YardGirl Creations

It’s been one month since my last post, dedicated to my cat, Lo. I am still thinking about if this should be a monthly blog or a bi-weekly blog. I am grateful for the feedback I have received and I am enjoying meeting people who have come across it, as well as other bloggers. I will be in touch with some of you for advice.

I recently attended a workshop given by the DC Department of Regulatory Affairs in which DC business owners could meet one on one with lawyers. I was surprised at how helpful it was. I didn’t have any specific legal issues but thought it was a good opportunity to ask some basic legal concerns I have as a small business owner. It was insightful and the lawyers I was matched up with specialized in the areas of my concern.

I told a friend, another small business owner, about this experience and she told me that she never thought to look into the small business resources available for the area she lives in. Owning a small business is hard enough, especially when you are still maintaining a full time job at the same time. We should all look for as many opportunities for assistance as possible. Free workshops, mentors, classes, etc. are all an extra drain on already limited time but they all pay off in the end.

As a graphic designer that works with start-ups on a regular basis I get just as excited with their possibilities as my clients. Many people feel that it’s enough to have a great idea. They think that getting an EIN and paying for a business license is all it takes. I know this because I have been hired by these people many times. They pay me to create a logo or a website and then it sits stagnate because they never planned how they would really implement the great idea they had. In the end it saddens me because a large part of my client base is minority and I, also a minority business owner, am very hopeful for them.

Clients come in and tell me about their businesses. These discussions include great stories about why they decided to start their business and I talk with them about how I would love to work with them to come up with marketing strategies and ad campaigns. But it never comes to fruition and then the business closes before it takes off…and no one ever sees my fabulous work (lol). Sure, I got paid but I genuinely want to see my client’s businesses flourish. One of the reasons I started my business was because I like to be part of others successes. I’m all about collaborative work.

So I encourage all of you to look beyond your initial idea to just start a business because you think you can do it better than the next guy. And plan the details of how you will operate your business so that your business will thrive and we can work together again on more projects.

Peace,

Sonya