Small business, it's like, hard and stuff.

So I have been working on both my businesses simultaneously and it’s been hard.

Honesty moment: When I had my “aha” moment I thought it would be a lot easier. I figured I do my research and follow the “build it and they will come” mantra. Um, not so much.

It’s been months and I’m still not up and running, and it’s very frustrating. Don’t get me wrong I love it. The hours I’ve spent reading and researching have been great. In the past few months I’ve been more stimulated, creative and happy than ever, I’ve also been quite exhausted. I hold down an 8-5 and I have children with after school activities. So it can literally be 10pm before I get time to myself and it aint easy working till 2 am to get up at 6:45 and start all over again.

Is it worth it? I hope so. I believe it will be, even though I have nothing tangible to show for it yet, well, unless you count a rapidly decreasing savings account, hmmm.

About 3 weeks ago, I put an ad out for an artist and was surprised by the amount of responses I received. All very talented people, if you are in need of an artist for anything drop me a line, I kept all of their email addresses and portfolio links.

I finally narrowed it down to 6 artists and 2 days ago made my first official business decision and choose the two artists that I will be using for my project. It felt good :)

So onward and upward with the small details like finding an envelope supplier and trying to decide if I need an 800 number or not.

Marketing:

Let’s remember that a sistah is broke and every penny counts. My best friend has been the Shel Horowitz book, Marketing without Megabucks: How to sell anything on a Shoestring and the archives on his website on frugal marketing. Some of the ideas are out dated, however some are not only timeless but quirky and fun.

And you know I am all about quirky and fun, I mean I am the Brown Eyed Girl C.E.O.

That’s about it for today, I have to hunt down authors after all.

Also, I added a list of movies and books that revolve around starting a business, so enjoy.

I have a crush and his name is Donny Deutsch!

I was watching The Big Idea last night like usual. And the sandy haired business hottie host was interviewing entrepreneurs when I realized that I have a little bit of a crush :)







To me, he is the George Clooney of the business world. The complete name of his show on CNBC is "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsh" and you can catch it 5 times a week.

He interviews everyone, from Donald Trump to Tina Aldatz Norris, the creator of Foot Petals. She is helping high heel wearing women find comfort, thank goodness.

If you are down in the dumps or strapped for cash wondering if you should chuck your own idea and stick to the daily 9-5 grind, this is the show for you.

Some segments are:


There's got to be a better way

Start your business with under $500

The Aha moment

They said I'd never make it


Keep up the great job Donny and the hottie status :)

It's been too long! Baby Boom

I've been gone for way too long, I let life happen. Though I am passionate about small and home business and love blogging, I got too busy to give myself some "me" time.

Water under the bridge, I hope.

On to the wonderful Ms. Keaton in Baby Boom, I love this movie, it's just too friggin' adorable.

So anyway, her character, J.C. Wyatt, starts as a high powered advertising executive living the life most New Yorkers that are not Manhattanites desire. Beautiful apartment on the island (Manhattan), successful career, and a relationship with the male version of herself.

Then it all starts to crumble ( I mean it is a movie) when she inherits her cousins child. Don't want to give all the funny and at times sad details that help make the movie, but basically her relationship ends as does her career. Instead of being demoted (the big wigs said she couldn't handle the big accounts while mothering, one or the other basically, one guess if she was shut out by men or women), she resigns and she moves to a small town in Vermont, taking control of her life.

Let's just say that things are not what she expected in the picturesque little village. From practically running an entire New York City Advertising firm to sitting at home all day twiddling her thumbs, well, surprise surprise,she get's bored. Trying to escape her daily ride on the train to boredom-ville she started making homemade applesauce for the baby. And then one day she turned around and her entire kitchen was flooded with jars of baby food.

And a la magic of movies, she decides to take some down to her local store. In walks 2 couples from New York City, of all places, and they are patronizingly admiring the "quaint" products the little store carries. They happen upon her jarred baby food and after offering them a ridiculous price, the light bulb goes on.

GOURMET BABY FOOD!!

You really should see the movie for all she goes through to get her company off and running, but the end result is a dream come true to many of us.

She becomes a success, far exceeding her own expectations and all while working from home. She befriends the town vet, employs some neighbors, so she is giving back to the local economy and her office is in her home.

You just can't beat that.

Morals of this story:

A Business idea can be born out of boredom

Once in a while you get to stick it to "the man"

Romance comes when you least expect it

I made, I mean requested, of course - lol, my 16 year old daughter watch this movie with me and she actually liked it and was asking questions about capital, manufacturing and choosing products. We got into a discussion of J.C.'s advertising and sales gimmicks and her luck to happen upon an untapped market.

Books and movies are influential to us as well as our children so I use what I can. They are a generation that loves to be entertained, I just figure, why not be entertained by something that inspires and evokes new thoughts, can't hurt right?

Hope you all enjoy the movie as much as I did.