Your experience can become a road map for countless others to follow. Today, you’ll find stories from powerful Queens compiled by Donna Warner.
Once upon a time there lived a powerful queen . . .EXPERIENCEMy prior experiences helped me discover my own personal limits and expectations. Prior work experiences helped me eliminate things and a lifestyle I wanted to avoid. I realized that working away from home and my new daughter was not where I wanted to be. Seeing and being in a confined cramped office was not the way I wanted to spend my days.
—Cara Sonnier
I have worked in secretarial work of some kind since I was about 14. When I went to college, I obtained an Associate Degree in Office Systems Technology. It just seemed natural to begin my own secretarial business.
—Karen McKay
My two businesses were things I felt really comfortable with; things I felt I was good at.
—Karen McKay
My prior experience as a writer helped me to know the ins and outs of business and to know what type authors and manuscripts to look for. I majored in English in college so that helped with editing. Also, I speed read which is what helped me devour the books I needed to learn how to set up the company and keep it running.
—Dawn R. Carrington
FUNDING THE LIFE YOU LOVE
Make sure you have at least six months worth of expenses in the bank before you take the leap. My leap was taken for me when my boss decided he needed someone full-time (I was only working part-time because of my injuries). So it was very scary knowing I only had two months worth of expenses in the bank, but bit by bit, I see more and more going into my account, and there’s no doubt in my mind I’m going to make it.
—Dawn R. Carrington
I’m a frugal and simple person by nature. I barter for things I need (advertising, press releases, cooking tools) with chocolate chip cookies or brownies. I reinvested my profits to pay for online advertising, sponsoring contests or other websites, as well as local print ads. I didn’t go into debt to start this business, after all I wanted to make money, not pay back loans.
—Cara Sonnier
…. My friends and I shared the costs, so although the business did require a financial investment, it was easier when four people were splitting the costs. Starting a publishing company isn’t a walk in the park. There are business fees, fees for forming a corporation, the purchase of ISBNs, website creation, up date and maintenance, etc. Shared, the costs weren’t minimal.
—Dawn R. Carrington
SUPPORT
Is there any one thing you can point to that was absolutely critical to your success? Persistence and family support. Also a lot of prayer and a lot of great customers!
—Karen McKay
Having people who believe in you can make a huge difference in how you feel about your business venture. It can give you us the added boost you need to keep moving forward towards success.
—Gwen Morrison
I received a lot of help from books. I now have over thirty books about publishing, marketing, running a small business, etc. I did a lot of reading. And as (the) financial (situation) goes, my friends and I carried the expenses ourselves. We didn’t want to go into debt, and so far, so good.
—Dawn R. Carrington
We all need someone to lean on who had “been there, done that,” when starting a new business. It can save you lots of time, energy, and most importantly, money.
—Gwen Morrison
I have learned so much from other generous women online willing to share free resources or suggesting good reading materials. I find that networking with women in my market niche is a great benefit. Resources like Internet Based Moms (
http://www.internetbasedmoms.com) have been a great assistance in being online. My husband has been a great moral support and often suggests great ideas. And my children, of course, are my inspirations.
—Cara Sonnier
BUSINESS ADVICEOverall, my advice to anyone who is considering starting her own business is to do the research. Whatever area you are considering, do your homework before hanging the sign on your door. Know your competitors inside and out. Find a way to market yourself as a unique entity so as not to minimize the comparisons that will occur. Be organized, especially if you have a family. Don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Growing pains are inevitable in those first few years; learn from them.
—Gwen Morrison
I could go fast and explode with lots of advertising and orders, but I choose to grow slowly and not sacrifice the needs of my children, their education or my husband. After all, without them, the money wouldn’t mean a thing.
—Cara Sonnier
Another mistake I made was allowing personal friendships to interfere with business decisions. When you run a business, you have to always think of it as business.
—Dawn R. Carrington
Most things you need to know about business can be found by asking questions, reading or talking to the small business development center in your area. Don’t decide to use a service based on a flashy website or description. Get other perspectives, ask of opinions on services and don’t rush into anything.
—Cara Sonnier
What has been your biggest challenge in running your own business? Learning all the minuscule details you need to know to stay afloat. Liabilities, assets, expenditures, taxes, credits, dues, etc. EEEK.
—Dawn R. Carrington
What has been your biggest frustration in running your business? My expectations. I’m a very motivated and driven person so I’ve had to learn that successes come in small packages.
—Dawn R. Carrington
MARKETING I do a lot of searching on the web checking out other businesses and I advertise in our local paper. Our local paper did an article on my two businesses, at my request, and that really helped to get the word out.
—Karen McKay
Learn the art of marketing. That’s what put Vintage Romance Publishing in front of the public. We’ve never been afraid to talk about our company, to give presentations, send out marketing materials and stand in front of a crowd of people and talk about our successes. If you don’t promote yourself and your company, who will?
—Dawn R. Carrington
My customers are wonderful about referring me to their friends and family. Word of mouth works wonders!!!
—Karen McKay
I’ve lost count of the number of forums and groups I’m on, and until recently Vintage Romance Publishing was a member of Publishers’ Marketing association (forgot to renew LOL). I’m always out in the community talking about our company, talking to libraries, distributors and bookstores. Word of mouth is one of the biggest marketing tools a businessperson has.
—Dawn R. Carrington
Promotion is a not a sprint but a marathon. As any coach knows, you start training slowly and build up steam.
—Carolyn Howard Johnson, Excerpt from the FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER
MAKING MONEYIf you break it all down to the number of hours you may put into a business, and figure out what you’re being paid, it probably won’t be pretty in those first few years. That’s typical of any business. If you have a passion for what you are doing (and there’s someone who can put food on the table!), then it’s all worth it.
—Gwen Morrison
I definitely make less money working for myself than working for someone else, but the time I get to pursue personal pleasures and education outweighs the weekly paycheck. We all make trade-offs. You either trade your time at a job for money in the bank—or you trade money in the bank for more time at home.
—Cara Sonnier
The financial rewards do not compare with the rewards of getting to be at home with our daughter, Laine. That rewards reaps many, many more benefits.
—Karen McKay
DO IT!! There are a lot of resources on the computer that are helpful. It’s truly not hard to do at all. You can decide one day that you want to do your business and, in a lot of cases, start it the same or next day! I would suggest that if you’re relying on the income from your outside-of-the-home job, please remember that your starting income might not match it at first. You may want to continue working until you feel confident and financially secure with the income from your own business. That’s what I did and it was a great way to go.
—Karen McKay
BALANCEDon’t work all the time. Even if you take thirty minutes and read a book, listen to music or just stare out the window, take a break from it or you will burn out very quickly.
—Gwen Morrison
I try to take all things in stride, deliveries being misplaced, or delayed shipments. When things get overwhelming I know it’s time for me to de-stress and balance things out. Accepting the fact that stress happens helps me when it actually does. There are times when I’m not happy—but most of the time it’s due to working too much and not having any down time to create, breathe or just be.
—Cara Sonnier
I feel the company takes precedent right now, but I manage to hang on to my balance by taking time for myself on the weekends. I have established working hours for Vintage Romance and established writing hours for myself. The weekends are mine to do whatever I want to do. Spend it with friends, go shopping, work on crafts, anything like that. If I want to write, I do, but I will not work on the company on weekends. That’s my own time.
—Dawn R. Carrington
FINDING THE LIFE YOU LOVEI don't know where my business will be in five or ten years, but I do know that I will be doing something that I love. I am the kind of person who enjoys change. I have been a writer for many years but that has taken me from freelance writer to assistant editor to editor to publisher. Now I'm not really sure what's next but I'm always open to exploring new pathways to build on my skills as a writer. I have worn a lot of hats and sometimes you have to do that to find out which one is just the right fit.
—Gwen Morrison
Live your passions! What are you excited about? What would you enjoy doing even when you are sick, not-in-the-mood or just having an off day? When you can answer these questions then research and read all you can about that specific area. If you don’t feel comfortable being self-employed right away—try working with or for someone else.
—Cara Sonnier
Do something that you LOVE!! I greatly enjoy secretarial work and gift-wrapping. I love being a stay-at-home mom, too. If you’re wanting to come home from your outside-the-home job, YOU CAN DO IT!! It just takes determination and discipline.
—Karen McKay
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Life is short. It really is. Have fun with what you are doing. Running your own business can be very stressful. Be sure to take stock in “why” you started the venture in the first place. And remember that it began with a dream and in order to have the dream fulfilled, there will be ups and downs. Keep a harness on you at all time during the climb, and when you’re coasting, be sure to wave your arms high in the air and enjoy the ride!
—Gwen Morrison
SUCCESSI wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and have my own business. Now it’s all rolled into one.
—Karen McKay
Believing in yourself is critical to success, no matter what business you are in. In order for any business to be successful there must be a belief that anything is possible. That can often be difficult for small business owners or freelance writers because you don't have anyone patting you on the back at every turn. You have to be your biggest cheerleader. When you believe in yourself, others will believe in you.
—Gwen Morrison
…Failure is not an option. If you want something badly enough, you can make it happen no matter how many obstacles life throws in the way. I’ve had health problems galore over the past eight years, and yet, here I sit living the first part of my dream.
—Dawn R. Carrington
My youngest son would tell people that I “emailed people all day,” but the first time my children saw my name on a magazine, I think that was it. They understood that I was indeed a mom who worked from home—on top of the fact that I was still the mom who made the beds, helped with homework, took them to the dentist and so on (but we won’t get into that…).
—Gwen Morrison
If you could do anything, what would it be? Exactly what I'm doing now. I love it!
—Karen McKay
It’s always a bonus to me when I get something done that others said couldn’t get done. For instance, a well-known newspaper never reviews small press books. The author tried and tried to get them to review her book, but they kept refusing. So I contacted the book editor and managed to talk him into reviewing the book. The author was so thrilled, and that’s exciting to me.
—Dawn R. Carrington
I’ve learned anything is possible if you want it bad enough. I also learned that operating your own business involves a lot more manpower hours than I had expected.
—Gwen Morrison
Where do you see yourself and your business 5 years from now? 10 years? I see nothing but growth and success. In order to have success, you must believe that success is obtainable.
—Karen McKay
Having our voice heard is more important than selling books.
Having our voice heard is sharing our soul.
—Carolyn Howard Johnson, Excerpt from THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER and originally from MyShelf.com Back to Literature column
Meet the contributing QUEENS …Dawn Rachel Carrington is a multi-published author of fantasy and paranormal romance, the editor of Vintage Romance Publishing and a freelance editor. She resides on the East Coast near the ocean which provides the perfect backdrop for working at home.
www.vrpublishing.comwww.dawnrachel.comCarolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Her second book, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, creative nonfiction, won three. Her fiction, nonfiction and poems have appeared in national magazines, anthologies and review journals. She speaks on Utah’s culture, tolerance and other subjects and has appeared on TV and hundreds of radio stations nationwide. She is an instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program and her new book The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won’t was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book 2004," and her new chapbook of poetry, Tracings, will be released fall of 2005. She is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award. She loves to travel and has studied at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herein University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She admits to carrying a pen and journal with her wherever she goes.
www.carolynhowardjohnson.com.
Paula Lovgren lives in Minnesota with her husband and two children. She is a former blackjack dealer, retail manager and marketing minion who is now realizing her genuine life as a mother, a writer, an avid gardener and a rabid basketball fan.
www.logicsoptional.blogspot.com Karen McKay, at-home businesses owner, lives with her husband, Brad and their 16-month-old daughter, Laine, in north central Mississippi. She is a stay-at-home, working mom and the owner of Secretary by Design
www.secretarybydesign.com & Wrap It Up
www.wrapitup2004.comGwen Morrison is a writer and mom of four. Her work has been published in national magazines, regional publications, newspapers and online. Originally from Canada, Gwen now lives outside Atlanta where she is busy at work on her second book. Gwen is also the publisher of a regional magazine, Georgia Lifestyles magazine. Gwen's first novel, "Ivy," will be available later this year. To check out Gwen’s work visit:
www.inetvacation.com,
www.georgialifestylesmagazine.com,
www.gwenmorrison.comwww.lemonmeringuepie.blogspot.comCara Sonnier
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