy award-winning video producer and a new dad based in North Carolina. In his limited downtime, Dan repurposes vintage lights and sells them on Etsy.  The journey from hobbyist to business owner has been gradual, but he’s finally on the brink of taking his business full-time. We spoke to Dan about inspiration, lightbulb moments and the challenges of running a successful business while also caring for a newborn. Name: Dan Cordero Business: Reclaiming Creativity Started: May 2012 What inspired you to start creating repurposed vintage lights and selling them online? My day job is as a filmmaker for product development firm Edison Nation, which provides engineers, designers and resources to turn ideas into tangible products. I work alongside highly creative people and many of them are good at working with their hands. Until recently, I only made things on computers.  I started tinkering around in the workshop after I learned how many lightbulbs are throw

Elena Toccafondi is an independent filmmaker who's honed her craft all over the world. She grew up in Italy, studied in London and recently moved to New York, where she writes, edits and designs sound for short films and documentaries. We caught up with her to learn about what it's been like to build a network and find work in a new city.  Take it away, Elena! Name: Elena Toccafondi Job: Independent Filmmaker Started: 2013   How did you create your awesome job? I have always loved movies, but I never thought I’d end up working in the film industry!  I studied Political Philosophy at the University of Florence and planned to be a journalist. After graduating, I saw an advertisement for an internship with Italian Public Broadcast Television in New York and sent off a hopeful application. I was so pleased when they offered me the job. For three months I worked as a production assistant, helping out behind the scenes. Then, I landed the same role for a television

 A bad experience at an agency inspired Laura to bite the bullet and set up her own studio – but first she had to learn a few tough business lessons along the way.  We asked her to spill the beans on how she learned to avoid getting burned by customers who won't pay and why she's looking for help from you on how to keep her studio space and client list more organized.   Name: Laura Harvey Job: Bespoke Tailor and Pattern Cutter, Owner of Yabby Studio Started In: 2012 How did you create your awesome job? Sewing and making clothes was a hobby, but I never considered it as a career until I was choosing colleges. It was the first time I’d ever thought about the kind of job I wanted, and I realized this was something I could do. I prefer constructing clothes to designing them, so I decided to study bespoke tailoring at the London College of Fashion. As part of the course, we studied pattern cutting – it was a perfect match for me. I enjoyed it and I was good at it, so I studi

Cherie has been making jewelry for as long as she can remember, but it wasn't until both she and her husband were laid off from their full-time jobs that they decided to take the plunge and turn her life-long hobby into a business. Now they're living the dream in a remote home they built themselves – completely off the grid and supported 100% by their small business. We asked Cherie to share more with us about the road to building their business and what she's hoping to learn next!   Name: Cherie Somerville Business: Elksong Jewelry Started: 2007   How did you create your awesome job? I've been making jewelry my entire life. When I was 10, my mother started buying me beads and supplies – to stop me from stealing jewelry from the rest of the family! I started selling my creations soon after and can barely remember a time that I wasn’t making some money from my creations. I run my jewelry business now with my husband, from a home that we built on the border of Arizona and

At first glance, Victoria Cameron's résumé reads like the story of a small business superhero. An experienced accountant and small business consultant, she worked for KPMG and several startups before opening her own consulting business in 2000, VRC Consulting.  Victoria is bringing her business saavy and accounting expertise to QuickBooks Connect in San Jose this year with a special session on how to take control of your cash flow, so we asked her to share with us ahead of time a sneak peek at what attendees can look forward to. Name: Victoria Cameron Business: VRC Consulting Founded: 2000 Tell us a bit more about your background and why you decided to start your own consulting business.  You could say that a lot of the pursuits of my career have been driven by the fact I've been living in the Bay Area for a long time. I studied economics at Stanford University, where I took my first accounting course.  After school, I worked in audits at KPMG and a lot o

When Alyssa Kahle was searching for "the dress" ahead of her wedding day, she found herself repeatedly let down by the available options. She decided to take matters into her own hands and ended up creating her own stunning gown.  Not long after, she quit her job as a CPA and decided to turn that first project into a thriving business. We caught up with Alyssa to find out how she's finding new customers now and what she's hoping to learn from you as she begins to think about expanding her retail business.   Name: Alyssa Kahle Job: Owner and Designer, Alyssa Kristin Bridal Gowns Started: April 2014   How did you create your awesome job? With lots of determination and positive thinking! This sounds cliché, but starting a new venture has a lot of ups and downs, so for me it was critical to always keep moving forward and maintain a belief in myself. I started Alyssa Kristin Bridal Gowns because I think a bride should have it all on her wedding day – a beautifully constructe