Small Biz Stories

It’s that time of year when everyone goes crazy for warm sweaters, pumpkin carving and, depending on your location, apple picking. Here in New England it is the busiest season for apple orchards. Andrew and Chelcie Martin are third and fourth generation farmers at Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, Massachusetts. In this episode, they share what it’s like to be part of a family business, how to deal with things that are out of your control, and what it takes to be a successful manager. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Andrew: As with any business, if you’re not morphing, and changing, and growing, you don’t have to be growing huge but growing, you’re slowly dying. Everything’s in change all the time, and so we try to look at what we can do better, or what we should add, or what might make a place more attractive to people. Even if it’s just something as simple as what variety mix we need to change and what type of trees we want to have for the future. People have the idea of a big old apple tree, but that isn’t really the future of apples. Much smaller trees is the future of apples. But also, we don’t want to change that too fast because people have this idea in their head of what apple trees should be when you come to pick apples. Dave: Andrew Martin is a third generation farmer at Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow Massachusetts. If you live in New England, you know how satisfying it is to taste the first apple cider doughnut of the season, stuff a bag full of fresh apples, and find new ways to eat apples for weeks to come. Our trip to Honey Pot Hill came with the added benefit of speaking with business owners Andrew and his daughter Chelcie. Sitting outside, listening to enthusiastic children and cicadas — yup those annoying bugs you just heard in the opening quote — Andrew and Chelcie shared the rich history of their farm and how they plan to keep the business going for generations to come. Today they share what it’s like to be part of a family business, how to deal with things that are out of your control, and their best management advice. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Andrew’s grandfather bought the family farm in 1926 after moving to Boston from New York. Initially a smaller general-purpose farm, Andrew and his relatives worked to make the farm both larger and more specialized. Growing up on the farm, Andrew’s lifelong devotion to agriculture started at a young age: Andrew: I think I was born to farm. Honestly, ever since I was six years old, I started growing my first gourds and I grew some potatoes and I planted blueberries, things we didn’t have on the farm. And I started pumpkins by the time I was 12, then squash and pumpkins, my own little part of the business, as well as working on the farm itself. And I just loved it. Every time I could, I worked, summers after school, weekends. And I never had any thought in my life I was going to do anything different, really. And I went to college for it and got my associate’s in agriculture and I’ve been here full-time for the last 35 years since then. Dave: Transitioning from a kid on the farm to the manager of a successful family business is not an easy task. Both Andrew and Chelcie are familiar with the unavoidable challenges that come from working with your closest family members. Andrew: Well, family businesses can have challenges, shall we say. Chelcie: Yeah. Andrew: And on one hand when I came back to the farm, my dad said, “You’re in charge. Here you go.” But then after a little while, it really wasn’t quite that way. As long as it was his way, I was in charge, if you know what I’m saying. Chelcie: It’s hard working with your family. We do okay. Andrew: So far, so good. Chelcie: It’s only been a year. Andrew: That’s right. Chelcie: But I wasn’t quite like him. I didn’t plant pumpkins when I was growing up, but I always wanted to be like my dad. I don’t know why. We grew up here, the four of us. I have three younger siblings. The priorities were always farm first, and it never bothered us. I feel like when it goes that way, you either end up hating it and resenting it or you end up adopting that mindset. And all four of us have that way. I remember one Christmas, we weren’t allowed to open our presents until noon because dad was working, and we were like, “Nuts,” because we were 10. And yeah, it’s been challenging with family, but it’s hard to not love it. People come here and they come back and they bring their grandkids, and they bring their nieces, and they bring their cousins, and they just rave about it. It’s so hard to not love something that makes people so happy. So I think it’s easier than most businesses to deal with that one hard customer because you have most people that come through here that are just so happy to be here and away from the city. And it’s so beautiful. And I don’t know, it’s a nice place. Dave: While family dynamics don’t come without challenges, both Chelcie and Andrew would agree the family ties are the most rewarding aspects of their business. There are, however, a few challenges that they find less fulfilling. Andrew: The weather. Every year is a challenge, but this year, literally nine feet of snow last winter in about three weeks. And we do work in the winter time. A lot of people think, “Oh, you just take the winter off in farming. You go south.” Every tree has to be pruned. We have 14,000 trees, actually 24,000, including all the smaller ones. And every one takes a little bit of attention. And so there’s the snow. Chelcie: Most people don’t do this anymore. We do everything by hand. Andrew: We’re hands-on managers, so to speak, all managers, owners, hands-on. Dave: Why? Andrew: I love doing it really. One of the things about our business, I will say, is that we’re small enough, even though we’re pretty good size, that I can still do a lot of the hands-on work. But we’re big enough so we can justify hiring enough employees because I can’t do everything and she can’t do everything. Chelcie: I never wanted to be a manager. I like it but we got into it because we like the work, which is frustrating when you find yourself not having the time to do it. He gets so upset when he’s bogged down with paperwork. I do all the paperwork because if he has to do it, it’s just a lot of grumbling the whole time. Andrew: But going back to what I just said for a second just to finish out. We had one of the best-looking crops we’ve ever had this year and then we had a hail storm August 4, which put a bunch of nicks and dents in them. It didn’t ruin them but they’re just not the way we wanted them to look. And now we’re here in the fall, we still got summer weather, which doesn’t exactly inspire people to come apple-picking and doesn’t do anything good for the apples quite frankly. Chelcie: Put on my sweater today. Andrew: Today is great, but every other day has been, as you know. Dave: Yeah, it’s too hot. Andrew: But that’s the whole story of agriculture. You’re dealing with weather. Something wrong, someone is throwing a curve at you and you just do the best you can to deal with it. Dave: While Andrew and Chelcie will never be able to tame the New England weather, Chelcie focuses her energy on the parts of her job she can control. After becoming the store manager last year, she’s worked hard to get up to speed with legal requirements and management responsibilities that keep the business running smoothly. Chelcie: I went to school for horticulture, and I took some business classes and some science classes and thought it was cheating going to school for agriculture growing up here. I was like, “But I already know all of that,” which is so not true. But coming back here, because my aunt did this job for 25 years before I took over last year. And I worked here for years, so I’ve done a lot of different jobs but was totally unprepared last year because no one tells you when you’re in college, “Oh, if you want to run your own or work for a small business, you need to have this many permits.” Because, like we were talking about it, we’re managers that are really hands-on, but we split responsibility. There’s two of us. So he does a lot of the orchard work and we have migrant workers. So he handles part of that paperwork. But then the other half of it is permitting, staffing, making sure that we don’t get shut down, just making sure that everything’s in order. And I had no idea. I remember last year in May, I was in the office sifting through paperwork being like, “I don’t know what any of these forms are for.” No one sits you down and is like, “Here’s how to pay taxes. Here’s how to make sure that you’re up to health code and you make sure that everyone gets paid on time. And here’s how to do payroll.” So it was a huge learning curve of just learning how to deal with everything. And occasionally someone cuts you a break. But it’s one of those things where if you’re in the role of running a business, you’re expected to know more than everybody else. Dave: Even with each other to turn to, Andrew and Chelcie know they’ll never be experts on everything. Relying on their employees and valuing feedback has helped the orchard’s staff feel like they’re part of the Honey Pot family as well. Chelcie: We’re lucky we’ve had a lot of people come back and we have a lot of people that have been working here for a while that take a lot of responsibility off of our plates, my plate. We have 14 hay ride drivers on the weekends and then we have Sean, who’s in the store right now, who does a lot of the staffing for that. He comes in every Wednesday, and we talk about it. Luckily, we have some really responsible awesome people with weird talents. Our ATM went down yesterday, and our office manager knew a guy that she worked with that was in tech, and he came in and fixed the ATM. And it’s just like, phew. Small businesses, a lot of it’s connections. Like, “Who do you know that can help you fix something?” Because I don’t know anything about wiring. I got yelled at by…one of our staff is an electrician. He was like, “That’s not the same as telecom. These are completely different things. I can’t fix your ATM.” And I was like, “I’m sorry. I don’t know.” Andrew: That is one of the challenges of a small business because you don’t have specialists to do this department and that department. Chelcie: You can’t afford them. They’re so expensive. Andrew: Exactly. So you tend to try to be a jack of all trades, as they say, and then you try to pull in people. And we have a couple guys that work in the orchards that are pretty good mechanics that do the things for me on that regard, that end of it. And you try look to people’s strengths and to utilize them as much as you can. And then we try to do everything else we can. Andrew: Of course, the funny thing is that I’m not a computer person at all. And this is the advantage of when you get into a bigger company. Chelcie: He doesn’t text. Andrew: I’m not tech, period. But when you’ve got a bigger company, again, this person specializes in that and the other, and then another person in that. She’s much better at that stuff than I am. So somebody told me, “Why try to do something that you’re not good at?” I can do some other things that I can do that I’m pretty good at. Why struggle with this? And she picks that up and couple other people pick it up, and then we go from there. Dave: One thing they’ve tried to pick up in recent years is an updated marketing strategy. While Andrew remembers the days of sending out postcards to thousands of contacts, he and Chelcie are now moving a lot of their marketing online. Chelcie: We’re trying to do more of a mix this year. My family has never really been on the forefront of technology, but we’re doing okay. We have a Facebook page. We’re trying so hard to update it all the time and answer questions. And part of the issue is that I do that. So I try to update it all the time but I don’t have a person for that. I do have a person for the e-mail blasts because my best friend in college majored in marketing and she is much better at that than I am. So she designs all of our emails and she does the outings here. But we’re doing email marketing, Facebook, TV advertising, advertising through Google AdWords and trying to do a shift more toward the digital because we were newspapers for a really long time. Andrew: And alas, we still do a little bit of newspapers. Chelcie: And we still do a little bit. We’re with the Boston Globe. I love hearing where people see us. I ask people all the time. We had people from Taunton in yesterday. I was like, “How did you make it out here? That is so far away.” They were like, “We were on Yelp.” And they were like, “The only thing we saw was wrong with you is that you were really busy, so we came at 8:30 in the morning. And it’s great. There’s no one here.” And I was like, “You came on a week day. Yeah, there’s no one here. You guys are fine.” But we’re constantly looking for feedback. And I actually had a couple of regular customers that were like, “We really appreciate the Facebooks and the emails. We check them. We like to know what you have available.” Because our varieties are changing constantly, what we have available. We sell out of things. We can’t restock here. It’s like, “Let’s just send out for some more nectarines.” It just doesn’t happen, so we try to update because certain people just swear by certain varieties, certain things, and they won’t eat anything else. We’ve gone out and picked a variety for somebody who came an hour away. And they’re like, “What do you mean you don’t have any more Zestar?” It’s like, “Somebody help me.” “We need to pick a box of Zestars. This woman drove from an hour away.” So yeah, it’s all about informing people, and the people that really care check all of our different media to see exactly what we have available. Andrew: That is one of the great things about technology, I will say, because back when I was her age, we had a mailing list of excess of 5,000. But it was a matter of labeling and doing postcards and going to the post office. Chelcie: They really truly sent out postcards. Andrew: Costs a lot of money, and it wasn’t that timely. It took several days to get there, and you had to print them and the whole nine yards. Now it’s like, bing, bang, boom, and it’s gone, and it doesn’t really cost too much. It costs for Constant Contact, I guess. But it’s relatively nothing compared to what it used to be. Dave: The timeliness of email is one of the biggest benefits for a business that changes its offerings depending on the weather. Chelcie updates her mailing list regularly with what they have available at the store. With a growing list of 5000 contacts, she recently realized how engaged her subscribers are and how important it is to double check the accuracy of the information she’s sending out. Chelcie: We don’t really send too many e-mails. Once a week when we’re open just to update with varieties and what we have available isn’t overwhelming. So I think people tend to trust us with that. I’ll explain it to them. “Oh, we don’t send you one a day. It’s usually just once a week, and it’s an update of what we’ve got.” Andrew: I think if you overdo it, people just start to ignore them, just write them off. Chelcie: Yeah, forget it. Yeah. Dave: So do you find people coming in based on getting those emails delivered? Chelcie: Yeah, actually I had a guy who was angry because we messed up. We put Ginger Golds down the day before they came in. And he came in, he’s like, “Where are your Ginger Golds?” And I was like, “Oh, no, they’re coming in tomorrow.” And he said, “Well, your email said you have Ginger Golds!” And I was like, “Oh, no. I’m so sorry. Put in the wrong date.” So yeah, they do read them. I know they do. Dave: Staying in touch with existing customers is especially important for a business that is so seasonal. With less than 2 months of peak business, Andrew and Chelcie know they have to deliver a great product and experience so their customers will be back next year. Chelcie: We have really consistently good fruit most of the time. He does a really good job growing it. And I don’t think I realized when I came back how important that is and how difficult that is because we were visiting an orchard, and they had no peach crop because they got frozen out. And peaches are really delicate and susceptible to frost. And even with the hail, we have beautiful fruit, and it’s very difficult to find because people have started to distrust agriculture. People ask me all the time, “Do you grow this? Do you grow that?” and I’m constantly saying, “Yes, we grow everything that we sell. All the produce is ours, even the vegetables. The only thing that’s not is the corn, which is picked fresh daily from Acton.” And I think that having that relationship and being able to explain to people what we spray, why we spray, what we do and having consistently good fruit that’s ours, I think people appreciate that because we’re a family and we’ve been here a long time and we continue to try and be very knowledgeable about what we’re selling. So we just try to have a good relationship with our customers and answer their questions the best that we can. But I think it’s becoming more and more rare to find a place that grows everything and is honest about it. And I don’t know. I’m a big plant nerd, so I like answering the questions, but we’ve gotten a lot of comments lately on our fruit being consistently good. I think that’s important. Andrew: With a business, you try to watch the details. You’ve got to look at the big picture. It’s an interesting thing. When you’re working for somebody else, you can get bogged down in details because it doesn’t matter so much, unless the boss starts yelling at you, “Hurry up.” When you’re working for yourself, you’ve got to look at the big picture. You you’ve got to say, “I can’t spend too much time on this thing.” But also details matter. So you’re always doing that balancing along the way of looking at the big picture but then the details because little details adding up can make a big difference in the end. And that’s where, I guess, she says I’m perfectionist. Chelcie: Yeah, there’s so many moving factors in growing fruit in New England because our weather is hot and cold, and the bacteria count can go from zero to several million in a day. So we try really hard to monitor the weather, but every time, everyone makes mistakes. But he beats himself up about it every time he makes a mistake, really hard. And I guess probably because I’m his kid and I watched it happen, I try to roll with it a little bit more. So we balance each other out that way, too, but he’s always looking for the perfect crop, trying and pushing for the perfect crop. Andrew: Then I’m going to retire. Probably never happen. Dave: Many of the business owners we’ve interviewed this season have had a similar dedication to their craft. Each owner has made sacrifices in the pursuit of creating something bigger than themselves. As a fourth generation farmer, Chelcie’s devotion to the farm is part of her identity, something that has been ingrained in her since childhood. Chelcie: Yeah. I don’t know. I always feel like I’m a balance in my family. I don’t want to force my siblings to come back here. I think that they should have the option. I had a little bit more pressure because my aunt wanted to leave. But I would do anything to keep this place from being sold. It’s interesting because someone posed this question to me, “What are you doing?” I was like, “What do you mean?” They were like, “You’re working like 100 hours a week and you could sell the 200 acres and never work again.” I was like, “Oh, you shouldn’t. I don’t think about it that way.” And it’s crazy. It’s literally crazy. Who would do that? I don’t own anything, but, “You own 200 acres of prime real estate. Why are you killing yourself to keep a business going when you could sell it and you wouldn’t have to worry about it?” Hopefully one of my siblings will think that way, too, that it’s bigger than you. And I think that’s one of the hardest things about working here is I love this place more than I love myself. And I know he feels the same way. I’m 23. If I ever end up wanting to get married, they’d have to move to Stow and hang out on a farm forever, which is not a bad deal. But at the same time, how do you have a life? Dave: Finding balance isn’t always easy, but it’s clear that — for Andrew and Chelcie — that’s part of the excitement. Long hours and early mornings aren’t as much of a hardship when you’re proud of what you’re able to create. I’ll leave you with Andrew’s best piece of business advice, and how Chelcie knows the sacrifices are all worth it. Andrew: It certainly isn’t just a job. It really is an adventure because the hours get crazy sometimes. Your weekends are not your own anymore. I say very few people go into this business that didn’t grow up in it, quite frankly. There’s a handful, but not very many because if you’ve owned your own weekends and you’ve owned several weeks off, you say, “What am I doing going into this business?” One of your questions, I think, was, “What do you have to say to a person getting into business, in its own small business?” And my advice would be, “Make sure you love it, whether you have to deal with people, if you love dealing with people. Or if you’re making something, love what you’re making,” because if you don’t love it, it probably won’t work because you’ve got to put so much effort into that to get through all the obstacles that get thrown at you, whatever way it might be. In our case, it’s weather and government, as I keep saying. But to get through all those, and if you don’t love it, it’s just not going to make it, in my opinion. Yeah. Chelcie: I think that I weighed it out in my head, when I was thinking about coming back here, if I would be happier leaving or happier staying. And either way, you give up something. I didn’t expect to come back so young. I was thinking I would go off somewhere. I lived in Australia for six months in college, so it’s not like I’d never left. I’ve been very lucky. But Stow has just such a rocking nightlife. There’s just so much to do when you’re 23. So that’s been a little difficult. It’s hard being here when all of my friends have moved to major cities and are starting their own thing. Andrew: Oh, I should vouch for that, too. I remember those days. Long ago and far away, but it’s true. Chelcie: It’s just we have a weird family here. We have my family and then we had an employee party at the end of last year, and I cried and I was like, “You guys are my only friends because I hang out with you seven days a week.” You learn to rely on people and communicate with people, and it’s excellent life skills, but it’s just so much of it is a passion. I could read 100 books about plants and that’s strange, and I really like our customers. I really like my employees, the whole package is worth it. It’s not one individual thing. I’m sure I could go somewhere else and really like my job, but the stress and dysfunction is part of what makes it so much fun. I don’t think there’s anything comparable to this that’s left. A lot of trades and things that have to do with your hands, you watch it grow and then you harvest it. It’s just a different kind of life. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your reviews help the show get found so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Honey Pot Hill Orchards – Small Biz Stories, Episode 8 appeared first on Constant Contact.

Holly Furgason is motivated by many things, but comfort isn’t one of them. As the owner of Blue Sparrow Pilates, Holly has learned how to overcome major challenges — from dissolving a business partnership to weathering a major financial crisis. Listen as she shares what it takes to keep a business running for over a decade and how to build a loyal audience. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Holly: I would say that I’m… first of all, I’m never comfortable. So far, there’s very few time periods, not even a month where I’m like, “Oh, this is so comfortable. I feel really good about where we are.” So I’m always looking at what can I improve. When I travel, when I go places outside of the Bay Area and within the Bay Area, I’m always doing more education for myself. I’m reading books about business. I read online blogs. I’m looking to other masters in the field of Pilates, like what are they doing in their neck of the woods, and how might that influence what I’m doing? Dave: Meet Holly Furgason, owner of Blue Sparrow Pilates in San Francisco, California. Like many of the business owners we’ve spoken with during our first two seasons, Holly is motivated by many things. But comfort isn’t one of them. Today, in our season finale, Holly shares the story of her studio. From the initial inspiration to the trying moments when she wished she could skip town and leave it all behind. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Many of us are consumed with the thought of starting our our business. But what’s the difference between people who think about going off on their own and those who actually do it? As Holly describes the days before owning her business, listen for three important things: conviction, creativity, and commitment. Holly: I grew up as an athlete, playing soccer, all kinds of things and then found dance and became really sort of pre-professional dancer and traveled all over to compete in dance-type conventions and competitions. And was convinced that I was gonna move to New York and dance professionally. And somewhere along the way, I found Pilates and Pilates has always been associated with dance because Joseph Pilates’ original studio was really close to Broadway and a lot of dancers found it and realized how much it could benefit their dance career. And so I found Pilates and completely fell in love with it and knew that I needed to become a teacher. And I’ve jumped back and forth across the country several times but came to California to go to grad school for dance at Mills College just here in Oakland and had started a studio. Dave: A dance studio? Holly: Pilates studio, yeah. I did my teacher training in Michigan and when I moved to California, I was already teaching Pilates and I worked for several different studios that had different focuses. One was a rehab-based, like post-hospital type rehabilitation and another was a teacher training center in San Francisco And through the process of working in San Francisco for years, I just knew I was gonna have my own studio at some point. Dave: Rather than wasting time on self-doubt, Holly dedicated time to learning her craft. Through extensive training, certification, and mentorship, Holly developed mastery in multiple Pilates techniques that set herself up for success when inspiration struck Holly: In terms of inspiration, it was really simple. I had a client in North Beach that I saw at his house way up at the top of Telegraph Hill. And for some reason, in the process of learning about North Beach and traveling there, because it’s one of those parts of San Francisco a lot of people don’t go to, I fell in love with the fact that it was sort of, there’s this bird, lots of birds there, like parrots and all kinds of weird birds. And you walk through the staircases and you’re just like, “Wow, this is such a beautiful part of the city nobody comes to.” And there’s the ocean or the bay is like right around you. And there’s this sort of, I don’t know, birds like energy there and I started playing around with this name ‘Blue Sparrow Pilates’, ‘Blue Sparrow’, because of all of the things I was seeing and interacting with in North Beach, and ended up finding a space in North Beach shortly after that. Dave: So when you started, like thinking about this, right? And like “Okay, I’m gonna open my own place,” did you start discussing it with people, friends, like did you get any pushback from anybody? Holly: Yeah. Everybody kind of thought it was crazy because North Beach is, I mean, San Francisco in general, is expensive. But then, North Beach is like pasta and pizza and Italian, and nobody seemed to want Pilates there, but at the same time, I knew that’s where I wanted to be. And certainly my closest family and friends were like, “That’s crazy. How are you gonna do that? How are you gonna get the money?” There was lots of doubt. But then once… I think people that know me, they know that once I’ve decided 100 percent and I’m not talking about “Do I want to…” “Should I…” “Should I not…” it’s like, “I’m doing this.” They know me well enough to know that they’re gonna get on board and just support that because it’s happening. Dave: Holly’s conviction makes success seem almost inevitable. But the truth is she’s faced some serious hurdles over the past decade. From dissolving a business partnership to weathering a major financial crisis, there have been plenty of times when Holly wondered if she might be happier leaving her business behind. Dave: What do you remember as some of the, or just the hardest parts of getting started? Holly: There’s been a lot. In terms of the hardest part, starting with the business partner and realizing really early on that our goals and certain aspects of our partnership weren’t gonna work, and then figuring out how do we navigate our way apart, that was really hard and it required lots of legal support and a huge financial stress and at least a year of dealing with that. And that really sort of reset the clocks, so it was like several years in, I was sort of starting all over again, both because of financial and because of… I mean, just emotionally being drained from that process. It’s, at least for me, it was very much like getting a divorce, where it’s a very personal connection that’s severed. So that was very difficult. And I would also say, right after that was the financial crisis of 2008. And so it was like business really dried up in a lot of ways. Before that, it had been sort of like, anybody that sort of had heard about Pilates and was kind of interested in it, would be like, “Oh, yeah. I’ll just try a class.” Well then it shifted to, if people had really, you know, a serious back injury or some specific, really particular need, then they might try it. But then having that, it meant you had to have a lot of, even a higher caliber of instructor that could specifically target that exact thing that that person came in for or the people wouldn’t keep coming. And so that was challenging to get through Dave: Do you ever find any time where you thought that maybe this isn’t gonna work? Holly: Many, many times. Certainly, when I was going through a business partnership divorce, that was one time when I was like, “I just need to get out of town. I’ll just leave town.” Dave: The old west… Holly: It did feel that way where it was like, I’m just gonna ride out into the sunset and leave all my problems behind. And that’s probably not the only time I felt like that. Also, when the economy within the financial crisis, it was not good. You couldn’t borrow any money. So I had no capital, I had nothing to work with. It was just like all I knew to do was dig in and work harder and know that it was gonna work because it had to work. And then since then, I think it’s always sort of ebbing and flowing. I think of it like a big ship or something that sometimes the water is calm but that’s brief and then it’s just like you’re sort of trying to not basically fully turn over, I don’t know. Dave: Well, you know, you mentioned like those tough times and then like you know you had to make it work. But why didn’t you just stop? Holly: I mean moved here from Michigan. I’m totally… not that all Michigan people are the same, but there’s a certain amount of grit that I think I just have into like, just built into who I am. My grandma always said, “Good, better, best. Never let it rest till the good is better and the better, best.” And like that’s totally… I don’t know, that just stuck with me, that was always like, “Work hard. If you work hard, you’ll succeed. If you keep working at it, you’ll eventually figure it out.” Failing or quitting, not that those are always related, but quitting really was never something I did. I can’t think of maybe more than one terrible job I’ve ever had that I quit. It’s just not who I am. And then on the more practical level, it was like I had debt, I would have had to have declared bankruptcy, and it’s like that’s not something I would do, I had to pay back that debt, and I had to figure out how to make it work. Dave: “Making it work” isn’t easy. To stay successful, Holly has had to build and flex her marketing muscles to promote her business, attract new prospects, and bring happy customers back to her studio.   Holly: I mean one thing I’m doing is constantly updating my website. Every two years, I’d say, it’s a completely new website, and I don’t know if that’s everywhere. It might just be the Bay Area that it feels like that’s necessary, but trying to constantly make sure that online people can find us through searches. Some online advertising, some advertising through social media and then always looking at what is the new technology, what things can help me to reach out to people? Specifically, I think it’s easiest to reach out to the people that already are in your network or on your marketing email list because they are people that already must at some level want or like what you do and they might have just sort of fallen off the radar or at the time they came two years ago, we didn’t have a prenatal class, but now they’re prenatal and they need a class like that. And so to make sure that they’re constantly knowing the new things we’re doing and changes we’ve made. Dave: Yeah. So besides, you do a lot of blogging and things like that, how did you get into that type of stuff? Holly: I’ve always liked to write and I found that writing was sort of a way I could be creative within my business because as a dancer and having done graphic design and things like that, creativity is something I just have a need for. And so I started to do that more kind of for fun to be honest. I was like, “We have a newsletter, I need this to be a good newsletter.” What are the newsletters that I like of other businesses that I’ve gone to? What don’t I like? And how can I try to do that as best I can with a limited amount of both manpower and resources? And so I started writing a weekly… well, I think it was monthly to begin with, monthly newsletter for our email list, and then it turned into weekly, and then I passed the baton of writing that to another employee who is really good at writing and really liked doing it so that I could focus on writing blog articles more for teacher training type and Pilates instructors and branched out in that direction as well. Dave: Is there any particular channel or any type of mode of communication that you found that’s been the best for you, just in terms of marketing? Holly: Yeah, I mean, I really do think a lot of people read our weekly newsletter and I think that every time we email that out, some of the times I’ve written a story or we’ve written a story several weeks in advance and people will come up to me and be like, “Hey, I really liked the newsletter about this one thing,” and I’m like, “What are they talking about?” I don’t remember writing that. But then I realized, “Oh they’re talking about the newsletter.” People really do read that and I’m always surprised if we rotate kind of what the topics are that maybe a certain age client will relate to one topic and another age will relate to another. Social media, of course, is a big component but social media tends to be towards sort of the younger spectrum of clientele. And so our clientele that are say 40-plus that are doing private lessons, I mean they’re not really on our Instagram and checking out what pictures we posted. It’s just not their thing, typically. And so, to build certain aspects of our business like group classes, we turn more to social media, whereas if we’re looking to develop more private clientele then it’s through those newsletter type avenues. Dave: How do you justify the cost of email marketing? Holly: I would say it just never, again, it was never a consideration. To me, it seems the most obvious cost to spend your money on. I’ve tried all kinds of different advertising. And it’s a little bit hard to tell if it’s effective but with email marketing, you’re emailing the people that already like what you do. We’re all busy, we all have demands on our schedule and so it’s like you already have a population of people that not only like what you do but like you are business and are close enough that they can come. So spending money on reaching out to those people seems obvious to me, it doesn’t seem optional. Dave: Repeat business is not an accident. Creating lasting customer relationships means offering an incredible experience and staying in touch with thoughtful messages to bring people back. But these relationships are about more than just profit. They’re the reason Holly gets out of bed each day, ready to tackle whatever challenge comes her way.   Dave: What would you say is the thing that keeps you going and keeping you successful? Holly: I mean, I think it’s the people that I get to work with both customers, and it’s a real community. I heard another instructor, a friend of mine, she called it her tribe, and it really is. It’s like to have this community of clients and teachers that all support each other and share in each other’s lives, that’s really special, especially in a major city where community is not always easy to build. And so, I’d say it’s those personal relationships that I get to cultivate and build and to see people. Now it’s been about 10 years, so it’s like I get to see where these people were, I know their kids, I’ve watched, I helped them go from getting ready for their wedding to prenatal, working out to they’ve had a baby and now their baby is like six or seven. And that’s pretty amazing to be able to share in people’s lives like that. Dave: Community is the core of Holly’s business. Just as she shows clients how to build strength, flexibility, and balance — they help her do the same. Holly might not be able to say she’s comfortable every step of the way, but she’s ok with that. Growing and learning what you’re really capable of — that’s something a lot of business owners value more than stability.   I’ll leave you with Holly’s best advice for someone looking to start a small business of their own.   Holly: I would say that even in small businesses, even if you start as an expert in your field that you still have to pay your dues and that owning a small business, it’s years of commitment. I think sometimes people start a small business and they think after the first year or something it will be easy. I would say it’s not necessarily easy but that there’s opportunities to learn from every single day that you continue to be working towards whatever level of success you’re trying to get to. But that the most important thing is that you have to stay true to your vision. There’s been many times when I felt like this industry was changing in the direction that I wasn’t… it didn’t speak to me and I was never going to be willing to completely sell out and redirect my business in a direction that I didn’t believe in 100%. And so staying true to your vision of your business and what it is that makes you passionate about what you do is the most important thing. Dave: Thank you for listening to Season 2 of Small Biz Stories.We hope you’ve enjoyed  listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself and Miranda Paquet with editing by TwentyFourSound. If you have thoughts or suggestions for Season 3, you can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Blue Sparrow Pilates — Small Biz Stories, Episode 15 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

When Barbara Felix started her business, Felix the Cook, over ten years ago, she was looking for a way to provide for her family, while doing something she loved. Finding her sweet spot with custom-made sugar cookies, Barbara has attracted big name clients like Google Ventures, UPS, and The Four Seasons. How can your business do the same? Listen as Barbara shares her best secrets for attracting and delighting clients. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Barbara: I’ve spent plenty of time working in offices thinking, “How can I get out of here?” I am not a paper person. I don’t care what industry it’s in, I cannot stand sitting behind a desk. So with cookies, I just love being the boss and being the creative person. I get physically ill if I cannot create something. Dave: Meet Barbara Felix, owner of Felix the Cook. Like so many businesses owners, Barbara became her own boss to avoid a boring, cookie-cutter career. Starting a business of her own, Barbara has the freedom to spend her days as she likes — which in her case means delighting customers with custom-made sugar cookies. If you’ve ever wondered if you have what it takes to start a business — or if you’ve already started and you’re wondering how to take things to the next level, listen up. Today, Barbara shares her secrets for how a one-woman operation can use customer relationships to land big-name clients like Google Ventures, UPS, and The Four Seasons. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Many small businesses start with a combination of passion and necessity. When Barbara started her business over ten years ago, she was looking for a way to provide for her family, while doing something she loved. Listen as she describes her early attempts at finding the right fit and how an early mentor helped point her in the right direction. Barbara: Well, my dad was a cook. My dad always cooked at home. And I loved to play in the kitchen. I loved making things and my mother let me do whatever I want with butter, sugar and flour. So I have absolutely no fear of sweet stuff. And I grew up, got married, got divorced and decided I needed a career because I’ve been to high school, of course, but not much college. So there I was, a single mother with two children looking for something to do and I thought well, maybe I can take a cooking class and instead I decided to take the full program at the California Culinary Academy and do 16 months and come out as a chef. So I worked at a really fine restaurant for a couple years and then found it was just too difficult as a single mother to keep the hours of a kitchen, which were pretty brutal, and mind my kids. So I quit that and got into private chefing after a stint of making desserts for restaurants. There were a couple of small restaurants I worked for that didn’t have the time or the space to do their own pastry. So I’d do that for them. Again, pastry was always my favorite. And with the kids, I would make cookies with them every holiday like Halloween. I can’t get over it. That Halloween, I made black icing, my son was in heaven with black icing everywhere. So we’d do that and then one year one of my instructors was at the house for Christmas and she saw my cookies and she said, “Oh my God, Barbra, you have to sell these.” I said, “Really?” So because I trusted her, I pursued the cookies. I was private chefing at the time and I asked one of my clients what she thought. She suggested I get a year of cookies. So that was a great idea. So I designed 12 collections with 6 designs each to make up a dozen cookies for every month of the year, and got connected with a web designer, who started with that page, our cookies of the month. And from there it just grew. It was very word of mouth, very word of mouth. Dave: So, just talk us through kind of that inspiration for doing the cookies? Barbara: Oh! The inspiration was I can do this, and it’s fun and people pay me! That’s what it was. And that having someone whose opinion that I trusted told me they were wonderful. That’s what I needed because I get in my own little bubble where I can’t see outside. And if you go on cookies websites, it’s amazing what people are doing. They’re total artworks. And if you look at that, and then look at what I do and it’s like, well I’d never measure up. The funny thing is, is that they’re doing the same thing. Everybody is comparing, which is silly. But I wanted a way to make some money that wasn’t as difficult, as private chefing can be. I wanted to do something that I was entirely comfortable with, which is pastry. And it’s a fun job and it’s a happy job. People are so happy when they can get on my schedule. They are happy to order their cookies they’re anticipating, and they’re happy when they get them. So I like happy uplifting things. That’s why, I’m not curing cancer but I’m making people happy, nothing wrong with that. Dave: With cookie-making, Barbara found the sweet spot she was looking for. Now, she had to find something just as important — a loyal customer base.  Luckily, this wasn’t Barbara’s first business. Through her past endeavors, Barbara already had some ideas about her target market, what they wanted, and how best to reach them. Barbara: Now, I spent some time in Texas for 10 years and I had my own business there as well, making curtains and drapery and shades. And my first customer was a junior-league lady and I had learned very well. You tell a junior league lady, you’re set because they all tell each other, they all call each other. So with that experience, with the cookies I thought, I got to donate to the junior league. And I did the same thing. I picked a couple different charities and I’d make a significant donation and people started calling. And that’s how it started, with donations, because I had to get the word out. Dave: Did you set any goals for your business when you were first getting started? Barbara: Oh, I wish I could say yes! I wish I could say I followed my business plan to the T. I did not. My goal was to make some extra money. I’m a single mother with two kids, money was the ticket. So, with the help of friends, I thought it was important to get a website together and that was my first goal to get all those 12 months of designs made. Then to set up a photography booth or some way to get…I bought my first camera to do the photographs, my first little instant camera. And, to set up a business account, I set up a checkbook. The goals were very small and then to find charities where I could donate because I knew that’s where my market was. See, I knew, from my experience of having my business in Texas, I knew what these ladies wanted. I knew what they were looking for and knew where they were. I knew my market. And I knew what they needed. And that’s how I did it. Going for the upscale charity events and contacting people I knew in that area. Dave: What would you say makes your business different from others out there? Barbara: I would say the service. I mean, they love the taste of the cookies, there’s that. They love the cookies, they love what I do. But I’ve had people tell me, “Oh, you’re so flexible, and thank you” And it’s personable, you know, people get excited when they can talk to the person who’s actually making their product. It’s not going through several layers. In fact, a few years ago, well in 2004, Gwyneth Paltrow put me on her Goop website for Christmas. And that’s because I knew her driver. A friend of mine drove for her. I didn’t even know he was driving for her but that was my connection. And I got a lot of orders and one person called to check on her order and it was so funny the way she spoke. It’s like, “Can you go down on the factory floor and find the order?” and I said, “Ma’am I’m making your cookies.” And they’re so excited. They’re very excited to talk to the person. So I think that’s it. There’s no filter between me and the client. They call or they email or they talk to me. And that’s the way I like it. And even as I grow, I don’t know that I’ll give away that part of the business. I think I’ll still be the contact person. Dave: Barbara’s success comes from giving her customers an experience they can’t get anywhere else. By listening to her customers’ advice, Barbara creates relationships that make other people feel invested in her success. It’s no surprise that many of Barbara’s best new customers have come directly from her existing customer base. Dave: Yeah. Is there, is there some place that you go for advice or guidance? Barbara: Oh gosh, yes! Gosh, yes! I guess I’m just a friendly person. But I know so many people who seem to be more successful than I am and their always eager to help me. I have one friend I met when I was doing cookies for a charity function and it was being held at Pixar. It was a very big deal and I got to see the Pixar office. I got to look at an Oscar, like two feet from my face, a real Oscar. That woman moved on to another company and another company and she’s taken me with her every step of the way. So I’ve made cookies for her at every company and she’s very into computers and marketing. And she helps me and she gives me ideas. Another friend of mine, again, it’s a friend of a friend. He asked me if I could deliver cookies to his friend who manages a very big jewelry store downtown. And because of the timing, I thought, “Oh I’ll just take him in myself.” And that was like a perfect thing to do. The fellow loved meeting me, he loved the cookies and he has sent me business and he has sent me a wonderful event planner that I work with constantly. And he’s my buddy. He brings me to different events, he suggests things to do. He’s got me working on a chocolate cookie now. He’s determined to have a chocolate cookie place card with gold lettering. So I have ordered. I have been through the web top to bottom looking for a specific edible gold luster, which I’ve acquired. It’s in the mail to me now. So they guide me, they tell me what you can do. Another friend of mine works at LinkedIn and he’s helping me use that to meet other marketing people in different companies because that’s where the cookie orders from companies come from. So, yes, I don’t know, people like me and they talk to me and I talk to them and we chit chat. And yes, I have plenty of advisors. I’ve made cookies for Google Ventures and they’re still customers. I did cookies for UPS. I did cookies for Tyler Florence a couple of times. And when he had his shop, my cookies were in his shop. Because one day, I walked in, and I happened to have my portfolio with me. And there was some sugar cookies for sale and I thought, “Oh my goodness! I can do better than that.” So I showed the sales girl. She got the marketing person to come down and we started a relationship and I had my cookies in there every holiday. Because I walked in and said, “Hey look at me.” Dave: Barbara’s confidence in her product and dedication to her customer relationships have served her well in growing her business and reaching big-name clients. But that doesn’t mean she’s always as busy as she’d like. Dave: Was there ever a time that you felt like potentially the business wasn’t gonna work? Barbara: Oh yeah! Oh gosh yes! Dave: Tell us about that. Barbara: Because I didn’t have a budget for marketing. My budget was, “Can I pay my mortgage this month?” And some people would tell me, “Oh! You need to get better pictures. They don’t do you justice.” And I didn’t have the money to go up a notch. Packaging, when you start pricing packaging, you have to buy a lot for custom packaging. It’s a huge investment for a small business. And there were times where I would get discouraged. And then the phone would ring and somebody would say so and so told me about you. And I would get all happy again. I really feed off my customer’s happiness because it tells me I’m doing a good job. Dave: What have you found has been your most effective way to get or reaching customers? Barbara: Oh, really, Constant Contact because my email list consists of people who have already done business with me. They’ve already emailed me and bought purchased cookies so they’re on my list. They’re familiar with the product and the emails are just a reminder that I’m here, which is, as I said, for people that don’t order cookies regularly. They need to be reminded, whether it’s a birthday or an anniversary or something… Dave: Yeah. Tell me a little bit about your approach with email, like what do you? What do you send out? Like what do you do, how often? Barbara: I want to do it once a month. I try to do it once a month and I like to put up pictures of cookies they haven’t seen, something new. Like I believe I did an email about painted cookies now, there’s a big demand now for watercolor. You use the food coloring as the paint. So I did that. Mostly it’s seasonal, you know. It’s like, “Oh this is August, I’ll send out a picture of my watermelon cookies” or whatever. Trying to think of what they might be doing and what they might need them for. We’re very seasonal. I don’t ever have sales, so there’s nothing like that to do. I made a decision very early on that I wasn’t going to discount my work, at all. And I don’t. I don’t care if you’re buying two dozen or two thousand. The price is the price and that’s it. So, there’s no sales to advertise. It’s mostly a reminder. Get on the books now because September’s full. So, think about me now. Mostly to remind people to, order ahead. That’s what I use it for. The email marketing is entirely affordable, entirely affordable, $20 a month? I mean, come on. It’s a bargain. It’s a tremendous bargain. And what sold it for me is the online help because I’m of a certain age. I need to speak to someone. I don’t want to just tap on the computer. And every time I call, I get someone who is willing to stay there and help me and I’ve never gone away unsatisfied from a phone call. And I need that because I’m not computer savvy. I am not going to invest time in learning how to run a computer because I run a cookie business. I’m not a computer person. Dave: Rather than focusing on finding new customers, Barbara stays in touch with her existing customers — the people she already has established relationships with. By reaching out and reminding her customers what she has to offer, she sparks new interest and gets the phone ringing again. Dave: What is it that you would say that really keeps you going and your business successful? Barbara: Pride in what I do, that I do it myself, that I don’t have to answer to anyone except my customers. Like I’ve mentioned, this is not my first business. My first business was making curtains, draperies and shades and it was the similar thing. I worked alone, I made a beautiful product, everybody was happy at every stage. And I loved being my own boss. I’ve spent plenty of time working in offices thinking, “How can I get out of here?” I am not a paper person. I don’t care what industry it’s in, I cannot stand sitting behind a desk. So with cookies, I just love being the boss and being the creative person. I get physically ill if I cannot create something, if I can’t be refinishing furniture, or making a curtain or doing something creative. And the cookies give me all that. All my art, all my color, theory, everything I do is in there. And I love making people happy. I love making little kids smile when they get a cookie. I have pictures on my wall of the little kids holding my cookies, being happy. That’s a nice thing. Dave: You’ll notice Barbara’s success is rooted in her own satisfaction, as well as her customers’. As she said earlier, she really feeds off her customers’ happiness. While many small businesses are started by fiercely independent people — hungry to call the shots, make their own hours, and put their stamp on things — the successful ones never lose sight of the people they’re trying to help. I’ll leave you with Barbara’s best advice for someone interested in starting their own business. Barbara: Oh, golly. Know your market. If you don’t know where your market is and what they want, you have no chance. You need to know what people want. And once you figure that out, make what they need. It’s the same classic advice, find a need and fill it. And because of my exposure to a certain crowd of people years ago, I knew what they were looking for. I knew what they liked to have and that’s why I can still serve those people by making my product. You have to know your market, you can’t just have a good idea that nobody wants to buy, if you’re gonna do it for a living. I mean believe me, I love what I do, I love the art but make no mistake, and this is how I put gas in the car. I have to make money. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself and Miranda Paquet with editing by TwentyFourSound. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Felix the Cook — Small Biz Stories, Episode 14 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

What am I doing to make the world a better place? That’s the question that motivated Brian Beckon to leave the corporate world in the hopes of building a more democratic and just economy. As a securities lawyer and Vice President of Cutting Edge Capital, Brian has the knowledge and passion necessary to help entrepreneurs raise funds from both wealthy and community investors. Listen as he shares the most challenging parts of enacting change — from overcoming skepticism to applying solutions that have never been done before. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Brian: And there’s something kind of amazing that happens when you really believe in what you’re doing. If you’re just doing a job, and you’re working hard for a long time without a break, you can burn out. But if you’re doing something you’re passionate about, you almost never burn out. You may get discouraged, but you keep on going. Whereas, if it’s just a job you get discouraged you quit, you find another job. That is probably more than anything what has gotten us through difficult times. It’s just that focus on something much bigger than any one of us or even bigger than the firm itself. It’s something really huge. We feel at the risk of sounding cocky or arrogant, we feel that we need to keep doing it because if we don’t do it who will? Dave: That’s Brian Beckon, Vice President of Cutting Edge Capital — a consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs raise funds from both wealthy and community investors. Like so many business owners and entrepreneurs, Brian strives to make a difference by doing work that he believes in. As a securities lawyer, Brian left the corporate world in the hopes of building a more democratic and just economy. Today, he shares the most challenging parts of enacting change — from overcoming skepticism and growing an audience to applying solutions that have never been done before. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Have you ever felt like you’re not living up to your potential? In Brian’s early days out of law school, this became the rock in his shoe. Rather than sticking to a clearly laid out career path, Brian tried a few different directions to find something more meaningful. Listen as he describes how he discovered his passion for building a more democratic economy. Brian: How far back can I go? I’m a lawyer. I’ve been practicing in law for about 25 years. I went to law school back in the late 80s because I was trying to figure out what can I do to you know, make the world a better place. And I didn’t really know what else to do with a humanities degree, and I figured well, I’ll go to law school. And I came out of law school, and did the obligatory Law Firm. I was in the law firm for about five and a half years, kind of burned out I said, “What I’m I doing? I’m not doing anything to make the world a better place.” So I shifted gears, I did work as in-house corporate counsel for a couple of big publically traded companies. I had been doing securities-related work for a bank, so I was doing securities work for the Cartels Development Corporation, Side Base, a couple of big companies. And that felt better because I liked doing the securities work, but it still didn’t feel like I was really doing anything helpful for the world. So I did a major shift in about 2003 and I went to work for a nonprofit organization called RSF Social Finance. And that was really kind of a transformative experience for me because what they did was they had a community investment fund, a charitable loan fund where anybody virtually anyone in the nation could invest. And you don’t have to be wealthy. You could invest in their fund, and then the fund deploys that money in loans to nonprofits and other projects that are doing cool stuff in the world. And I love that, and I really, really felt right about the mission. I was there for about six years. Eventually, I wanted to move beyond the charitable loan fund. I really had that drive to democratize capital, democratize economy, open up opportunities for everybody to participate equally on a level playing field. Dave: Trading his burnout for burning passion, Brian discovered Cutting Edge Capital — a consulting firm created to offer better ways for entrepreneurs to raise capital from their own community. After meeting with the founding partners, Brian was asked to join the team and help increase the firm’s impact. Brian: Cutting Edge Capital’s mission is to democratize the economy. So in a way similar to what I was doing at RSF and yet the vision is much broader here. Because it’s not just about charitable work, although we do have a lot of clients who are nonprofits who are charitable, but really we’re all about community capital. That is open up opportunities for everybody to invest in local businesses, invest in something they believe in, whether it’s a nonprofit or a for-profit. Everybody should be able to invest in something meaningful. Investing should not just be a sand box for the rich, which is what it has typically been historically for the past several decades. And that we need to change. And so that’s…from looking an investor’s point of view but on an entrepreneur’s point of view, entrepreneurs should be able to raise capital from their own community. Without having to go to a Wall Street Bank, or you know a big VC firm or other institution that’s only going to look at them and you know, assess whether they can make 10 times their return on investment, and if not they’re non-fundable. Well, that’s not the way you know, to drive an equitable economy. So what’s unique here is that this is a team of folks who actually know how to do it. And we can you know, we know how to use the laws that currently exist. We don’t need to change the laws to democratize the economy. A lot of people think we need to change things. We need to change the rules, we need a new system. Well, maybe we do, but meanwhile we can utilize the rules as they currently exist, and we can change the economy now. A lot of people talk about the economy being broken. I will say, it’s not broken. The economy was as we know it sort of the systems and infrastructures and institutions that we have today were designed by the wealthy to concentrate wealth for the wealthy. And it’s doing that extremely effectively. It’s not broken at all. It’s doing exactly what it was designed to do. So what we want to do is change that, at a little bit more fundamental level and say…and again not by changing the laws, but by creating new institutions and infrastructure that can truly democratize. So the new economy it means a lot of different things. We look at it through the lens of capital because that’s what we do, but it also incorporates a lot of other aspects. There’s a social justice aspect, a racial justice aspect that’s really, really important. And there’s you know, it incorporates a recognition that there for example, is institutional racism embedded in the economy, and in our infrastructure and institutions. And that all needs to change. So in a sense the work that we’re doing is part of a much bigger movement to bring about a more equitable world, a more just and fair world. Dave: As a consulting firm lead by securities lawyers, Cutting Edge Capital has the knowledge and empathy needed to change traditional models. I asked Brian about the biggest economic problems he and his team are trying to solve. Brian: So in the conventional model, non-accredited investors and by non-accredited I mean investors who don’t have a million dollars in assets, you know this is the securities law term accredited. Who don’t have a million dollars in assets excluding the home, or don’t have at least $200,000 annual income or $300,000 with their spouse. So in the conventional system non-accredited investors are excluded from all the good investment opportunities. It’s a two tier system. There’s investment opportunities for the rich, which is 99% of the investment opportunities, and then there are those investment opportunities for the non-rich which is basically limited to Bank CDs, and publicly traded stocks. So anybody can open up E*TRADE account and buy stock in a publicly traded company, but the problem with that is first of all, the stock market doesn’t make the kind of returns that it’s purported to make. You can lose your money, but more fundamentally even if you pick…even if you open up an E*TRADE account or whatever brokerage account, and invest in companies that you really like and you think are doing cool stuff, not one penny of your money is going to those companies because you’re buying stock in the secondary market. And that’s true whether you’re buying the stock directly or through a mutual fund, some socially screen mutual fund that you think is exactly what you want. Either way, not one penny of your money is going to the company whose stock you’re buying. You’re simply buying from other shareholders and who makes a profit no matter what, Wall Street firms. So anyway, the point is non-accredited investors have very few choices. Accredited investors have all the choices. That’s the problem that we want to solve by creating community capital opportunities. Dave: Opening up more opportunities means going against the grain where there isn’t culture of community investing. Brian is no stranger to skepticism, which only makes his success more powerful. Here, he describes overcoming cynicism to complete a recent project in Fresno, California. Brian: Yes. I’ll give you one recent example. We recently got regulatory approval to launch a real estate fund on a community investment fund in Fresno, California, which we think will be a wonderful template for many to come. But this was very difficult because the regulators didn’t like it. They didn’t understand it, they were very suspicious of it, and I’m talking about the California Department of Business Oversight. They seemed to just assume that there must be something fraudulent going on here. “Why on earth would you be trying to raise capital from non-accredited investors? Are you trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes?” They were asking these rather cynical questions and making demands for stuff they had no business asking for in terms of you know, information, you know, audited financial statements for unrelated businesses. They seem to be going out of their way to look for some trace, “There’s fraud going on here.” And that’s part of the challenge that we’re dealing with. That when you when you talk about community capital and raising capital from non-accredited investors, the non-wealthy. Because of this tendency to assume that the non-wealthy are not equipped to make good decisions, that only the wealthy can make good decisions, that if you’re going out to the non-wealthy to raise capital it must be because you’re desperate and there are no other choices. A direct public offering or any kind of community capital is not a last resort. It’s not something you do if you’re turned down by a bank and turned down by a VC firm. In fact, for most of our clients, it’s their first choice. It’s what they want to do because, well, for a lot of reasons. The things we talk about. They want to have that direct connection with their community. They want their community to be their investors. And by the way your investors make your best ambassadors and your best customers too. If you are a customer facing type of business for example. So there’s lots of good reasons why raising capital from your community is the best way to raise capital. But the regulators had a tendency to look at this as suspicious. As something you do because you can’t raise capital any other way and therefore there must be something amiss going on. So we had a heck of a time getting this through the regulatory review process. But to answer the question you started with, we did finally get their approval we…there was a lot of back and forth and a lot of explanations of what this means for the community, how this is this real estate fund is going to allow any investor, any resident of the city of Fresno to invest in the revitalization of their own downtown, and enjoy some of the profits from that revitalization unlike other real estate projects where the profits are always sucked out to some owner, some real developer owner somewhere else who lives in some rich community. Here those profits are going to be shared with the community who invest in it. That’s what our client wanted to do and we finally got the regulators’ approval to do it. And that felt really good because that’s one frankly that’s probably the most difficult direct public offering that I’ve worked on in my time, in all my time working with direct public offerings. It felt good to get that milestone behind us. Partly because it was so much work but really more broadly because that’s such a powerful concept. There’s a real estate fund that everybody can invest in the community because I want to replicate that everywhere. Every community in need of revitalization should have this type of fund serving their community where everybody can invest in and the fund will then go out and acquire blighted properties, rundown properties, any property in the downtown area that needs some renovation. Buy it, renovate it, lease it out at a higher rent, and by doing so you’re bringing in better business, better quality businesses. You’re bringing in more foot traffic because these are usually retail-focused businesses at least at the ground level and with more workers, more you know more people downtown you have better safety because there’s more foot traffic, and of course you know with that increase in business in the downtown area you have increased tax revenues and the city’s happy, better public services for the city. It’s a win-win for everybody. Dave: Okay. Brian: That felt really good because now we can point to that as a replicable model of how to do it. Dave: Every time Cutting Edge Capital creates another success story, it gets a little easier to overcome skepticism. That said, Brian admits that solutions like direct public offerings are slow to catch on. Brian and Cutting Edge Capital’s President, John Katovitch, have recently increased their speaking opportunities and online marketing efforts to build their momentum. Brian: The biggest challenge is the perception that this can’t be done. And it’s an educational challenge. We need to go out there and explain what it is that we’re doing, and why it’s legal. I’ll be honest with you that is probably our single biggest challenge now. Getting the word out. Marketing, although we don’t often use that term, it’s communication. We need to let people know that first of all, that we’re here, and that these things are possible. What we’ve been doing is mostly word of mouth and being on stages. For example, I spoke at a conference this morning put on by an organization from minority business owners in San Francisco. Got a great response. People are excited about this. This concept of community capital resonates with people. So it’s not a challenge of convincing someone that this is a good thing, it’s letting them know it’s possible. Once they know it’s possible they get it. People are on board, people get excited about this. It’s a matter of just communicating it as widely as we can. We do some social media work, we try to you know get on stages wherever we can and talk about what we do, and the possibilities. Is that enough? Probably not. We’re still working on that. Brian: We send e-mail newsletters, not as regularly perhaps we should, but every one month or two we compile some articles that would be of interest to our network. Sometimes our announcements about what we’re doing, sometimes there are links to interesting articles, legal topics that people would really want to know about. I’ve written some of those articles, John’s written a number of those articles. John’s actually been doing some blogging for Huffington Post which has gotten a quite a bit of exposure. I guess as far as emailing if there’s a major announcement we email to our whole list a few thousand people. So we’re doing what we can there too. Dave: Listening to Brian, it’s clear there’s no shortage of obstacles to overcome. Like many business owners, Brian and his partners are pulled in multiple directions as they attempt to build something that’s meaningful for themselves and for others. Despite the challenges, Brian has never doubted his decision to join the Cutting Edge team. Brian: Well, I had an interesting conversation with the CEO of the firm that I left when I came here, and he said to me. “Brian, I don’t get it. You’re the general counsel of what could very well be one of the nation’s leading crowdfunding firms, and you’re leaving this to do what?” I have no doubt in my mind I made the right decision, but you have to understand the mission to get why I did that. Because I did take a cut in pay. We’re not at the point where we’re partners are making a lot of money yet. We’re building something, I have no doubt that we will succeed. No doubt. Right now there are lean moments as we create something, as we build this thing, as we work on creating change and it’s been challenging. So Yes. Some folks just don’t understand why anyone would do this. Dave: What would you say has been the biggest surprise for as you’ve been building this? Brian: I will say the biggest surprise for me, I know this is going to sound cocky. But the biggest surprise for me is discovering what I can do. Because I have learned so much here. And when I got here two and a half years ago, there was a time when I realized “I’m way outside my comfort zone.” In several respects. For one thing, I left a law firm 20 years ago and vowed never to work for a law firm again. And here I am, the partner of a law firm. So that was the shift. Then I’m finding myself working on projects that I have done, but not often enough to feel like an expert yet. And so, I’ve had to acquire expertise on the job. That has its own challenges but it’s been really kind of fun to discover what I can do on a personal level. Dave: Brian no longer has to shake the feeling that he could be doing more with his life. With a mission to believe in, he’s found himself more capable than he imagined. If you’re looking to start a business of your own, or need some extra motivation to push through a challenging time, I’ll leave you with Brian’s best advice. Brian: I would say it’s important to meet a need. A lot of businesses…and I don’t mean to be critical. A lot of businesses are started based on a cool idea that some of the things are kind of fun to do. Maybe fun isn’t the right word. But it’s a good idea, but the need isn’t there so we’ve got to go out and create a need, create a demand by marketing. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I guess from my point of view, I look out in the world and I see so many pressing needs that are already out there. I would say, why create a demand for something where the demand doesn’t exist. When there is in fact a demand, a genuine need for so much out there. I would rather see entrepreneurs focus on an actual need rather than coming up with the core product and trying to create a demand. That’s just my advice. I’m a problem solver. I look out the world I see problems, and I just wish I could solve all those problems. I can’t, but I wish someone would. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself and Miranda Paquet with editing by TwentyFourSound. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Cutting Edge Capital — Small Biz Stories, Episode 13 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

When Susie Coliver started ARCH Art & Drafting Supply at 24 years old, she never could have anticipated how her business would evolve over the next 38 years. From skyrocketing rent prices in San Francisco to the rise of digital drafting tools, Susie keeps her store going by facing trends head on and maintaining strong relationships with her customers and staff. Listen as she shares how to stay relevant in a changing market and how she’s built a dedicated customer base that keeps her business going. Find us on Stitcher Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Susie: For me, I think that we have all learned to be so efficient in the way we transact our days. We’re able to multitask so completely. We’re able to do so much from our desktop or our laptop or our telephone that you can actually go through days and days and days of never actually talking to anybody. From my inexperience, but long-term perspective, we all lose out in that equation. That being human, we need and want the connection. Dave: You just heard from Susie Coliver, an architectural designer and the owner of ARCH Drafting Supply. Since starting her business over 38 years ago, Susie has faced challenges within an evolving San Francisco and architectural community. From skyrocketing rent prices to the rise of digital drafting tools, Susie’s store remains a cherished part of her community because of the connections she’s developed with her customers and staff. Today, she shares how to stay relevant in a changing market and how she built a devoted customer base. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Susie’s path to becoming a business owner is an interesting one. While many people start a business to pursue their passion, Susie initially started her store as a way to finance the work she loved to do. Listen as she shares how she decided to start ARCH Drafting Supply at just 24 years old. Susie: I came out of a very people-focused architectural education. Right out of school, I started doing architectural community organizing in an underserved neighborhood in San Francisco called Bernal Heights that was starting to undergo gentrification. And there was an effort being made to provide opportunities for families who had always lived there or whose children had lived there and had gone away and wanted to come back, to be able to come back. That it wouldn’t become so fabulously expensive that it would become out of reach. So I was doing this community organizing for about six months, and when I had tallied what I had actually been paid to do it, I realized I was being paid about 25 cents an hour. That’s what I was making. We figured the number of hours I was putting in and the paltry amount of money, and it was not sustainable. So, I’m trying to think of how… But I really loved it. So how would I keep doing this and pay for it? And simultaneously to the community organizing, I was also working part time in an architectural office. And I was the low person on the totem pole. At that time, to run an office, you needed a lot of supplies because computers hadn’t been invented yet. I was the one who had to go, when we ran out of the perfect green pencil or the roll of vellum or needed an ellipse template of a size that we didn’t already have in the office, I was the one who had to go and buy it. And the nearest place to buy that was about a half hour walk away. This was before people were bicycling. Nobody had bicycles then. This was in the late ’70s. It just wasn’t being done. Hitchhiking yes, but bicycling, no. And the place where the architectural office was, was in the middle of where all the architects in town were. Not all, maybe 75% of the architects in town were all within this one district. All those offices, the people had to go on a half an hour walk to get a single useful pencil. And I thought, “I wonder if I can open a store to serve the architectural community, all of which is in this neighborhood, and get it started, run it for six months or something, hire some great people, and go back to my community organizing full time,” which is really what I wanted to do. I wasn’t enjoying the work in the architectural office, and I was enjoying the work that wasn’t paying me. So, I did it. I found a tiny, little space. It was probably 400 square feet. It had been a garage. And started it with $4,000, which was what I needed to outfit it and buy inventory. In those days, you could do that. Today it would take close to $1 million, but then it was in this city. Four thousand dollars got us off the ground. And the only part of the calculation that didn’t work is the six months and then go back to doing what I set out to do. It was more like two and a half years until I could extricate myself enough to do anything else. It was two and a half years of 80-hour weeks. And then for like the next, I don’t know, 8 or 9 years, it was 40 hours on other stuff, architectural organizing, and 40 hours of store. It was still an 80-hour week, but it wasn’t 80 hours in the store. Dave: The same passion that Susie felt for community organizing began to spill over to her store. At ARCH, Susie curated a world of technical pens, ellipse templates, rolls of vellum, and fine Swiss made compasses. The store’s incredible selection, along with a knowledgeable and helpful staff, quickly established ARCH as the go-to place for architectural supplies and support. Susie: We were serving as the sole supplier of architectural drafting supplies and knowledge, because we knew what architects needed and because I’d done it, and we knew what they didn’t know they needed but that we knew existed. So we became the “Cheers” of the architecture community. It was the place and actually the only place, short of the local offices of the AIA, which is the American Institute of Architects, short of a professional stomping ground. We became the place for the architecture community to meet. It became a hangout. Any time you came, you knew you would see people you knew. I think the people who come to us recognize “Their pricing is good, it’s fair,” and they recognize that in order to pay our staff a living wage, we cannot compete with online businesses, and we don’t try. We’re in it for the face-to-face, we’re in it for the engagement, for the relationship-building. We know the community of artists in San Francisco, they know us. There’s a lot of mutual respect. They treat us as peers, especially our staff who’ve been here forever, and they’ve grown up with them. And they look to us as a place where people know their stuff. We’re used as a resource. We are on the phone a lot more than most businesses are these days because people call us for advice all the time. Now, is that to say that people call us for advice and don’t then go buy the product online? No. Some of them do. But we’ll keep giving the advice regardless because we know, in time, that builds value. Dave: Despite quickly establishing her business and customer base, it wasn’t long after Suzie opened ARCH’s doors that the whole architectural industry changed.  As design went digital, the demand for drafting materials declined significantly. Suzie and her staff had no choice, but to shift their focus to reach a wider creative community. Susie: The business has shifted focus a couple of times, out of necessity. When we started, we were strictly architectural drafting supplies. We didn’t have art supplies. When CAD, Computer Agent Design, came in to the architecture profession…and when I say architecture initially, that was architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and all of the related construction design professions. But they all took on CAD within a five-year period. It went from needing a full cohort of supplies and equipment, to needing nothing that we sold. During that five years, we transitioned to being a supplier to architecture students. So, less focus on the professional, more on architecture students who were still being taught things traditionally. It wasn’t until later that the architecture students also went on to CAD. Although architecture students still buy supplies and remain a large part of our business. But we did transition over that period into art materials. We were trying to focus on the kinds of materials that not every other art store sold, things that were hard to find. So that there would be a reason for people to come to us. Because we can’t compete on breadth of stock. At this moment, there is a great interest in this area — I don’t know nationally, but in this area — in the maker movement, in making things. There is a backlash against technology of a sort, or folding technology into a craft tradition. And with that rise of interest in making things by hand, there’s a lot of prototyping going on. There’s a lot of experimentation with C&C machines, with laser cutting, with large industrial machines that can be re-purposed for very delicate, very hands-on making. And we are excited about the role ARCH might play in supplying people who are on that cusp of technology and art. Dave: So what’s interesting to me, you’ve been in business for so long now that having to go through that change in the industry and technology, how do you make those decisions or how do you keep your finger on the pulse of that, to know when to change and how to change? What was that process like for you? Susie: Well, one, that I paid more attention to it so that we could be way ahead of that curve. In truth, much of it is a necessity. When people stop buying the things we have, we scratch our head and say, “Hm, now what can we do?” Examples of that…there are two good examples of that. One is portfolios, both for architects and for artists. Portfolios were a big part of what we provided, and we provided amazing portfolios from all over the world, so that everybody looks unique when they go into the interview. Well, now people represent their work on a flash drive. Nobody is carrying a leather portfolio into a meeting. And if they did, they wouldn’t get that job. So, the portfolio business just went away. Another thing that went away is, people don’t write letters anymore. We used to have a cut paper section, eight-and-a-half by eleven paper, and envelopes. We had the greatest selection of envelopes, probably anywhere on the West Coast. And people were coming from all over, and they were coming especially when they needed to do announcements of important events – a birth of a child, a wedding. People really aren’t mailing much anymore. I mean, anybody under 40 isn’t mailing much. Some people… We had one funny experience with a kid who was a Stanford undergrad, came in and said, “Oh, this is how you buy these things, these envelopes. I’ve never bought one of these.” Stanford undergrad. But in his world, the 20 years that he’d been on Earth, he had always been on the computer. His only correspondence was on the computer. He literally had never bought an envelope. Although he receives mail, he had never sent anything. At that moment, we realized we don’t need an envelope department anymore. It’s not that we don’t sell any envelopes. We have specialty envelopes. There are people who still send wedding invitations, but very little. So, of necessity, we’ve recognized we needed to shift. And when we realized that… For instance, we’re within a block of the Art Institute’s graduate program, and we see very few of those students. And it’s not because they’re going to other art supply stores, it’s because they’re not going to art supply stores. That’s not the art that’s being made in some graduate programs today. So, I wish I could say we’re ahead of the curve, but we’re not. We’re behind the curve, but attempting to react smartly. Dave: Sitting and talking with Susie, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of another difficult change to her business model. At the time of our interview, ARCH is in the midst of a move. After being evicted from their third location in 2014, Susie opened a temporary pop-up shop. But with tiny, pencil and paper sized profit margins, Susie has a hard time competing with VC-backed startups to find affordable commercial space. Listen as she describes how steep rent increases impacted her business. Susie: I don’t know if it’s the hardest thing but, one of the hardest things we’ve had to contend with absolutely is the exorbitant increase in rents, commercial rents, in San Francisco. There’s been a lot of national news about residential cost of homes and cost of renting. We know that it’s untenable at this point. It’s the prices in San Francisco. There’s been a lot less focus on commercial rents. But the fact is, running a small independent business in this city, with the rents that are being requested at this time, is nigh-on-impossible. If you didn’t have venture capital behind you, there’s almost no way to do it. The only way we can do it, is that we’ve been doing it for a long time so we have an existing customer base — we’re not starting from scratch — and we’re pretty handy in making spaces that would seem to be undesirable work for us. We’re crafty in that way. But right now, if we were looking for commercial space in an area that retail businesses tend to go to right now, we’d be paying $4 a foot, probably at a minimum. And that would be in a place with foot-traffic. Obviously there are not enough erasers and pencils and pieces of paper you can sell to cover that kind of rent, $48 a foot. These supplies just don’t have that kind of margin. So, losing our location. We’ve lost our location several times. The first move we made… We started at 43 Osgood, and then we grew by taking over the space next to us. That was easy. That was a no-brainer. The next move was also easy. We moved around the corner. It was the early ’80s, commercial rents were bearable. We ended up paying, more or less, the same amount per square foot, just more square feet. That worked pretty well. Then came the .com boom of 1999 and 2000, and rents went out of sight. There was nowhere in the downtown area that we could afford, nowhere, and we looked everywhere. A lot of our customers moved out of town, because they couldn’t afford to do what they do in the city anymore. And we lucked out. We found a space in a warehouse that had previously had automotive parts, wholesale of automotive parts, and it was a property owned by a family who had owned it for 60 years. It had long since been paid for. They weren’t looking to maximize their income, they were looking for a stable tenant, and we had a long enough track record at that point and a good enough credit history that we were what they were looking for, and they were what we needed. So that worked until 2014, which is the current period, when there is so much venture capital in this area. And there are so many new businesses starting that are starting with millions in their pocket, that rent is the least of their concerns. It’s such a minor part of their total picture, they don’t care what they pay. It’s not their money. They’re not earning it, it was given to them. Now they have to earn the trust of those who invested in them, but they didn’t have to earn it through their work, and that is just so difficult to compete with. Dave: So, obviously you’re in the middle of a move, all this stuff happening now. Your biggest challenge now? Susie: The biggest challenge of the move is gonna be getting the word out as to where we have gone. And, in some sense, there are those…we’ve dropped off the radar of many people in the last two years. People have had a hard time figuring out where we are, what we have at this location versus at the other location, what we have that we don’t even have out on view because it’s at a warehouse at yet another location. The parking where we are now has made it impossible for some people to shop with us. Just impossible. And so, some people who like us very much have given up on coming here. I think our big issue, going forward right now, is letting people know we’re back in the game, better than ever, frankly improved and in a place that is accessible, both by public transit and by car because there’s parking, which, in San Francisco, is huge. I think it’s good that we’re getting the word out that we’re back in play. Susie: The new location is not in a commercial district of any sort, it’s embedded in the place where people who make things are. So it’s very central to people who make physical things. And we sell products to people who make physical things. But it’s quite off the beaten path, and it’s not a location anybody would ever walk past, drive past, see from anywhere. We’re not near a coffee shop, there’s nothing else to do around us but do the work that we all enjoy doing, which is making things, designing things, making things, creating things. So we think it’s a perfect location. There’s probably not another business around that would think this was a perfect location for anything, but we’re very excited about it. Dave: Which points to the importance of knowing your audience, right? It sounds like you know where these people are, you know where they’re doing these things, and that’s where you’re going to be. Susie: It also, though, speaks to the importance of our online presence. Because we’re not visible on the street, you can’t drive past us and see our sign, or walk past us and think, “Oh, I think I’ll drop in there,” it means that the only way we grow beyond word of mouth is the online presence. So it becomes more important than ever. Dave: With her business going through so many changes, Susie sees the importance of communicating with her customers regularly and keeping them up-to-date on everything from new product lines to location changes. Since 2009, she and her team have used email marketing to stay in touch their customers online. Susie: We realized that without a regular presence in people’s inboxes, we were starting to disappear. That the people who knew about us knew about us, but new people weren’t finding out about us. That so much in business is driven by what one reads on their screen, that if they weren’t reading about us, they weren’t hearing about us. If they weren’t hearing about us, they weren’t talking about us. And if they weren’t talking about us, nobody else was talking about us either. So we were becoming a little invisible. Frankly, that is why Constant Contact has been useful to us. We don’t have… We’re too small a staff to have a full time person putting our message out online. We can’t afford a person doing that. And so, beyond just Facebook and Instagram and Twitter, the only way we have a presence in the world right now is through Constant Contact. A presence, a physical presence. And because your template is quite easy to use, and because it doesn’t take much time, even our small staff which is stretched really thin, a couple of people are able to pull away from whatever else they’re doing and put out a memo, a message, an announcement, a fun fact, pretty regularly. So people who are clever and bright and enthusiastic and creative, but not necessarily coders or programmers, can get stuff up online, and it can compete with those who have gazillion of dollars to spend on these things. And that’s, of course, very alluring. Dave: Now in her 60s, Susie continues to face challenges head-on and adapt to serve San Francisco’s thriving art scene. It’s clear that she, as well as her staff — many of whom have been working with Susie for over 25 years — take great pride in their work and their role in supporting a diverse art community. Listen as Susie shares what’s helped her stay successful over the years. Susie: I grew up in the ’50s and ’60s, and that was a time when children weren’t coddled. We were raised to make mistakes, and we made lots of them. I think what that did, was it made us not afraid to make mistakes, and to recognize that there is life after failure, and if it doesn’t work one way, you try it a different way. It’s what I worry about with some children in some communities today, that there’s the coddling of effort, such that failure never happens. And if it, God forbid, ever did, there would be hell to pay. I think I haven’t been afraid of taking chances and finding out that that wasn’t a good idea. Dave: What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned, through the years, of this? Susie: I don’t know if I’m gonna have a great answer to this.  It may be that the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is how much I love it. Where it was…the intention was to serve a need, find a hole and fill it. Maybe the surprise and the lesson learned is that it’s not just the utility of it. There’s a lot of…far more than fondness, there’s a great affection. There’s a great affection for this store, not just me, but from the people I work with every day. Susie: What keeps me going during difficult times is that I’m pretty passionate about this business and the way…and the place it holds in the city. It has a rather unique position in the city. I love San Francisco. And those few people in San Francisco who know of us and need us, love us back. It’s a very lovely give and take. Dave: The reciprocal relationship that Susie feels between her store and its customers is the foundation that’s held ARCH up over the years. Susie, her customers, and her staff all know that they could find more cost-effective and time-efficient solutions online. But they’d never want to. Because for them, efficiency can’t beat experience. The moments of connection, what Susie calls “the eyeball to eyeball,” are the reasons her business continues to be a valuable space. I’ll leave you with Susie’s best advice for others starting a business of their own. Susie: Well, I’d give advice but it won’t be taken, and that is, don’t do it for the money. Now, most people starting out in business do do it for the money, so they wouldn’t like that advice. But I think if it…to the extent that solutions are sought that will increase profits, solely increase profit for the purpose of profit, will not lead to a result that is likely to give personal, deep personal fulfillment. We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself and Miranda Paquet with editing by TwentyFourSound. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post ARCH Art & Drafting Supply — Small Biz Stories, Episode 12 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

When Libby and Brad Birky decided to start Colorado’s first pay-what-you-can restaurant, So All May Eat (or SAME) Café —  no one thought their idea would work. Now, after ten successful years in business, Libby and Brad share their story on the today’s episode of Small Biz Stories. Listen as they share how they transformed a unique idea into a thriving business. Find us on Stitcher Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. You can also read the transcript below: Libby: I would say most people were really polite… Brad: Yes. Libby: …and listened and cheerleaded us. And I’m certain that as soon as we walked away, they were like, “Those morons.” Brad: Yeah. To our faces it was, “Oh, good for you guys! That’s great!” As soon as we turned around, “That’ll never work.” Libby: We’ve at least had one person admit to it. Brad: Yeah. Libby: Yeah. Who, you know, probably three or four years ago came back and said, “When you told me you were gonna do this, I thought you were nuts and that would never work. And here you are.’ I’m like, yeah, see. Dave: Ten years later. Libby: Yes, yes. Brad: Ten years later. Dave: That’s Libby and Brad Birky, co-founders of So All May Eat (or SAME) Café. Colorado’s first pay-what-you-can restaurant. Today, they’ll share what it takes to run a successful nonprofit restaurant. From their early sacrifices to the life-changing moments that make it all worth it, you’ll learn how they transformed a unique idea into a thriving business. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: SAME Café sits on Colfax Avenue — the longest commercial street in the United States. Walk along this 26-mile street and you’ll come across a variety of mom and pop shops, including independent bookstores, record stores, iconic bars, and famous bakeries. But SAME café still manages to stand out. The café’s cornfield yellow walls, freshly cut wildflowers, and window tower garden take you out of the hustle of the city and into a place of comfort. Listen as Brad describes how he and Libby were first inspired to start their business. Brad: Let’s see. So Libby and I, we’re college sweethearts. We started dating when we were both in college in different states, did the whole long distance relationship thing, but we grew up within 20 minutes of each other. Our parents actually kind of knew each other. They were in similar fields. Our dads were both in road construction. Moms were both school-related workers. And so we just kind of fell into each other and started dating. And as soon as we graduated from college, it was like five minutes later I think we got married. And we started looking for a place to volunteer, to give, build community. We wanted to be part of this. This is kind of how we were raised. We were both raised in somewhat religious households. So Libby was raised as a Catholic. I was raised in the Mennonite Church. And so we were taught to do stuff for and with other people. So we started volunteering at soup kitchens and shelters and cooking and just got hooked and wanted to figure out how to make that volunteer lifestyle and serving others into a more permanent full-time job or life. And that’s how the SAME Café kind of came around. Dave: After moving to Denver from Central Illinois, Libby started teaching at a specialty school and Brad contracted as a computer consultant. Still, neither one of them could shake the idea of creating their own space. Somewhere they could make a meaningful difference. Brad: And one day we were flying back from a trip to Austin, Texas, and on the flight back, we were just like where we both had…we’re done. We’re ready to figure out what’s gonna be next. So we took out the inflight magazine and started writing down ideas. And like, “Well, what if we started a restaurant? But it can’t be a regular restaurant. Restaurant workers, you know, the hours are terrible. You never see each other. But what if we started a restaurant that didn’t have any prices and we could feed people who really need it and make a difference, not just, you know, make a dollar?” So it was a great brainstorming session and we landed all inspired and we started to figure out if it was legal to make a nonprofit restaurant in Colorado. It turns out it is. They don’t recommend it necessarily, but it’s legal. You can do it. Dave: After landing on an idea, they were both excited about, Libby and Brad had to figure out how to make their dream a reality. Listen as they describe some of their earliest challenges. Libby: We tried to do our homework. We tried to be as prepared as possible. I say we had no business starting a business. But because I was a teacher, I spent all my summers researching all kinds of business plans and opening a restaurant in Denver and all the crazy things. So we did as much research as we possibly could ahead of time. So that we went into it with, you know, as much knowledge as we could gather. I wouldn’t say we knew everything because we learned lots, but at least we had some kind of system and thought process to it. It was enough to convince our parents that we had thought it through. Brad: So that when we took all the money out of our retirement accounts to start the café with that, they didn’t totally freak out. Dave: Yeah. Were you guys doing both or were you working still and doing this? Brad: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I kept working all the way until we’ve been open…the restaurant had been open for a year and a half. I was still doing at least part-time IT consulting on the side and Libby kept teaching up until… Libby: Year three. Brad: Year three, yeah. So we were trying to keep that safety net there and pay back the loan, do our retirement accounts and… Libby: And health insurance. Brad: …keep health insurance and, yeah, make our mortgage payment, all that stuff. Because we didn’t take a salary from the café up until the other job… We would quit the other job, that’s when we started getting paid here. So that’s 18 months for me, 36 months for Libby. So a lot of free volunteer work. Dave: In addition to some financial maneuvering, one of the most difficult parts of getting started was selling the city on an idea that had never been done before. As a nonprofit restaurant, a lot of legal requirements weren’t written for Libby and Brad’s type of business. Brad: I’d say for me the hardest part was trying to paint a picture to the city and county government of what we were trying to do. And figure out what requirements we had to follow because we weren’t a nonprofit. We weren’t a regular restaurant or full-service restaurant. We were kind of this hybrid of in between. And they really want you to be one or the other. And if you’re a restaurant, then they want you to have a $250,000 build-out plan of all these systems and extra things that we’re gonna be way beyond the scope of the foods that we were gonna be serving. So we are trying to navigate through all of that without having ever been through that process before. I don’t know how people start restaurants that have never done it before on a shoestring budget. Because it takes so long and there’s so many different red tape areas that you have to navigate through. Until we finally had somebody take us under their wing and say, “Look, I’m gonna take you from department to department and explain it for you in terms that they will understand.” If it wouldn’t have been for that, I don’t know if we would have been able to even open by October, which means we would have run out of money. Because we were down to our last couple hundred bucks by the time we finally opened the doors. Libby: Yeah. I would agree 100%. Even with all of the systems that the city and county put in place, it was still hard. Like they had, you know, some kind of step-by-step flyer that you could pick out for opening a restaurant which still was like reading a foreign language to us. I still didn’t understand what it meant. One of our last things was something about the ventilation in the space. There wasn’t enough ventilation. And the first guy was like, “You need to put in a $250,000 hood system, all these things.” And Brad and I were like, “Ahh.” There’s no way possible. And the next guy we got said, “Just tell him you will open the front door and install a fan in the back.” Like, “Seriously? Okay, yes. That’s what we’re gonna do.” But then it was like you just had to make sure you got the right person or you… Brad: Yeah. A $250 fan as opposed to a $250,000 exhaust… Libby: Fifty-thousand-dollar hood. Yeah. Brad: …all because there’s some 50-year-old law in the books about Legionnaire’s disease that used to run rampant through old buildings. Because they didn’t have enough recycled air or they were only on recycled air… Libby: Only recycled air. Brad: They didn’t have enough fresh air. Like we have windows and doors, we’ll open them. Libby: Yes. But it was so… It was just that whole process was really challenging. Dave: After a couple challenging years early on, Brad and Libby decided they would need to make a change if they were going to keep their business going. Here’s Libby describing how she and Brad decided to drop their other commitments and focus on the café. Libby: Well we were working, you know, 10, 12, 15-hour days. Brad would…We’d wake up in the morning and come here. And I’d come here before I went to school and then I’d leave here after making pizza dough or prepping cookies or washing lettuce, whatever it was. And then I’d run over to school and I’d teach all day long. And Brad would be here with all the customers all day long. And then at 3:00, when my kids left the classroom, I’d grade as many papers as I could and then fly over here. And we were closed so I would do all the cleanup. Brad would leave every dish in the dish bin. I would do all the dishes. I would make cookies for the next day. I’d put away anything that he didn’t put away because he’d already left to go to his other job. Dave: Right, yeah. Libby: So it was like two ships passing in the night. I’d go pick him up at like 9:00, 9:30 from his other job after we’d finished everything here. And we’d be like, “Ha, yeah, let’s do this again tomorrow.” And then, crazy on Friday and Saturdays… So Fridays we were open in the evening. We were serving dinner Friday and Saturday night. We did that for about six months, maybe a year. And then we were like, “Oh, that’s a lot of work. We can’t do that anymore.” And we really weren’t serving that many customers. It wasn’t really worth it to be open in the evenings. And at that point in time, this neighborhood has changed quite a bit since we opened. But at that point in time, Colfax wasn’t a destination for people. It wasn’t a nighttime place you wanted to hang out. So we had very few people who needed us or even wanted to support us. It was mostly like the guys who lived in the alley who would come and just, you know, kind of hang out on hours on end. And it was a good space for them to be in, but there was also this like balance. Like we weren’t getting the customers that we were really targeting. So we decided dinner was out. And that’s probably when we realized…We started to like cut back on some things. You know, burning the candle at both ends only lasts for so long. So we both started to, you know, talk about making really hard decisions when we finally hired Brad and he stopped working two jobs. I mean he took like a $60,000 pay cut. I mean, it was just something we had to do. We either said, “We’re doing this or we’re doing that.” Like it was that kind of teeter-totter point where we said, “Either we’re gonna really jump in and do this” or “We’re gonna back off and go back to our old lives.” And we couldn’t see that happening at all so. Brad: No, yeah. Libby: We just took the pay cut and kept marching forward. Brad: We’d already been too sucked in by the concept. And I mean it’s a lot of work but it’s also a lot of fun. We have a different crew of people that we work with every day both behind the counter and the folks that come in to volunteer for meals that work in the dining room. And then just the customer base is always changing, new faces intermixed with the regulars. So you get to hear about, you know, how Jack’s day was and we find out who’s got a job, who’s got a housing now, what things have changed. And it’s a pretty awesome, little group of people that we get to kind of hang out with for lunch, six days a week. We really get to kind of step outside of our own heads and be involved with this larger group. And it’s totally rewarding and a lot of fun most days. Dave: Talking to Libby and Brad, you start to hear the passion they have for the people they help. It’s these people that bring their mission to life and make the $60,000 paycuts and 15-hour workdays worth it. Libby: So we have a pretty diverse group of people who dine here. I like to say it’s the most diverse place you can dine in Denver. It looks different every day, but, you know, we serve people who are able to pay $20 for their lunch and we serve people who are able to pay $2 for their lunch and everybody in between. So a lot of times, folks ask us or say to us, you know, “The dining room, it doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot of homeless people in there. What are you actually doing?” Like, “Well, if you really knew the stories of these people…” I think that’s what is really interesting about what we do, is that the face of need and poverty in Denver is really diverse. And I don’t think it’s necessarily what people picture when they think of people in need of food access. A lot of times, people picture that kind of scruffy, homeless guy on corner who’s flying a sign that says, “Will work for food” and is pushing a shopping cart full of his belongings. Not to say we don’t have customers who fit that description, but that’s not the majority of people we serve. Because we ask people to participate and we ask people to build community with us, we have people here who want to be here. It’s kind of a self-selecting process. For folks who are chronically homeless or are dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, we will certainly help them but they have to want help. So there’s that piece of for most of the population of people who are chronically homeless, these are a lot of hoops to jump through. Like knowing the fact that I would ask you your name, the fact that I want you to help. The fact that I want you to be clean and sober, and the fact that I’m not gonna let you just curse your way through your lunch. This is a restaurant and we expect people to behave like they’re in a restaurant. And so that part of the kind of hoops, I guess, some people just don’t wanna jump through those. There are a lot of services in this neighborhood that don’t require anything. That will give you free lunch without any strings attached. And you can be intoxicated, you can be high on meth and they have no issue with that. We’re a different kind of place. We want people to come in and dine with dignity. And that means that we’re gonna ask people to rise to the occasion. And so we have a lot of single moms, we have a lot of elderly folks on fixed income. We have a lot of young artists, musicians. People who would really like to shop at Whole Foods but their pocketbook doesn’t allow them to. People who understand the value of putting good food into their bodies but can’t always make that happen. And so for those people, having a safe place to eat that is clean and bright and friendly and we know your name and we care about you and we build community with you. That’s something that we have found is a really unique… It’s a huge need more so than just the healthy food access. People need that community and they need that safe space. They need that… You know, it’s like if you go to Starbucks and you get excited because your barista remembers your name or remembers your coffee order. And you just think, “Hey, I belong here.” Like there’s that piece of you, whether you say it to yourself or not, you’re like, “Yup, I fit in here.” There’s no question. And having that place for someone who has very few places, other places besides home or work, and sometimes don’t have home or work. To have that kind of this little piece of dignity, I think is really important. Dave: Libby told me that when she and Brad first started SAME Café, they thought if they truly helped one person, they would feel like they’d made a real difference. Now serving hundreds of meals each month, they have countless stories of people they’ve met and served. Listen as Brad tells the story of meeting Kid, one of the café’s first customers. Brad: The first real difference that we know of. So we opened in October of 2006 and then Denver, this area was just hit with snowstorm after snowstorm after snowstorm. And so it was pretty quiet around Colfax. We didn’t have a lot of customers coming in. But one of the people that was coming in here was a guy named Kid who would come in and he would shovel the walk out front in exchange for a meal. And, you know, when he first walked in, we were both a little intimidated. He was a big, burly beard you know or a bushy beard and three or four coats, and just a pretty, imposing-looking guy. And then he came up to the counter and ordered salad. And yeah, he’d eat soup and pizza, too, if he wasn’t full. But really the salad was most exciting because he wasn’t able to get that anywhere else. He slept in the park because he didn’t wanna go to the shelters and be around all that addiction and crime and all the fighting and everything. So he preferred to be in the park a couple blocks from here. So whenever it snowed, he was right out front shoveling away. Libby: Sometimes he was here before we were. Brad: Yeah. Everything would be cleared by the time we showed up in exchange for, you know, a fresh salad and a slice of pizza. Libby: And coffee. Brad: And coffee, well, of course, yeah. You need the hot coffee to warm you up. And that went on for months, the whole winter of 2006, early 2007. So we got to talking to him because he was here and there weren’t a lot of other customers around. And we found out that he’d been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. He was in Denver. Because he’d been bussed here, didn’t have anywhere else to go. Had no options for work because there wasn’t anybody hiring at that time. So he was just doing the shoveling snow and was trying to save up money so that he could get back down to Katrina because he wanted to do hurricane cleanup. He had been a maintenance man in a church down there until the flood had been there. That’s where he lived and where he worked. And so he really wanted to get back down there and try to help clean things up. So he was saving his money. Every time, you know, somebody gave him five bucks for shoveling their driveway, he’d put it in his pocket and save it up. And we kept asking him, you know, “How are things going? Are you getting any closer?” And, “Well, yeah, but I had to buy new boots because my older ones fell apart.” And then somebody robbed him in the park, beat him up, and taken his cash roll and so he had to start over. And, you know, so we heard these and we feel these things as he’s going through it. And then one day I’m at the front counter and this little guy walks in. And he’s got a trucker hat on and he’s pretty clean shaven and fresh clothes. And he slides his bus ticket across the counter. You know, it was Kid. And he was all clean shaven. He’d showered and he was fresh and ready to go. He had his bus ticket and he was so proud that he had had this and that he’d reached this goal. And he just had to come and show us before he left town. So I begged him, “Don’t leave yet. Libby’s not working today and she really wants to say goodbye.” So he came back on Saturday when she was off and so she got to hug him and say goodbye. Her parents were actually in town that weekend so they got to see him. And we took pictures together and it was, you know, just an amazing, feel-good day. I mean and that… I think that solidified it for us. Like this is really what we were put on this earth to do. You know, the universe drove us down this path and dropped us here in this spot on Colfax for a reason. And if nothing else, you know, this was the guy. This was the one that we said, we’d start going and made a difference and we were good. Libby: And that he’s like… That’s one story. I mean, there are… that was our first one that was like, “Oh, wow, that was amazing and awesome and that is just overwhelmingly powerful.” And since then we’ve had hundreds of those stories and that’s kind of that numbers piece where like I could give you numbers all day long. But Kid is the reason why we do this and the reason why we know it works and why we keep doing it. Because you never know who is walking through the door is gonna be the next Kid. Like just even yesterday, I had this guy come in and he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. And clearly it had been folded, you know, hundreds of times. It was totally dirty and worn and the creases were crumbling. And he laid it out on the corner and he said, “Am I in the right place?” And I said, “Well, I don’t know. What are you looking for?” And he reads off of this resource list that we’re on that it says SAME Café. And then over here it says, “Not free meals but you can exchange work in the kitchen for food.” And I said, “Oh yeah, yeah, you’re in the right place.” He said, “How does it work?” And so I explained it to him and he said, “Well, I think I could do that. I think I could do 30 minutes.” And so I said, “Well, what would you like for lunch?” And he was like, “Wait, I get to eat first?” “Sure, if you’re hungry. Like that’s what brought you here, right? Like let’s get you something to eat.” So he ate and he came back and I put him on the dish station with another guy. And we had been really busy and so we were way backed up. Like every bus tub was full and they just cranked out the dishes for a half an hour. He was really quiet back there, just working, working, working. And, you know, his 30 minutes is up and I said, “Daniel, you’re all done. Thanks for coming and helping.” And he said, “Can I shake your hand?” I was like, “Sure, you can.” So I shook his hand and he was like, “I really didn’t know what to expect. The food was really good and you actually treated me like a human being. Thanks.” And he clearly was a homeless guy. Like smelled like he hadn’t showered in days and… But we still gave him an opportunity to have some personal dignity and he was just so grateful. And, you know, he’s walking out and he’s like, “I think I’ll come back here.” I was like, “Great, that’s amazing.” And those… I mean like just having that human interaction, I think what I learn over and over here is that people are people, no matter their struggles in life. I mean even the scary, homeless guy who I was totally intimidated by Kid when he walked in, is a human being who just needs a connection. And I think that part for us is really what drives us to keep going is that we need the connection as much as they do. Dave: Increasing the café’s impact means Libby and Brad continually need to find ways to reach and expand their audience. While neither Libby nor Brad would call themselves marketers, they have found ways to reach their supporters, volunteers, and donors effectively. Brad: Early on, you know, we didn’t have a marketing budget, and so we pretty much relied on word of mouth. And word of mouth included the neighborhood newspaper that picked up a story and just said, “Hey, this place is open on East Colfax.” And that started bringing a few people around and then that article led to one of the, in the… you know, “The Denver Post” newspaper and so that brought a few more people in. Libby: Then we have the “LA Times” and then the news kind of went national. We had lots of news coverage that was really great. And we had people starting to like, “Hey, how do I connect with you? I wanna to know about this. Tell me about this.” So we started writing newsletters and blogs. I’m pretty sure my mom and dad were the only people who read the first couple ones. Maybe your mom and dad did too. Brad: Yeah. Libby: And then people were like, “Hey, I wanna know more about this.” So, you know, we do all the social media things. We have our newsletter that we send out once a month. We try really hard to… Brad: We go around and, you know, we’re at events three or four nights a week where there’s things going around town that are dealing with food. If people are talking about food or dignity or access to health… Libby: Yeah, we’re there. Brad: We’re there and we’re talking about the café. And we go to different organizations, you know, up and down Colfax. If they have a presentation time, we’ll go in and just explain what the café is and how it can be a resource for the folks that are there. And then we also…Libby’s gone and talked to the different colleges around Denver and so we’ll recruit college students who need volunteer hours. They can come down here and work 5 or 10 hours and fulfill their requirements and also learn a little bit about non-standard business models. Libby: I think a lot of owning or being, you know, kind of the founders of this is it’s a full-time job all the time. Like even when we’re not working, you’re working. I think anybody who owns their own business knows that it’s all the time. And so, you know, like even in our car, I have flyers and informational folders and all kinds of things. Because you never know who you’re gonna meet and talk to about what you do so I always… you know, business cards and all those things. But I really feel like the more we share… We don’t spend any money on marketing really. I mean, we try really hard to make sure that the word gets out authentically and it has worked for us. I mean that’s been the best way of getting people in here. Because it is a unique business model and I think you have to see it in order to believe it really. Dave: Since 2008, Libby and Brad have used email marketing as a way to keep in touch with their audience, at least once a month. Brad: We get feedback every month that people are actually reading the newsletter. They read about the events that we have coming up and they wanna know how they can sign up for the golf outing or the seasonal meals. And it was a great way to let people know about board openings and everything else that we have to communicate. That Facebook doesn’t actually let you tell people even though you put it out there. You know you have 6000 followers on Facebook and 63 people saw that you posted about this event. And so it’s not so effective. Dave: How often do you guys send a newsletter out? Libby: We try to do it… I send it usually at the end of the month. I don’t like to inundate people with lots of stuff. And I tell them that when they sign up. I’m like, “You’re gonna get one from us a month.” If there’s something big happening, you might get two, but that’s never… it’s only gonna happen like well once a year that you’ll get two emails from us. I feel like having some really authentic pathways to communicate with people are important, but also not overwhelming them with crap. We don’t sell our list, we don’t share it with anyone. It’s just us. And so you’re just gonna hear, hopefully what you wanna hear if you sign up for it. It’s at least information you cared about at one point. So that piece I think is really important to not overwhelm people with. We have the results to show that it works for us. So I feel like that, to me, is the most efficient way of getting information to our diverse clientele. Because we have the people who support us but also the people who need us. And so there’s this like… we have a very mixed audience. So having one avenue that I can reach all of them, I think is really important. And knowing that people actually click on it and read it and seeing the statistics makes it totally worth it. I mean, there’s no other way to do that, I think. There’s no other efficient, cost-effective way to do that. Brad: Yeah. I mean, it’s not the direct mail, which we… Libby: Despise. Brad: Yeah. You’re not buying or dispersing mail out to everybody in the zip codes. Libby: We’re not wasting paper number one. Brad: So that they can throw it away and you’re killing trees and email’s free. You don’t have to have a Post Office box to be able to get an email. And so all of our clientele can get the newsletter no matter what. And it’s so much more effective than even placing an ad in the local paper because people who are getting our newsletter care about… You know, they asked to get the newsletter. So we know we’ve got a built-in group there, of people who give a crap about what we’re talking about. And if they don’t, they can unsubscribe. So it makes the most sense and it’s really the only thing that makes sense for us. Because we have to get that… Libby: It is our target market. Brad: We have to get that information out somehow, and it’s the only way that has worked for us. Dave: Looking back on SAME Café’s decade-long journey, I’m struck by the number of times so many people would have given up and abandoned their dream. But through Brad and Libby’s dedication, SAME Café has become a mainstay in the community and an inspiration for other owners looking to fulfill a similar dream. Their belief in their mission, themselves, and in others, allows them to make an impact greater than they could have ever imagined. I’ll leave you with Libby and Brad’s thoughts on what keeps a business running and where they see SAME Café in another 5 years. Dave: What’s the thing that keeps you going and keeps SAME successful would you think? Libby: A lot of hard work. I mean, I think owning your own business is hard. There isn’t…starting your own nonprofit, whatever category you wanna put us in. This type of work is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And you have to be really committed to and passionate about the cause because there are days when you don’t wanna do it. There are days when it isn’t very fun and there are days when, you know, things stop working and you have to be a plumber and an electrician and an accountant and kitchen worker. And those days are trying but I think that piece of it makes it work that you’re willing to… Brad: Yeah, just I mean constant attention. Staying on top of it and just like growing, you know, tending a garden at home or a successful marriage, it always takes constant attention and working on it. And making sure the little things are done and definitely making sure the big things are getting done. You can’t just sit back and lay and just expect it to take care of itself. Dave: Where do you guys see SAME five years from now? Libby: This is a tough one because Denver is really in transition right now. There’s a lot of change happening. Lots of people moving here, like 10,000 people a month move to Denver. So it’s really different than it was even a year ago or two years ago. So it’s very hard to predict. If there is a need in this community, I hope SAME Café is here five years from now. That would be amazing if it was… you know, if we were still here making awesome soup, salad, and pizza. But I’m also really cognizant of the fact that Denver’s a different place than it was a while ago. So we wanna be flexible. We wanna be open and making sure that we’re listening to what our customer base really needs and where our customer base is. Because it might not be here anymore. I mean, five years from now, this neighborhood could look really even more different than it does right now. So we wanna be open to that. We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself and Miranda Paquet with editing by TwentyFourSound. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post SAME Café — Small Biz Stories, Episode 11 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

Traci Brown is a body language and persuasion expert whose winning mindset propels her business to success. Today, on episode 10 of the Small Biz Stories podcast, Traci shares her best stories — like the time she got a product deal with Kevin Harrington, a Shark from ABC’s hit show Shark Tank — as well as her biggest setbacks. You’ll hear her unexpected journey from champion athlete to body language expert and her best advice for other business owners. Find us on Stitcher Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Traci: Here’s the thing: If you’re waiting for someone to give you some kind of approval, you’re way behind the curve. And I can’t always say that I’ve been the most successful person that there is, but I can say that I’ve learned a few things about how to not quit. Dave: That’s Traci Brown, body language expert, keynote speaker, and former champion athlete who knows: if you don’t play, you can’t win. Welcome back to Small Biz Stories! This season, we’re back with businesses — from a pay-what-you-can restaurant to a capital raising consulting firm — to find out how they turned their dreams into reality. Today, Traci shares how her unlikely path led her to a product deal with Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington. And how a winning mindset can propel you to victory, even in the face of setbacks. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Have you ever met someone unstoppable? Someone with so much drive and energy, the room can hardly contain it. Sitting in Traci’s home in Boulder, Colorado, her energy and confidence is tangible — which explains how she can command a keynote stage and work a packed room. Listen as she shares her unexpected journey from winning athlete to body language and persuasion expert. Traci: it’s funny how one really…life kind of unfolds if you just follow it. And I raced bikes for, gosh, 12, 14 years and I got pretty good at it. I won three national championships in college and I rode for team USA. And through that time I knew one thing about myself is that I was the wrong size to be a cyclist. I was too tall, strength to weight ratio wasn’t there for me. But I knew that I could outsmart my competition if I watched them really closely and started to anticipate what they were going to do. That gave me the information that I needed to raise my game and beat them on certain days. And a few days when it counted, it was nice. But through that, I started telling her, “Wait a minute. Okay, so the same things that I’m looking for in bike racing to get ahead, what if I applied that to business?” And the tells are different but I was able to start to…I wanted that same level of knowledge as to who was across from me and what were they likely thinking and what were they about to do next. Dave: Traci, obsessed with understanding how to persuade and influence people, became certified in neurolinguistic programming, which is the practice of understanding how people organize their thinking, feeling, language, and behavior to produce the results they do. The practice teaches body language, persuasion, and how to create deep unconscious rapport. Traci started to find that she had a strong grasp on using these tools outside of the clinical setting. Traci: And so there was a time right about 2008 that I decided okay, it’s time to speak, right? I really want to be a keynote speaker, a professional speaker. And the problem is right about then the recession hit and everybody canceled their conferences. Which is not…that’s what you need to be a speaker is a conference to go in and speak at or a meeting. And I was…I thought I’d be the retired athlete who spoke to corporate America and pumped them up. Well, it was hard to sell. It wasn’t an easy sell. It’s not always done very well and I think it’s a little bit overdone. And so I was having a hard time booking and the few bookings that I did have canceled. In the first week of January 2009, everything canceled. And I said “Okay. I need to get in front of as many people as I can get in front of. I don’t care if they pay me.” It was just a little deal I made with myself. And right about then my phone rang and it was a client of mine and he said, “Hey, I know you know this body language stuff.” And I said…and this is a quote. I said, “Who cares?” And he said, “No, people care now.” I’m like, “Keep talking.” And he said “Look, I’m the new executive director of the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association. Money for focus groups to try out arguments on juries has just dried up. Lawyers need to pick and persuade a jury on the fly. I know you know how to do that. Put together a program and come in. I’ll see you in three weeks.” And I went,” Well, nothing else is on my schedule. I might as well go.” And it went so well that I said, “Huh, maybe I have something here.” And so whenever I’d be talking to someone about maybe speaking to their group, I’d say “Well, I have this great insight, the championship mind program. It is phenomenal. You’ll be able to do anything when you’re done or…I have this body language program.” And everyone went: ‘Body language?’ And I said, “Yeah, I’ll teach you how to persuade and influence using your own body language.” And it got to the point I couldn’t talk anyone out of it. And I just ran with it because it was really a lesson in listening to what the market wants from you. And I still continue to do that and to make little shifts in what I do to better reach the audience, to niche a little tighter and make the bigger feat. Dave: Shifting her focus to body language meant that Traci had a whole new industry to understand. Her first step was to learn how she could get in front of the right people and build her audience.   Traci: You know, it was a slow progression over time because I still didn’t know what the market would bear. I still didn’t know much about the speaking industry because there’s a whole…I mean, there’s a whole industry and it’s called the meetings industry. And you…and it’s not something that’s in your face. But if you start to look you go, “Wait a minute. There are conferences every day all over the place.” And so I had to figure out who was going to want me. And over time, I just started to figure out, “Okay, sales people are going to like this and maybe customer service.” Now, the sales people have bitten harder than the customer service people, right? And that’s something that I learned. And I’ve worked a lot with the wedding industry because weddings are very high touch. It’s probably the highest level of emotion a sale is going to happen with. And even when you start to niche within that people say “Oh, the rich is where the niche is.” And it’s true, right? But I think you have to naturally find that niche. You can’t just decide it for yourself. At least for me that’s not how it’s been. And so what has happened is I started out working with…well, pretty much anyone in the wedding industry. So who’s in the wedding industry? You’ve got a lot of venues, cake makers, flower people. But then you’ve got the bridal salons, right? And the high-end bridal salons have started to hire me, to bring me in so that not only am I teaching them how to deeply connect with the bride. But here’s the thing. Nobody ever buys a wedding dress alone. Never. And so I teach them how to read the whole group, bring the group together into one to make one decision. Dave: That’s really interesting, yeah, yeah. Traci: Yeah, and you can do that all through body language. And obviously, you’ve got to open your mouth at some point. So I have a whole unit on words and persuasive language. And again, it goes with profiling people. So wedding industry. I’ve worked with car sales people, I’ve worked with auto body paint refinish people. The apartment industry, I work a lot in the apartment industry. And a new niche that I’m going into which I think is going to be really big is for my lie detection segment because I do teach how to read body language and there’s a certain body language that goes with lying is banking and finance type folks and detecting fraud. And that can be a pretty expensive problem. Dave: Sure, yeah. Traci: And so that’s a new thing, but it seems to be going pretty well. So those are some of the niches I work in. I never know what’s going to happen tomorrow and I just roll with it and see where it leads me. Dave: As Traci’s business picked up steam, she increased her reach to land larger clients and opportunities. But, there’s one opportunity that stands above the rest. Listen as Traci describes the play-by-play that lead to a product deal with Kevin Harrington, an original Shark from ABC’s hit show: Shark Tank.    Traci: So I got selected to pitch to the sharks. They brought the sharks to the National Speakers Association Conference. So I did not get on TV. There were four of us that got selected and we were on the main stage. So I pitched… Dave: How did you get selected? Traci: Oh, I sent in a little video and literally…it’s just chance, right? Because for one, I’m an addict of the show. Total addict. I’ve been…I’ve tried out for the real show. They took my stuff back to Hollywood. I didn’t make it. And I saw a little note that came out, “Hey, you have till midnight to send in a video to apply to pitch to the sharks.” And I was like…and it was one of those days where I’m like, “Should I quit?” It literally was one of those days and I was like I’m not doing anything. I’ll make a video.” And so I did and I got selected and it’s funny. It’s one of those things. The guy who called me who was in charge of it…I know him. He’s a big deal guy. I thought he was calling me to get someone else’s phone number or something. I was like, “Why are you calling me?” And he’s like, “No, you’re on the shortlist and…” So anyway, I had three weeks to go from really nothing to a full pitch in front of 2000 people of my peers who are all professional speakers. And so… Dave: No pressure, right? Traci: Yeah, no pressure. No pressure. It would’ve been easier to be on TV because then I couldn’t have seen everybody. And so I…and it’s funny because when you’re operating at that level, just so far outside of your comfort zone, people start calling you to help you. People start calling and they’re attracted to that energy because they’re not willing to put it out themselves. And one of the people that called…well, I had several people call me but five, in particular, gave me some good advice. And that is that…here’s what you’ve got to. Write and practice and practice and practice. Practice more than you think you could ever need to practice, till you’re sick of it before you get up there. But she goes, “You’ve got to practice the right thing. So get…send out a note to the top people in our chapter, ask for an hour of their time. They’ll meet you at your house and…to tear you up. Just tear everything up.” And literally, the script that I had, they took it and they went…and ripped it right into…they’re like, “This will not work at all.” And we rewrote it. One of the people who volunteered to help was Carolyn Strauss. She used to have a show on Home Shopping Network herself for 18 years. Really great wordsmith and anyway, we came up with a killer pitch. Killer, killer, killer. And I went out on…I practiced, went out on stage, nailed it. And I’m the only one that got a deal and I got a deal with Kevin Harrington. He’s the…he was on season one of Shark Tank and he’s a guest shark sometimes I think. He’s the inventor of the infomercial. So he is the Ginsu knife guy, the food saver, the Tony Little’s Ab Isolator and also the Wax Vac, the earwax vac. You’ve seen those? Yeah. And I was like, “He’s the guy that I wanted.” And I used every tool that I have, every persuasion tool…like I profiled him and I got him on the hook before he swam away. Dave: So you also mentioned some tools that you used in terms of getting the shark that you wanted to get. Traci: Oh, yeah. Dave: What were some other things that you did? Traci: Oh, so I had to…I profiled him and…because that’s one of the things I teach is how to profile people, start to understand what they’re likely thinking and then what’s going to happen next. And so I knew he was a really visual guy which means…and I knew that by his picture because he was the one I knew the least about because there’s just not a lot of information on him out there. And so I said, “Okay, let’s look at his picture.” Well, for one, he’s got a flat top, he’s…always wears a big watch, he always looks really put together. And from what I could see on TV, he speaks quick, he thinks quick, he’s three steps ahead of whatever’s coming out of your mouth. So I knew I’d have one sentence to get him on the hook. And so this is what I said. I walked in on the stage and I said “Hi, sharks. I’ve got one question for you. What do Lance Armstrong, Chris Christie, and Vladimir Putin have in common? They have me in common. I’ve been asked to interpret their body language on NBC, CBS, and FOX to tell the world what they’re not saying. And I could do that for you too. And I think I will right now.” And then the audience went crazy. I had them where I wanted them. The sharks got nervous. I did a tiny little body language profile on all of them. But what had happened is the night before I had sat behind him in a…at a show that he didn’t know me but I knew it was him. And I watched his reactions. It was a comedy, singing, impersonation thing and this guy that was doing the show, he did all of them. Journey, the Beatles, even the Chipmunks, right? All of them. And I watched him and when he got to the Stevie Wonder part I could see…Kevin, he went really still. He’s a fidgety guy and he went really still. I’m like “Oh, this is what he does when he likes things. He gets really still.” And so in his interpretation that I did on stage I had him right there on the palm of my hand nervous, I said, “Kevin, I sat behind you last night at the show.” And I said, “I noticed you’re a really fidgety guy but when you see something you like, you get really still. So I know you liked the Stevie Wonder segment the best.” He did a big smile. The audience again had him and that was it. I could’ve said anything and I would’ve had him, right? Traci: Now I did not know what was in store after that. Now, I did not get the financial investment, but I don’t want to sell my company. It’s not really something that’s investible because really it’s more of a practice when you take it apart. But he said, “Here’s what I’ll do. I like your products,” because I had two books and a DVD kit. And he said, “I’m going to pitch these to Home Shopping, to Home Shopping channels. There’s three of them. When they do, I’ll fund your inventory. We’ll split the profits 50-50.” So I said, “Okay, that’s cool.” Well, Monday morning the phone rang. It was Kevin and he was like “Okay, I need you to redevelop your products.” And I mean, this is code. Redevelop is a code word. That means throw out what you have and start over. And so he said, “Develop three DVDs, two CDs, I’ll put your two books into one book and whatever else you want in the kit, take your time, do it right. Call me when you’re done.” No guidance except one thing. He said make it for the Home Shopping market, 70 percent women. Solve tiny problems. That’s it. And I was like, “Okay, that’s it? That’s it?” “Yeah.” Now, this was going to be a lot of time, a lot of money. Dave: Sure. Traci: And no guarantee of success. And so when you’re faced with something like that, the question is: Are you willing to do it or not? Are you going to jump and take the leap and gamble on yourself or is everything okay how it is, right? Because there’s a really small chance of success. But I was like, “You know what? I can’t let this go.” I believed in myself and what I can do for people. And so it took me six months and I developed this really cool kit. I mean, it looks fantastic and we took it to Home Shopping, and really, all the Home Shopping channels. And that’s a longer story…but they said no. They said no, all of them. And so I went back to Kevin and I said, “What else have you got? I know you know more people.” And he said, “Make me an infomercial.” And so I did and I didn’t know how to make an infomercial. He said, “Well, I’ll make you one for $20,000.” I’m like, “Please. That is an option.” And so I said, “Send me one that’s really worked for you.” And he sent me the Wax Vac infomercial. And I storyboarded it all out so I knew exactly the formula. Is it…well, you’ve got to have…and here’s the formula for…and this works for anybody in sales. You’ve got to have an authoritative male voiceover. You’ve got to show amazing transformation. And you’ve got to ask for the sale three times. Dave: Wow. Traci: That’s it, right? And so I scripted and produced an infomercial for…I think it cost me $2,000 instead of $20,000. And we tested it and it failed. So… Dave: But you had the three things! Traci: Yeah, I had the three things. Now, but here’s the thing, 98 percent of infomercials fail. Dave: Yeah. Traci: So I knew that there was a high chance of it. But I also knew if you don’t play, you can’t win. Dave: Right. Traci: And so I was like, “Let’s…this is going to land me somewhere.” And so it turns out you’ve got to look for where people want to buy from you, right? You’ve got to look for your marketing channel. And mine is at the back of the room when I speak. A two-minute infomercial isn’t really going to do it, right? I have a whole keynote about this experience with the shark and everything I’ve learned because there’s…I mean, literally, I could talk for two or three hours on everything I learned from it. And I may make most of my money from the project, from this keynote because it’s everything to do, everything not do and, “Hey, this is how I found success.” And it turns out…it’s funny because it turns out success was right where I was. And I may not ever sell millions of them, but I’ll tell you what. I’ve sold piles and piles of them. And I started to figure out, “Okay, so I have this one product. It’s got 40 little videos and some books and eBooks and…” I even teach people how to talk their way out of traffic tickets and things like that. And it’s…what I’ve started to do is presell that one. I go into conferences and I put it on a membership website so I don’t have to lug around all the DVDs and books and things like that. And so it’s cool. It’s coming together. It’s not as big as I want it but I really…the whole experience over the last two years made me raise my game. It forced me into it and that’s what’s put me in that zone where I can charge for the big dollar keynotes, whether it’s about the shark experience or not, because it forced me there. And so if nothing else, it’s been a huge success just because of that. And so I think with anything you go into, you never know how success is going to come. But you’ve got to be committed to making it a success and then more success will roll in from that. Dave:  Listening to Traci’s Shark Tank story, I’m reminded that success is a daily mindset, not an end point. Where many see setback, Traci reframes into opportunity. Her commitment to her craft means Traci is constantly improving to get better results. Traci: This business is about networking. And it’s about hustle. So it’s about who do you know, who are you willing to get to know. And so…but here’s the thing. We’re going to get to that in a minute. The best marketing is when I’m on stage and someone goes, “That was great.” And if I don’t have two or three people coming up to me saying, “Oh, hey. Do you speak…could you speak to this group? Could you speak to…” Yeah, I can probably speak to that group, right? Then I know…if that’s not happening, I need to get…something went wrong. I need to tune up my speech somehow, right? So that’s number one. Number two is just outreach. I do a lot of outreach and I will research associations in an industry. Right now, like I said, I’m really targeting banking and finance and things like that. Great. Do you want to decrease fraud in your financial institution? Well, yeah. Probably they do, right? So I’m the answer. So working on that and again…but I’ve got to send out marketing materials, right? So I’ve got to make sure not only does my website look great, not only does my video or my videos look great but then what about my one-page write-up? If I send them a PDF, does it look awesome? Does it look amazing? Well, yeah. And I just upgraded. I spend the money and upgraded those again this year and things like that. Dave: So what do you do to stay connected with these people that you meet? Traci: Well, I use Constant Contact. Have you heard of it?  Dave: I have heard of it, actually. Traci: No, I do. Every 1st of the month I write a little story and…about something persuasion, body language related, something that I learned and then I relate it back to the client. And it’s just a story with learning and I put some quotes in there on the side. I mean, people can go to my website. If you want, you can go to bodylanguagetrainer.com and sign up and see what I’m doing with my newsletters. But a note on that. You’ve got to bait people into wanting your newsletter. So I’ll send you a free report on how to detect lies using body language because everybody wants to know that. And so I will…let’s see. I’ll…yeah. Quotes, story, a little…making it relevant. And then sometimes at the bottom, I’ll either put a free video that I have or I’ll sell a book…if I have a new product or if I have a friend with a new book coming out, I’ll put that down in there. So I make a little money from time to time. And it’s proved super valuable to have that list because with the shark project, the thing I didn’t tell you, is that he…when we got the first no from one of the shopping channels he said, “Okay, look. Make your book a bestseller on Amazon and before we go to any more shopping channels because we don’t want to get the same answer from them.” Well, guess what? I had this list and I had people that loved me on the list and so I just told them, “Help me out. I need this to be a bestseller on Amazon.” And I got I think 40 friends that I knew who wanted to help me wrote a killer little reason why people needed to buy this book. I sold so many books that I almost couldn’t handle it all. And it was just me in my office trying to scribble out addresses on the…and send out all these books. Several hundred sales but that’s through cultivating that list. I mean, you never know when you’re going to need it, right? And you never know who’s forwarding it to who. Email marketing is the cheapest thing you can do if you do it right and you make it compelling. If you don’t, it’s totally a waste, right? And if you don’t do it, it’s totally a waste. So the key is to do it and be consistent and deliver stuff that people are looking forward to, right? And that’s what I do. Dave: So consistency is one of the things that we talk about a lot. Tell us a little bit about, in your mind, why that is so important. Traci: Well, because people need to know you haven’t gone away. There’s a lot of noise. There’s a lot of noise and you want to stay in touch with those people and continue to add value to maybe a talk that they heard two years ago, right, two or three years ago. But also, I want to hear back from them because I’ve heard that from people and they’ll say, “You know what? You told that story three years ago at this talk.” I’m like, “I don’t even tell that story anymore. Maybe I should get it back out because I’m just hearing about it now that it popped in your mind and it affected you.” So the thing is, it’s easy to go in and speak and leave. It’s another thing to actually have a commitment to creating lasting change with people and that’s my commitment to myself. And the email marketing is the easiest way to do that. Dave: I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I find Traci’s commitment and drive to be an enviable trait. I asked Traci about the biggest motivators and learnings that inspire her to keep going. Traci: The thing that keeps me going is…well, you’ve got to have fun, you’ve got to make money and you’ve got to love what you do. Those are my values. And so when one of those fades away, then it’s harder to keep going. So I’ve got to tune in with myself and go, “Okay, which one of these do I need to start to shift? Right? Am I working in the industry that’s maybe not my favorite but is paying the bills? Do I need to do this right now?” And so I’m always looking at that and going what balance am I in? And those days that you want to quit, I guarantee you two out of three of them are hard firing, right? Dave: What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned? Traci: In business, it’s the same as sports. It’s about how bad you want it. It’s about how bad do you want it. And that’s really…what are you willing to do? There is not a lack of resources, there is always a way, right? If you don’t have what you need, there’s a lack of resources, possibly. But more than that, it’s a lack of creativity. And so when you can understand that, things get a lot easier. Things get a lot easier because you have to get more creative and you have to learn how to outdo people and do more with less. And so that’s…I think that’s the key. Dave:  After speaking with Traci, I’m struck by how much owning a small business can feel like a cutthroat competition. Somedays you may feel like an underdog, like none of the odds are in your favor…and those are the days when it’s worth coming back to Traci’s words and asking yourself: How bad do you want it?   I’ll leave you with Traci’s best advice for someone thinking about starting a business of their own. Traci: The one piece of advice? Don’t quit and don’t be afraid to flex. Don’t be afraid to pivot and know that success is right there and you have to find the formula. Crack your own code. That’s the key. We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself and Miranda Paquet with editing by TwentyFourSound. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Traci Brown, Body Language Expert – Small Biz Stories, Episode 10 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

Dawn Noble is the owner of La Provence in Rockport, Massachusetts. Since taking over the store 10 years ago, Dawn has learned what it takes to be a successful small business owner. Listen as she shares the unexpected way she became a business owner, her biggest challenges and lessons, and her best advice for others looking to start their own business. Find us on Stitcher Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Dawn: Just knowing that the harder I work, I was going to benefit. You can work like crazy for somebody else, but they’re not going to appreciate you, necessarily. And just knowing that all the hard work I was doing was going to come back to me. It was going to pay off. Dawn Noble is the owner of La Provence in Rockport, Massachusetts. Like all the owners we’ve spoken to in the first season of Small Biz Stories, Dawn has a gift. From the moment you enter her store, you’re transported by the vibrant colors of French linens and bright bread baskets. The French-milled soaps fill the store with smells of Jasmine Ginger and Rosemary Mint. It’s the type of place you could spend hours exploring each and every detail. Since taking over the store 10 years ago, Dawn has learned what it takes to be a successful small business owner. Today, in our final interview of the season, Dawn shares the unexpected way she became a business owner, her biggest challenges and lessons, and her best advice for others looking to start their own business. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Becoming a business owner can take months, or even years, of careful planning. But for Dawn, the journey started unexpectedly. Dawn: It was sort of happenstance — it was completely by accident. I was working at what was then called The Greenery Restaurant, and I was about to start graduate classes. I had finished college, and it was my favorite store in town, La Provence. I had tablecloths from there, I had soap, I had colognes. I loved the owners, they were great guys. And Bill, one of the previous owners, Bill Chisholm, came into the restaurant one day and he just said…they were trying to sell the business, one of the owners was really sick. It wasn’t an ideal situation for them, so they were looking basically for an exit strategy from the business. It had been there baby for 10 plus years, so it was really hard. So he came in one day and he just…we were talking and he said, “You should buy La Provence.” And I was like, “Yeah. No. What?” I was like, “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. I know nothing.” I had an art background, a photography background, and I waitressed for 10 plus years. And so I went home and I mentioned it to my dad, who is an entrepreneur himself. And I said, “What you think, dad?” And he said, “Go for it.” And I was shocked because I just couldn’t believe my dad said, “Go for it.” So I thought about it and I’m like, “Yeah. I’m going to give it a try.” So I basically had a three month plan, literally a three month plan. The guys were great, they helped me with my first big order to France. I basically sent all the money I had to a company in France that I wasn’t even sure existed. It was a totally leap of faith, and I just sent all my money over there and I hoped they sent me products, and they did, thankfully. And I’ve just been going ever since. That was 10 years ago. So it’s been awesome, it’s been amazing. Dave: Making the switch from customer to business owner meant Dawn had to learn a lot in the first year. She remembers her biggest challenges. Dawn: Well, money because I didn’t take out any loans. I was like, “I’m going to do this on my own.” My biggest learning experience was what sells? I don’t know anything about what’s going to sell. Jean François and Bill helped me with the first orders and any questions, they were great. I would call them with questions every single day basically, I would call him. But their style too, was so different, so I learned that in the beginning. They were steering me towards products that I didn’t necessarily have the same affinity for, so it took me like three or four years to really make the store my own, probably five years where everything in the store was more hand-picked by me. I learned what the customers were looking for, what their needs were, what they were going to basically want to buy and put in their homes. Dave: Aside from money, what were some of the challenges that you were running into? Dawn: Oh God, everything. What wasn’t a challenge? Knowing the inventory, knowing how much the order, my orders were all over the place. The orders I used to place, when I look back I just laugh because I would spend $500 with the soap company. Now I don’t place an order unless it’s 3,000. I just don’t. And before I’d be like, “Okay, I don’t need three cases, I’ll just get one case.” And now I’m like, “Okay, we’re in it. If we don’t have it we can’t sell it.” So that was just learning the inventory, learning what sells, learning when to order because you don’t order inventory one day and get it the next, sometimes it can be two to three weeks. And if you miss two to three weeks in the summer, you miss a lot of money in Rockport, so you have to time out your orders, you have to be really ahead of that. So just knowing when, especially when to place the order to France because that takes a long time to come here. So knowing how to time that, definitely what to order, what your customers are looking for, and making time just to pay bills. When you’re working 70 hours a week in the beginning, when do you pay your electric bill? You got to come up with a schedule basically. Dave: Getting to know her customers and staying organized helped Dawn gain confidence as a business owner. Dawn also maintains strong relationships with other business owners in her community. Together, they support each other and work to drive business during the slower winter season. Dawn: It was great because I knew so many shop owners from coming in the restaurant. They all knew me and I knew of so many locals. And even tourists that come once a year, they knew me from the restaurant, so a lot of them followed me to the store, they loved to come check in, and they’ve grown with me over the past 10 years. They know my kids. They come in and ask about my family and my kids. And I do the same. I can’t imagine being isolated. I just can’t imagine the big city feel because it’s so…when we just walked up the coffee shop, I said hi to 10 people. Everybody knows each other. And yeah, it’s a great town. It’s awesome. Dave: So seasonality, right? You mentioned that a bit, so tell us about what’s your ebb and flow like with the year. Dawn: So Rockport is known as a seasonal town, unfortunately. I am open year-round. A lot of my fellow business owners through Dock Square and Main Street are open year-round, but we still have that stigma that we shut down, so it’s tough. We’ve tried to do different promotions, and to promote throughout the summer that yeah, we’re here. We’re here all winter long. But it is tough because we’re at the end of the line. You don’t accidentally pass through Rockport, you’ve got to be coming here, unless you’re really lost. So we’re trying to attract people in the off-season, and that’s been tough. But we do have a pretty long season. Once May hits, we get busy from May and then through the summer crowds, and then we have a great fall crowd, usually people coming to see the foliage, a lot of bus tours. And then the holidays are great here. I think more people should come here for the holidays because it’s just beautiful here during…Christmas time’s my favorite time of year in Rockport. It’s amazing. But then yeah, January, February, and March, yeah, it’s tough to get people to come to Rockport, so we’re trying different things, me and a few other shop owners because this is our livelihood, it’s our job. Unless I’m going to get another job, which I don’t want to. We’ve really got to step it up and work together to attract people here. Dave: As you might imagine, the holidays are a busy time for Dawn. I asked her how she inspires people to shop small and support local businesses during this busy season. Dawn: December’s a huge month for us, especially where we’re very gift oriented. We have so many gifts for all prices. If you’re looking to buy a $20 gift, not only do I have plenty of gifts to sell you, there’s so many great stores in Rockport. It’s like an outdoor shopping plaza, it’s great. We’re all so different. You’re not going to see, pretty much you’re not going to see any of the same product lines in the stores. So you can find something for everybody. So yeah, it’s huge, the holidays for most business owners here. Dave: Is there anything you do from a marketing perspective for the holidays differently or specifically? Dawn: Well, I do different promotions for Black Friday, I registered for Shop Small Saturday, so a group of us get all the…we’ll get the bags and we’ll do different promotions for that day, we hand out the bags. And then the shopping night is huge for us, that first Friday. We do a lot for that night. And then every weekend I usually have an open house feel. I’ll have food and drinks out every weekend for people as a thank you for choosing to come to Rockport and shop local, instead of hitting the malls. So anything I can do to encourage people to shop in Rockport. Dave: I was going to say, is there anything in particular that you do with your marketing, or whatever it is, to make sure you stand out versus other people? Dawn: Well, my goal is to send out…during the holidays is when I send out the most emails. I tried to send out one a week. And usually what I list in my emails, it’s not just about me, but what’s happening in town because a lot happens around Christmas in Rockport. So I want to give people a reason to come here. Santa comes by boat, we have the tree lighting, the pageant. So I’ll share all of that information, and at the same time, I’ll share what’s happening at the store, gift ideas. One year I did 50 gifts under $50, and I had a whole slideshow I sent out. And that was great. People really responded to that. I’ll try to insert buttons into my emails, so people that are going to drive here, they can just shop right in the email, or they can link to the website. So anything I can do to drive traffic to the website for people that aren’t in driving distance, is huge for us. Dave: While boosting business around the holidays is important, Dawn knows she needs to drive sales during the slower months. A few years ago she started using email marketing to communicate with her customers and keep them updated throughout the year. Dawn: Capturing their email is huge because a lot of times, people will be from California, Vermont, Florida, they’re visiting Rockport once a year at best sometimes. So if I can communicate with them throughout the year, that’s amazing. And if I can reach them through an email, that’s great. So once they sign my mailing list, they go on the mailing list, and we’ll send out one to two emails a month, depending on what the news is. We like to share when we have new products to engage them and just to stay on their mind, really. I need to be on their radar. Dave: Very good. How did you get started with email marketing? Dawn: No, it’s basically just stay updated. We try to do private sales with the mailing lists, so usually, we’ll send out private email about different events if we’re doing a private sale. The email list is always the first to know about it because those are my customers. I want to reward them. Dave: Is there anything you offer in exchange for that email address? Or is it just a stay connected with this type of thing? Dawn: My friend, Bill, actually the previous owner who is a fine art artist, located in Somerville, Mass, he actually pushed me towards Constant Contact because I was sending out these really horrible emails. Oh my God, in the beginning, I was just sending out really bad emails because you’ve got to learn. You don’t know. And they just looked horrible. Oh my God. And he was like, “You got to try this, you got to try Constant Contact.” I’m like, “Okay, I’ve heard of that. All right, all right. I’ll try that.” And just obviously all the tools in Constant Contact, my emails look a million times better, more professional. I look more professional, which is huge, yeah. Dave: With 10 years of experience behind her, Dawn has made countless improvements over the years. From marketing tweaks to moving her shop across the street to a better location six year ago, she continues to put more and more of herself in the store. What would you say is your biggest challenge or biggest challenges right now at this point of your business? Dawn: Time. For me, it’s time with a young family. I want to be in the store more, even though running the store, 90% of it happens outside the store. I can’t be behind the counter and pay bills, and place orders. And I love being in the store, so for me, right now it’s finding a balance between having time to be in the store, but then having time to run the website, time to do the email marketing, time to do all the social media. So making sure I pay all my vendors, and ordering, it’s taking inventory. It’s a lot. And then I basically have two kids under five, it’s…yeah, they’re pretty needy. So yeah. And the store’s so needy. The store is my first baby, it’s needy. So yeah, and sometimes when I come here, I’m like, “This is so easy. This is my break, getting to go to work.” Yeah. Dawn: Success for me is just about being able to run my business, have a happy family, have time for my family, and that’s basically, yeah. The sky is the limit with La Provence, but for me, it’s more a balance between business and my family. I have two young kids, and my husband just started his own business. So as much as I love to work, I want to be with my family, too. So right now I’m very lucky that I have the perfect mix of work and family, so I feel really blessed. And then when the kids are both in school down the road, I could see my focus of maybe be on opening another location or expanding the website, but yeah, definitely. Dave: Meeting Dawn, it’s hard to imagine her at a time before she owned La Provence. The pride and fulfillment she feels from owning her own business has become part of her identity. As she said earlier, she knows her hard work will come back to her. I asked Dawn what keeps you going through those emotionally draining times. Dawn: I think basically just in the back of my mind, “I’d have to get a job. I’d have to get a real job.” And I always think, “Who would hire me?” Sometimes when you’re an entrepreneur, you feel like you’re unhirable. Once you’ve taken the dive, you can’t go back. I was joking when a friend of mine owned a bakery and she was talking about closing. I’m like, “You realize you’ll have to get a job?” She’s like, “Oh, yeah.” I’m like, “You’ll have to have a boss,” and she was like, “Oh yeah, nevermind.” It was so funny, she was like, “Nevermind.” But yeah, and just knowing that you’re making a difference for your family, that keeps you going. And I have great customers, and I have great staff, and I’m in this awesome town. There’s worse things I could be doing. Yeah, for sure. Dave: Listening to Dawn, I’m reminded of the importance of finding your unique gift and building on it each day. Dawn’s success comes from seeing fellow business owners, not as competitors, but as potential collaborators. Dawn: My biggest lesson, do what you do and do it well. There’s 60 stores that have come and gone in the 10 years I’ve been in business. And some look at other people’s perceived success and they try to imitate it, and you can’t. Whatever you do, do it well. I can’t be worried about what someone else is selling and try to sell it. It’s a small town. I’ve got to stick with my lines, and stick with what I’m selling, and what my store’s about. What’s my presentation? What is my store? Who am I? I can’t be worried about the 60 other stores in town and what they’re doing because that’s a lot of pressure. Yeah. Dave: Here’s Dawn’s best advice for someone thinking about starting a business of their own. Dawn: You’ve got to follow your gut. What’s the worst that’s going to happen? You’re going to make a mistake? You’re going to definitely make mistakes, but as long as you follow your own path, it’s your mistake. I think as long as you keep to your vision and follow what you’re doing, you can’t go wrong. If you believe in what you’re doing, you’re going to do it well, and you’ve got to be willing to work. You’ve got to be willing to work when it snows, when it rains, when it’s sunny out. I think the biggest thing is you got to be willing to show up. If you don’t show up, somebody else is showing up somewhere else. Dave: This episode concludes our interviews for season one of Small Biz Stories. When we started this project six months ago, we set out to share the stories of successful small business owners so others could learn from those who came before them. We hope you’ve enjoyed listening to the podcast as much as we’ve enjoyed producing it. Hard work, determination, drive to pursue their passion, and the desire to be their own boss show just how special small business owners are. We wish you continued success as you work toward beating the odds and achieving your small business dreams. We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest, Shaun Cronin, and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest, Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post La Provence – Small Biz Stories, Episode 9 appeared first on Constant Contact.

Dawn Noble is the owner of La Provence in Rockport, Massachusetts. Since taking over the store 10 years ago, Dawn has learned what it takes to be a successful small business owner. Listen as she shares the unexpected way she became a business owner, her biggest challenges and lessons, and her best advice for others looking to start their own business. Find us on Stitcher Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Dawn: Just knowing that the harder I work, I was going to benefit. You can work like crazy for somebody else, but they’re not going to appreciate you, necessarily. And just knowing that all the hard work I was doing was going to come back to me. It was going to pay off. Dawn Noble is the owner of La Provence in Rockport, Massachusetts. Like all the owners we’ve spoken to in the first season of Small Biz Stories, Dawn has a gift. From the moment you enter her store, you’re transported by the vibrant colors of French linens and bright bread baskets. The French-milled soaps fill the store with smells of Jasmine Ginger and Rosemary Mint. It’s the type of place you could spend hours exploring each and every detail. Since taking over the store 10 years ago, Dawn has learned what it takes to be a successful small business owner. Today, in our final interview of the season, Dawn shares the unexpected way she became a business owner, her biggest challenges and lessons, and her best advice for others looking to start their own business. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Becoming a business owner can take months, or even years, of careful planning. But for Dawn, the journey started unexpectedly. Dawn: It was sort of happenstance — it was completely by accident. I was working at what was then called The Greenery Restaurant, and I was about to start graduate classes. I had finished college, and it was my favorite store in town, La Provence. I had tablecloths from there, I had soap, I had colognes. I loved the owners, they were great guys. And Bill, one of the previous owners, Bill Chisholm, came into the restaurant one day and he just said…they were trying to sell the business, one of the owners was really sick. It wasn’t an ideal situation for them, so they were looking basically for an exit strategy from the business. It had been there baby for 10 plus years, so it was really hard. So he came in one day and he just…we were talking and he said, “You should buy La Provence.” And I was like, “Yeah. No. What?” I was like, “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. I know nothing.” I had an art background, a photography background, and I waitressed for 10 plus years. And so I went home and I mentioned it to my dad, who is an entrepreneur himself. And I said, “What you think, dad?” And he said, “Go for it.” And I was shocked because I just couldn’t believe my dad said, “Go for it.” So I thought about it and I’m like, “Yeah. I’m going to give it a try.” So I basically had a three month plan, literally a three month plan. The guys were great, they helped me with my first big order to France. I basically sent all the money I had to a company in France that I wasn’t even sure existed. It was a totally leap of faith, and I just sent all my money over there and I hoped they sent me products, and they did, thankfully. And I’ve just been going ever since. That was 10 years ago. So it’s been awesome, it’s been amazing. Dave: Making the switch from customer to business owner meant Dawn had to learn a lot in the first year. She remembers her biggest challenges. Dawn: Well, money because I didn’t take out any loans. I was like, “I’m going to do this on my own.” My biggest learning experience was what sells? I don’t know anything about what’s going to sell. Jean François and Bill helped me with the first orders and any questions, they were great. I would call them with questions every single day basically, I would call him. But their style too, was so different, so I learned that in the beginning. They were steering me towards products that I didn’t necessarily have the same affinity for, so it took me like three or four years to really make the store my own, probably five years where everything in the store was more hand-picked by me. I learned what the customers were looking for, what their needs were, what they were going to basically want to buy and put in their homes. Dave: Aside from money, what were some of the challenges that you were running into? Dawn: Oh God, everything. What wasn’t a challenge? Knowing the inventory, knowing how much the order, my orders were all over the place. The orders I used to place, when I look back I just laugh because I would spend $500 with the soap company. Now I don’t place an order unless it’s 3,000. I just don’t. And before I’d be like, “Okay, I don’t need three cases, I’ll just get one case.” And now I’m like, “Okay, we’re in it. If we don’t have it we can’t sell it.” So that was just learning the inventory, learning what sells, learning when to order because you don’t order inventory one day and get it the next, sometimes it can be two to three weeks. And if you miss two to three weeks in the summer, you miss a lot of money in Rockport, so you have to time out your orders, you have to be really ahead of that. So just knowing when, especially when to place the order to France because that takes a long time to come here. So knowing how to time that, definitely what to order, what your customers are looking for, and making time just to pay bills. When you’re working 70 hours a week in the beginning, when do you pay your electric bill? You got to come up with a schedule basically. Dave: Getting to know her customers and staying organized helped Dawn gain confidence as a business owner. Dawn also maintains strong relationships with other business owners in her community. Together, they support each other and work to drive business during the slower winter season. Dawn: It was great because I knew so many shop owners from coming in the restaurant. They all knew me and I knew of so many locals. And even tourists that come once a year, they knew me from the restaurant, so a lot of them followed me to the store, they loved to come check in, and they’ve grown with me over the past 10 years. They know my kids. They come in and ask about my family and my kids. And I do the same. I can’t imagine being isolated. I just can’t imagine the big city feel because it’s so…when we just walked up the coffee shop, I said hi to 10 people. Everybody knows each other. And yeah, it’s a great town. It’s awesome. Dave: So seasonality, right? You mentioned that a bit, so tell us about what’s your ebb and flow like with the year. Dawn: So Rockport is known as a seasonal town, unfortunately. I am open year-round. A lot of my fellow business owners through Dock Square and Main Street are open year-round, but we still have that stigma that we shut down, so it’s tough. We’ve tried to do different promotions, and to promote throughout the summer that yeah, we’re here. We’re here all winter long. But it is tough because we’re at the end of the line. You don’t accidentally pass through Rockport, you’ve got to be coming here, unless you’re really lost. So we’re trying to attract people in the off-season, and that’s been tough. But we do have a pretty long season. Once May hits, we get busy from May and then through the summer crowds, and then we have a great fall crowd, usually people coming to see the foliage, a lot of bus tours. And then the holidays are great here. I think more people should come here for the holidays because it’s just beautiful here during…Christmas time’s my favorite time of year in Rockport. It’s amazing. But then yeah, January, February, and March, yeah, it’s tough to get people to come to Rockport, so we’re trying different things, me and a few other shop owners because this is our livelihood, it’s our job. Unless I’m going to get another job, which I don’t want to. We’ve really got to step it up and work together to attract people here. Dave: As you might imagine, the holidays are a busy time for Dawn. I asked her how she inspires people to shop small and support local businesses during this busy season. Dawn: December’s a huge month for us, especially where we’re very gift oriented. We have so many gifts for all prices. If you’re looking to buy a $20 gift, not only do I have plenty of gifts to sell you, there’s so many great stores in Rockport. It’s like an outdoor shopping plaza, it’s great. We’re all so different. You’re not going to see, pretty much you’re not going to see any of the same product lines in the stores. So you can find something for everybody. So yeah, it’s huge, the holidays for most business owners here. Dave: Is there anything you do from a marketing perspective for the holidays differently or specifically? Dawn: Well, I do different promotions for Black Friday, I registered for Shop Small Saturday, so a group of us get all the…we’ll get the bags and we’ll do different promotions for that day, we hand out the bags. And then the shopping night is huge for us, that first Friday. We do a lot for that night. And then every weekend I usually have an open house feel. I’ll have food and drinks out every weekend for people as a thank you for choosing to come to Rockport and shop local, instead of hitting the malls. So anything I can do to encourage people to shop in Rockport. Dave: I was going to say, is there anything in particular that you do with your marketing, or whatever it is, to make sure you stand out versus other people? Dawn: Well, my goal is to send out…during the holidays is when I send out the most emails. I tried to send out one a week. And usually what I list in my emails, it’s not just about me, but what’s happening in town because a lot happens around Christmas in Rockport. So I want to give people a reason to come here. Santa comes by boat, we have the tree lighting, the pageant. So I’ll share all of that information, and at the same time, I’ll share what’s happening at the store, gift ideas. One year I did 50 gifts under $50, and I had a whole slideshow I sent out. And that was great. People really responded to that. I’ll try to insert buttons into my emails, so people that are going to drive here, they can just shop right in the email, or they can link to the website. So anything I can do to drive traffic to the website for people that aren’t in driving distance, is huge for us. Dave: While boosting business around the holidays is important, Dawn knows she needs to drive sales during the slower months. A few years ago she started using email marketing to communicate with her customers and keep them updated throughout the year. Dawn: Capturing their email is huge because a lot of times, people will be from California, Vermont, Florida, they’re visiting Rockport once a year at best sometimes. So if I can communicate with them throughout the year, that’s amazing. And if I can reach them through an email, that’s great. So once they sign my mailing list, they go on the mailing list, and we’ll send out one to two emails a month, depending on what the news is. We like to share when we have new products to engage them and just to stay on their mind, really. I need to be on their radar. Dave: Very good. How did you get started with email marketing? Dawn: No, it’s basically just stay updated. We try to do private sales with the mailing lists, so usually, we’ll send out private email about different events if we’re doing a private sale. The email list is always the first to know about it because those are my customers. I want to reward them. Dave: Is there anything you offer in exchange for that email address? Or is it just a stay connected with this type of thing? Dawn: My friend, Bill, actually the previous owner who is a fine art artist, located in Somerville, Mass, he actually pushed me towards Constant Contact because I was sending out these really horrible emails. Oh my God, in the beginning, I was just sending out really bad emails because you’ve got to learn. You don’t know. And they just looked horrible. Oh my God. And he was like, “You got to try this, you got to try Constant Contact.” I’m like, “Okay, I’ve heard of that. All right, all right. I’ll try that.” And just obviously all the tools in Constant Contact, my emails look a million times better, more professional. I look more professional, which is huge, yeah. Dave: With 10 years of experience behind her, Dawn has made countless improvements over the years. From marketing tweaks to moving her shop across the street to a better location six year ago, she continues to put more and more of herself in the store. What would you say is your biggest challenge or biggest challenges right now at this point of your business? Dawn: Time. For me, it’s time with a young family. I want to be in the store more, even though running the store, 90% of it happens outside the store. I can’t be behind the counter and pay bills, and place orders. And I love being in the store, so for me, right now it’s finding a balance between having time to be in the store, but then having time to run the website, time to do the email marketing, time to do all the social media. So making sure I pay all my vendors, and ordering, it’s taking inventory. It’s a lot. And then I basically have two kids under five, it’s…yeah, they’re pretty needy. So yeah. And the store’s so needy. The store is my first baby, it’s needy. So yeah, and sometimes when I come here, I’m like, “This is so easy. This is my break, getting to go to work.” Yeah. Dawn: Success for me is just about being able to run my business, have a happy family, have time for my family, and that’s basically, yeah. The sky is the limit with La Provence, but for me, it’s more a balance between business and my family. I have two young kids, and my husband just started his own business. So as much as I love to work, I want to be with my family, too. So right now I’m very lucky that I have the perfect mix of work and family, so I feel really blessed. And then when the kids are both in school down the road, I could see my focus of maybe be on opening another location or expanding the website, but yeah, definitely. Dave: Meeting Dawn, it’s hard to imagine her at a time before she owned La Provence. The pride and fulfillment she feels from owning her own business has become part of her identity. As she said earlier, she knows her hard work will come back to her. I asked Dawn what keeps you going through those emotionally draining times. Dawn: I think basically just in the back of my mind, “I’d have to get a job. I’d have to get a real job.” And I always think, “Who would hire me?” Sometimes when you’re an entrepreneur, you feel like you’re unhirable. Once you’ve taken the dive, you can’t go back. I was joking when a friend of mine owned a bakery and she was talking about closing. I’m like, “You realize you’ll have to get a job?” She’s like, “Oh, yeah.” I’m like, “You’ll have to have a boss,” and she was like, “Oh yeah, nevermind.” It was so funny, she was like, “Nevermind.” But yeah, and just knowing that you’re making a difference for your family, that keeps you going. And I have great customers, and I have great staff, and I’m in this awesome town. There’s worse things I could be doing. Yeah, for sure. Dave: Listening to Dawn, I’m reminded of the importance of finding your unique gift and building on it each day. Dawn’s success comes from seeing fellow business owners, not as competitors, but as potential collaborators. Dawn: My biggest lesson, do what you do and do it well. There’s 60 stores that have come and gone in the 10 years I’ve been in business. And some look at other people’s perceived success and they try to imitate it, and you can’t. Whatever you do, do it well. I can’t be worried about what someone else is selling and try to sell it. It’s a small town. I’ve got to stick with my lines, and stick with what I’m selling, and what my store’s about. What’s my presentation? What is my store? Who am I? I can’t be worried about the 60 other stores in town and what they’re doing because that’s a lot of pressure. Yeah. Dave: Here’s Dawn’s best advice for someone thinking about starting a business of their own. Dawn: You’ve got to follow your gut. What’s the worst that’s going to happen? You’re going to make a mistake? You’re going to definitely make mistakes, but as long as you follow your own path, it’s your mistake. I think as long as you keep to your vision and follow what you’re doing, you can’t go wrong. If you believe in what you’re doing, you’re going to do it well, and you’ve got to be willing to work. You’ve got to be willing to work when it snows, when it rains, when it’s sunny out. I think the biggest thing is you got to be willing to show up. If you don’t show up, somebody else is showing up somewhere else. Dave: This episode concludes our interviews for season one of Small Biz Stories. When we started this project six months ago, we set out to share the stories of successful small business owners so others could learn from those who came before them. We hope you’ve enjoyed listening to the podcast as much as we’ve enjoyed producing it. Hard work, determination, drive to pursue their passion, and the desire to be their own boss show just how special small business owners are. We wish you continued success as you work toward beating the odds and achieving your small business dreams. We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest, Shaun Cronin, and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest, Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post La Provence – Small Biz Stories, Episode 9 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

Andrew and Chelcie Martin are third and fourth generation farmers at Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, Massachusetts. In this episode, they share what it’s like to be part of a family business, how to deal with things that are out of your control, and what it takes to be a successful manager. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Andrew: As with any business, if you’re not morphing, and changing, and growing, you don’t have to be growing huge but growing, you’re slowly dying. Everything’s in change all the time, and so we try to look at what we can do better, or what we should add, or what might make a place more attractive to people. Even if it’s just something as simple as what variety mix we need to change and what type of trees we want to have for the future. People have the idea of a big old apple tree, but that isn’t really the future of apples. Much smaller trees is the future of apples. But also, we don’t want to change that too fast because people have this idea in their head of what apple trees should be when you come to pick apples. Dave: Andrew Martin is a third generation farmer at Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow Massachusetts. If you live in New England, you know how satisfying it is to taste the first apple cider doughnut of the season, stuff a bag full of fresh apples, and find new ways to eat apples for weeks to come. Our trip to Honey Pot Hill came with the added benefit of speaking with business owners Andrew and his daughter Chelcie. Sitting outside, listening to enthusiastic children and cicadas — yup those annoying bugs you just heard in the opening quote — Andrew and Chelcie shared the rich history of their farm and how they plan to keep the business going for generations to come. Today they share what it’s like to be part of a family business, how to deal with things that are out of your control, and their best management advice. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Andrew’s grandfather bought the family farm in 1926 after moving to Boston from New York. Initially a smaller general-purpose farm, Andrew and his relatives worked to make the farm both larger and more specialized. Growing up on the farm, Andrew’s lifelong devotion to agriculture started at a young age: Andrew: I think I was born to farm. Honestly, ever since I was six years old, I started growing my first gourds and I grew some potatoes and I planted blueberries, things we didn’t have on the farm. And I started pumpkins by the time I was 12, then squash and pumpkins, my own little part of the business, as well as working on the farm itself. And I just loved it. Every time I could, I worked, summers after school, weekends. And I never had any thought in my life I was going to do anything different, really. And I went to college for it and got my associate’s in agriculture and I’ve been here full-time for the last 35 years since then. Dave: Transitioning from a kid on the farm to the manager of a successful family business is not an easy task. Both Andrew and Chelcie are familiar with the unavoidable challenges that come from working with your closest family members. Andrew: Well, family businesses can have challenges, shall we say. Chelcie: Yeah. Andrew: And on one hand when I came back to the farm, my dad said, “You’re in charge. Here you go.” But then after a little while, it really wasn’t quite that way. As long as it was his way, I was in charge, if you know what I’m saying. Chelcie: It’s hard working with your family. We do okay. Andrew: So far, so good. Chelcie: It’s only been a year. Andrew: That’s right. Chelcie: But I wasn’t quite like him. I didn’t plant pumpkins when I was growing up, but I always wanted to be like my dad. I don’t know why. We grew up here, the four of us. I have three younger siblings. The priorities were always farm first, and it never bothered us. I feel like when it goes that way, you either end up hating it and resenting it or you end up adopting that mindset. And all four of us have that way. I remember one Christmas, we weren’t allowed to open our presents until noon because dad was working, and we were like, “Nuts,” because we were 10. And yeah, it’s been challenging with family, but it’s hard to not love it. People come here and they come back and they bring their grandkids, and they bring their nieces, and they bring their cousins, and they just rave about it. It’s so hard to not love something that makes people so happy. So I think it’s easier than most businesses to deal with that one hard customer because you have most people that come through here that are just so happy to be here and away from the city. And it’s so beautiful. And I don’t know, it’s a nice place. Dave: While family dynamics don’t come without challenges, both Chelcie and Andrew would agree the family ties are the most rewarding aspects of their business. There are, however, a few challenges that they find less fulfilling. Andrew: The weather. Every year is a challenge, but this year, literally nine feet of snow last winter in about three weeks. And we do work in the winter time. A lot of people think, “Oh, you just take the winter off in farming. You go south.” Every tree has to be pruned. We have 14,000 trees, actually 24,000, including all the smaller ones. And every one takes a little bit of attention. And so there’s the snow. Chelcie: Most people don’t do this anymore. We do everything by hand. Andrew: We’re hands-on managers, so to speak, all managers, owners, hands-on. Dave: Why? Andrew: I love doing it really. One of the things about our business, I will say, is that we’re small enough, even though we’re pretty good size, that I can still do a lot of the hands-on work. But we’re big enough so we can justify hiring enough employees because I can’t do everything and she can’t do everything. Chelcie: I never wanted to be a manager. I like it but we got into it because we like the work, which is frustrating when you find yourself not having the time to do it. He gets so upset when he’s bogged down with paperwork. I do all the paperwork because if he has to do it, it’s just a lot of grumbling the whole time. Andrew: But going back to what I just said for a second just to finish out. We had one of the best-looking crops we’ve ever had this year and then we had a hail storm August 4, which put a bunch of nicks and dents in them. It didn’t ruin them but they’re just not the way we wanted them to look. And now we’re here in the fall, we still got summer weather, which doesn’t exactly inspire people to come apple-picking and doesn’t do anything good for the apples quite frankly. Chelcie: Put on my sweater today. Andrew: Today is great, but every other day has been, as you know. Dave: Yeah, it’s too hot. Andrew: But that’s the whole story of agriculture. You’re dealing with weather. Something wrong, someone is throwing a curve at you and you just do the best you can to deal with it. Dave: While Andrew and Chelcie will never be able to tame the New England weather, Chelcie focuses her energy on the parts of her job she can control. After becoming the store manager last year, she’s worked hard to get up to speed with legal requirements and management responsibilities that keep the business running smoothly. Chelcie: I went to school for horticulture, and I took some business classes and some science classes and thought it was cheating going to school for agriculture growing up here. I was like, “But I already know all of that,” which is so not true. But coming back here, because my aunt did this job for 25 years before I took over last year. And I worked here for years, so I’ve done a lot of different jobs but was totally unprepared last year because no one tells you when you’re in college, “Oh, if you want to run your own or work for a small business, you need to have this many permits.” Because, like we were talking about it, we’re managers that are really hands-on, but we split responsibility. There’s two of us. So he does a lot of the orchard work and we have migrant workers. So he handles part of that paperwork. But then the other half of it is permitting, staffing, making sure that we don’t get shut down, just making sure that everything’s in order. And I had no idea. I remember last year in May, I was in the office sifting through paperwork being like, “I don’t know what any of these forms are for.” No one sits you down and is like, “Here’s how to pay taxes. Here’s how to make sure that you’re up to health code and you make sure that everyone gets paid on time. And here’s how to do payroll.” So it was a huge learning curve of just learning how to deal with everything. And occasionally someone cuts you a break. But it’s one of those things where if you’re in the role of running a business, you’re expected to know more than everybody else. Dave: Even with each other to turn to, Andrew and Chelcie know they’ll never be experts on everything. Relying on their employees and valuing feedback has helped the orchard’s staff feel like they’re part of the Honey Pot family as well. Chelcie: We’re lucky we’ve had a lot of people come back and we have a lot of people that have been working here for a while that take a lot of responsibility off of our plates, my plate. We have 14 hay ride drivers on the weekends and then we have Sean, who’s in the store right now, who does a lot of the staffing for that. He comes in every Wednesday, and we talk about it. Luckily, we have some really responsible awesome people with weird talents. Our ATM went down yesterday, and our office manager knew a guy that she worked with that was in tech, and he came in and fixed the ATM. And it’s just like, phew. Small businesses, a lot of it’s connections. Like, “Who do you know that can help you fix something?” Because I don’t know anything about wiring. I got yelled at by…one of our staff is an electrician. He was like, “That’s not the same as telecom. These are completely different things. I can’t fix your ATM.” And I was like, “I’m sorry. I don’t know.” Andrew: That is one of the challenges of a small business because you don’t have specialists to do this department and that department. Chelcie: You can’t afford them. They’re so expensive. Andrew: Exactly. So you tend to try to be a jack of all trades, as they say, and then you try to pull in people. And we have a couple guys that work in the orchards that are pretty good mechanics that do the things for me on that regard, that end of it. And you try look to people’s strengths and to utilize them as much as you can. And then we try to do everything else we can. Andrew: Of course, the funny thing is that I’m not a computer person at all. And this is the advantage of when you get into a bigger company. Chelcie: He doesn’t text. Andrew: I’m not tech, period. But when you’ve got a bigger company, again, this person specializes in that and the other, and then another person in that. She’s much better at that stuff than I am. So somebody told me, “Why try to do something that you’re not good at?” I can do some other things that I can do that I’m pretty good at. Why struggle with this? And she picks that up and couple other people pick it up, and then we go from there. Dave: One thing they’ve tried to pick up in recent years is an updated marketing strategy. While Andrew remembers the days of sending out postcards to thousands of contacts, he and Chelcie are now moving a lot of their marketing online. Chelcie: We’re trying to do more of a mix this year. My family has never really been on the forefront of technology, but we’re doing okay. We have a Facebook page. We’re trying so hard to update it all the time and answer questions. And part of the issue is that I do that. So I try to update it all the time but I don’t have a person for that. I do have a person for the e-mail blasts because my best friend in college majored in marketing and she is much better at that than I am. So she designs all of our emails and she does the outings here. But we’re doing the emails, Facebook, TV advertising, advertising through Google AdWords and trying to do a shift more toward the digital because we were newspapers for a really long time. Andrew: And alas, we still do a little bit of newspapers. Chelcie: And we still do a little bit. We’re with the Boston Globe. I love hearing where people see us. I ask people all the time. We had people from Taunton in yesterday. I was like, “How did you make it out here? That is so far away.” They were like, “We were on Yelp.” And they were like, “The only thing we saw was wrong with you is that you were really busy, so we came at 8:30 in the morning. And it’s great. There’s no one here.” And I was like, “You came on a week day. Yeah, there’s no one here. You guys are fine.” But we’re constantly looking for feedback. And I actually had a couple of regular customers that were like, “We really appreciate the Facebooks and the emails. We check them. We like to know what you have available.” Because our varieties are changing constantly, what we have available. We sell out of things. We can’t restock here. It’s like, “Let’s just send out for some more nectarines.” It just doesn’t happen, so we try to update because certain people just swear by certain varieties, certain things, and they won’t eat anything else. We’ve gone out and picked a variety for somebody who came an hour away. And they’re like, “What do you mean you don’t have any more Zestar?” It’s like, “Somebody help me.” “We need to pick a box of Zestars. This woman drove from an hour away.” So yeah, it’s all about informing people, and the people that really care check all of our different media to see exactly what we have available. Andrew: That is one of the great things about technology, I will say, because back when I was her age, we had a mailing list of excess of 5,000. But it was a matter of labeling and doing postcards and going to the post office. Chelcie: They really truly sent out postcards. Andrew: Costs a lot of money, and it wasn’t that timely. It took several days to get there, and you had to print them and the whole nine yards. Now it’s like, bing, bang, boom, and it’s gone, and it doesn’t really cost too much. It costs for Constant Contact, I guess. But it’s relatively nothing compared to what it used to be. Dave: The timeliness of email is one of the biggest benefits for a business that changes its offerings depending on the weather. Chelcie updates her mailing list regularly with what they have available at the store. With a growing list of 5000 contacts, she recently realized how engaged her subscribers are and how important it is to double check the accuracy of the information she’s sending out. Chelcie: We don’t really send too many e-mails. Once a week when we’re open just to update with varieties and what we have available isn’t overwhelming. So I think people tend to trust us with that. I’ll explain it to them. “Oh, we don’t send you one a day. It’s usually just once a week, and it’s an update of what we’ve got.” Andrew: I think if you overdo it, people just start to ignore them, just write them off. Chelcie: Yeah, forget it. Yeah. Dave: So do you find people coming in based on getting those emails delivered? Chelcie: Yeah, actually I had a guy who was angry because we messed up. We put Ginger Golds down the day before they came in. And he came in, he’s like, “Where are your Ginger Golds?” And I was like, “Oh, no, they’re coming in tomorrow.” And he said, “Well, your email said you have Ginger Golds!” And I was like, “Oh, no. I’m so sorry. Put in the wrong date.” So yeah, they do read them. I know they do. Dave: Staying in touch with existing customers is especially important for a business that is so seasonal. With less than 2 months of peak business, Andrew and Chelcie know they have to deliver a great product and experience so their customers will be back next year. Chelcie: We have really consistently good fruit most of the time. He does a really good job growing it. And I don’t think I realized when I came back how important that is and how difficult that is because we were visiting an orchard, and they had no peach crop because they got frozen out. And peaches are really delicate and susceptible to frost. And even with the hail, we have beautiful fruit, and it’s very difficult to find because people have started to distrust agriculture. People ask me all the time, “Do you grow this? Do you grow that?” and I’m constantly saying, “Yes, we grow everything that we sell. All the produce is ours, even the vegetables. The only thing that’s not is the corn, which is picked fresh daily from Acton.” And I think that having that relationship and being able to explain to people what we spray, why we spray, what we do and having consistently good fruit that’s ours, I think people appreciate that because we’re a family and we’ve been here a long time and we continue to try and be very knowledgeable about what we’re selling. So we just try to have a good relationship with our customers and answer their questions the best that we can. But I think it’s becoming more and more rare to find a place that grows everything and is honest about it. And I don’t know. I’m a big plant nerd, so I like answering the questions, but we’ve gotten a lot of comments lately on our fruit being consistently good. I think that’s important. Andrew: With a business, you try to watch the details. You’ve got to look at the big picture. It’s an interesting thing. When you’re working for somebody else, you can get bogged down in details because it doesn’t matter so much, unless the boss starts yelling at you, “Hurry up.” When you’re working for yourself, you’ve got to look at the big picture. You you’ve got to say, “I can’t spend too much time on this thing.” But also details matter. So you’re always doing that balancing along the way of looking at the big picture but then the details because little details adding up can make a big difference in the end. And that’s where, I guess, she says I’m perfectionist. Chelcie: Yeah, there’s so many moving factors in growing fruit in New England because our weather is hot and cold, and the bacteria count can go from zero to several million in a day. So we try really hard to monitor the weather, but every time, everyone makes mistakes. But he beats himself up about it every time he makes a mistake, really hard. And I guess probably because I’m his kid and I watched it happen, I try to roll with it a little bit more. So we balance each other out that way, too, but he’s always looking for the perfect crop, trying and pushing for the perfect crop. Andrew: Then I’m going to retire. Probably never happen. Dave: Many of the business owners we’ve interviewed this season have had a similar dedication to their craft. Each owner has made sacrifices in the pursuit of creating something bigger than themselves. As a fourth generation farmer, Chelcie’s devotion to the farm is part of her identity, something that has been ingrained in her since childhood. Chelcie: Yeah. I don’t know. I always feel like I’m a balance in my family. I don’t want to force my siblings to come back here. I think that they should have the option. I had a little bit more pressure because my aunt wanted to leave. But I would do anything to keep this place from being sold. It’s interesting because someone posed this question to me, “What are you doing?” I was like, “What do you mean?” They were like, “You’re working like 100 hours a week and you could sell the 200 acres and never work again.” I was like, “Oh, you shouldn’t. I don’t think about it that way.” And it’s crazy. It’s literally crazy. Who would do that? I don’t own anything, but, “You own 200 acres of prime real estate. Why are you killing yourself to keep a business going when you could sell it and you wouldn’t have to worry about it?” Hopefully one of my siblings will think that way, too, that it’s bigger than you. And I think that’s one of the hardest things about working here is I love this place more than I love myself. And I know he feels the same way. I’m 23. If I ever end up wanting to get married, they’d have to move to Stow and hang out on a farm forever, which is not a bad deal. But at the same time, how do you have a life? Dave: Finding balance isn’t always easy, but it’s clear that — for Andrew and Chelcie — that’s part of the excitement. Long hours and early mornings aren’t as much of a hardship when you’re proud of what you’re able to create. I’ll leave you with Andrew’s best piece of business advice, and how Chelcie knows the sacrifices are all worth it. Andrew: It certainly isn’t just a job. It really is an adventure because the hours get crazy sometimes. Your weekends are not your own anymore. I say very few people go into this business that didn’t grow up in it, quite frankly. There’s a handful, but not very many because if you’ve owned your own weekends and you’ve owned several weeks off, you say, “What am I doing going into this business?” One of your questions, I think, was, “What do you have to say to a person getting into business, in its own small business?” And my advice would be, “Make sure you love it, whether you have to deal with people, if you love dealing with people. Or if you’re making something, love what you’re making,” because if you don’t love it, it probably won’t work because you’ve got to put so much effort into that to get through all the obstacles that get thrown at you, whatever way it might be. In our case, it’s weather and government, as I keep saying. But to get through all those, and if you don’t love it, it’s just not going to make it, in my opinion. Yeah. Chelcie: I think that I weighed it out in my head, when I was thinking about coming back here, if I would be happier leaving or happier staying. And either way, you give up something. I didn’t expect to come back so young. I was thinking I would go off somewhere. I lived in Australia for six months in college, so it’s not like I’d never left. I’ve been very lucky. But Stow has just such a rocking nightlife. There’s just so much to do when you’re 23. So that’s been a little difficult. It’s hard being here when all of my friends have moved to major cities and are starting their own thing. Andrew: Oh, I should vouch for that, too. I remember those days. Long ago and far away, but it’s true. Chelcie: It’s just we have a weird family here. We have my family and then we had an employee party at the end of last year, and I cried and I was like, “You guys are my only friends because I hang out with you seven days a week.” You learn to rely on people and communicate with people, and it’s excellent life skills, but it’s just so much of it is a passion. I could read 100 books about plants and that’s strange, and I really like our customers. I really like my employees, the whole package is worth it. It’s not one individual thing. I’m sure I could go somewhere else and really like my job, but the stress and dysfunction is part of what makes it so much fun. I don’t think there’s anything comparable to this that’s left. A lot of trades and things that have to do with your hands, you watch it grow and then you harvest it. It’s just a different kind of life. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your reviews help the show get found so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest, Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Honey Pot Hill Orchards – Small Biz Stories, Episode 8 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

Kellee Twadelle, owner of Rose & Dove Specialty Gift Shop, is proud to own her own business. In this episode, Kellee shares how support from her local business community, quality staff, and loyal customer base keep her business going strong throughout various industry changes and personal challenges. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Kellee: It was nice sort of being in charge of your own destiny. Then again on the flip side, there’s so much pressure in wanting to make it succeed and that always in the back of your head, that chance of failure. I think seeing my father and how successful he was, that fear of failure, I sort of had this drive. “I’ve got to just keep going and running with this and changing and mixing it up and evolving.” I think anyone who goes straight to starting their own business has got such great moxie. My hat is off to them because that’s pretty amazing, too. At least I’ve got a base, a foundation of . . . I was a project manager, so I kind of knew how to approach certain things and events and I’m like “Okay. I can kind of use that template.” But someone coming, brand-new, that’s pretty incredible. Dave: Earlier this year, we surveyed small business owners to hear about the sacrifices and rewards of owning your own business. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that 59 percent of those surveyed agreed that the freedom to try new things, make your own mistakes, and control your destiny is the best part of running a small business. As important as personal freedom is to many owners, listening to their stories has shown that no successful business is truly self-sufficient. Today you’ll hear from Kellee Twadelle, owner of Rose and Dove Specialty Gift Shop. Kellee shares how support from her local business community, quality staff, and loyal customer base keep her business going strong throughout various industry changes and personal challenges. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Unlike a few of the other business owners we’ve talked to, Kellee didn’t start off her career as an owner. After spending over a decade working in the corporate world, Kellee shifted her focus to explore other talents. Kellee: We moved to North Andover back in 1998 and at that point, I was a stay-at-home mom raising two kids. By the time they both got to elementary school, I started getting antsy and wanted to sort of tap into the artistic side. I had been doing 12 years in system conversions. I had a master’s in computer science. It’s a pretty intense, rigorous 24/7 job and didn’t want to go back to the corporate world. I actually started making jewelry and going to craft fairs and traveling around selling to stores. Then just being in the retail environment, realized that’s something I just wanted to sort of tap into and start my own business. That’s how Rose & Dove evolved. Dave: When it came time to move beyond making her own product, and expand to a retail location of her own, Kellee initially pulled inspiration from her corporate background. Dave: How did you get to that point where you’re like “All right, it’s time to do my own shop” rather than bringing your wares around to others? Kellee: I think I liked the idea of having diversity in product and selling . . . I’ve sort of gotten a taste of the wholesale side back and selling to retail stores, sort of the retail side being in the festival environment and just wanted to expand upon jewelry and offerings. At the time, the model was corporate. Targeting companies, because that had been my background, for gift-giving to their clients to say “Thank you,” to give around for their employees. We did a lot with food and gift baskets. We had our wine license. For a while, that was working. But then when the economy changed, the whole model had to change and we shifted to more of . . . we changed our tagline. I worked with a marketing person and more towards the line of “Artful and affordable gifts for everyday occasions.” Finding something that wasn’t going to break the bank, but was a nice gift, it sort of represented who they were gift-giving to. It was just that price point level. It started with small gifts and then just sort of expanded. Dave: In addition to her own professional experience, Kellee’s inspiration for Rose and Dove comes from her father, who served as an important role model and motivated her to persevere through some early business challenges. Dave: Where does the inspiration for the store come from? Was anybody in your family an entrepreneur? Did anybody else own a business? Kellee: My dad was blue-collar, I should say, he was an electrician. He really instilled, I think, a strong work ethic in myself in terms of . . . I think just setting a goal and working towards that and doing everything you could to make it successful. I spent a lot of long hours in Lawrence sort of building the business. How do we build our customer base? For me, the most important thing is our customers. We have such a loyal customer base, it’s amazing. They have supported us in Lawrence and then when we moved to North Andover, they came and supported us here. That’s really the premise of the business. I think that drives me to find new products for them every year so they have got diversity in the gifts that they’re giving and there’s always something new and fresh for them. Dave: Did you ever receive any push-back when you . . . “All right, I’m going to start my own business.” Kellee: Absolutely. It’s the typical . . . the syndrome of a small business owner. You’ve got that panic. Those first couple of years are so trying. And I just threw myself out there. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no marketing background, I had no business background. It was a lot of trial by error and you learn and you build upon it and you try not to look at it as a setback. Just say “Okay, what can I take from this?” Then figure out “Let’s move forward.” Put that behind and how can we turn a negative into a positive? Dave: Can you tell us a little bit more about that? What were some of the hardest parts for you when you were starting out? Kellee: I think it was the location of the business. I really loved the charm of the historic building, the mill building that we were in. It was during a process of where Lawrence was going through the whole Gateway Revitalization Project. I really thought that there was momentum in a five to ten-year pace that they would be on track and there would just be this viable . . . just bring all these old buildings back to life. Unfortunately, one of the larger developers lost his funding because he had sort of the “Go Green” concept and they found asbestos in the buildings. That really set, I think, that whole project back years. Then with the bridge closing, I wasn’t getting the traffic from Andover which is one of our . . . we have a significant number of customers from Andover. At that point, I had to really think about “Okay, where are we going with this? What are we going to do?” I loved the concept of the store, people loved the product. Instead of being a destination store, I had to find somewhere we could be an anchor and really be visible. Dave: Making her business visible and growing her customer base has relied on strong communication with her existing customer base. Kellee began using email marketing in the early years of her business as a way to keep in touch with her customers and keep them up-to-date on the products she has in-store. Dave: What were the most challenging aspects for you besides finding the location in those beginning years? Kellee: It was the marketing portion of it. How do you get the word out that you’re there? There’s the print and direct mail and those are so costly. Then there’s building your database and we were from it, the get-go, really consistent about gathering our customers’ information once they came in and having a system in place that we could track their sales. What is the hot thing right now? What’s trending in terms of jewelry? Are we doing better in baby or bridal versus home accents, tabletop? We could gauge the back end in our buying part of it by capturing their e-mails was probably the smartest thing we ever did. Because then through software programs like Constant Contact, we were able to touch, but not inundate them. We always were of the philosophy of sending one to two e-mails a month, just letting them know sort of what’s new, what’s happening, events, special events. Making them feel special that “Thanks for supporting us in giving your e-mail’ and that’s how we do a lot of special offers out through those e-mails. Dave: You mentioned you send an e-mail out about a couple of times a month or so. What are some of the things that you do in there? What is your approach to doing that? Kellee: Obviously, the time of the year. I’ll start the beginning of the year and be like “Okay, we have 12 months to plan out.” So I have 24 e-mails, basically, that I want to send out, so what’s going to be my focus? We base them around the larger occasions like Valentine’s Day. Teacher appreciation is huge for us. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, back to school and then going into all the holiday. That’s really what drives the premise of the majority of my e-mails. We’ll do occasionally . . . we’ve got our annual tent sale which is huge that everyone looks forward to. Unfortunately, it’s the byproduct of sometimes me overbuying or the lines that I thought “Oh, this is going to be great” and not so much. The people always know that they can get a great deal at the tent sale. We’ve got sort of a contingency of following of people who come every year for that. But it’s really . . . not so much in terms of providing a coupon or discounting. But just to say “Hey, this is new. This is what we’re doing. This is an event coming up. We’re partnering with X, Y and Z. Come by and check us out.” We do a lot with Mariposa. That’s probably our number one brand that we sell. We’re one of their ten top nationwide dealers, which is pretty impressive for being 1,200 square feet. Mariposa is all over sand cast aluminum gift ware. It’s tabletop, but a lot with bridal. Then seasonal, Seashore does really well for us. They’re local, they’re up in Manchester. I just love working with them and their artist, Michael Updike. He comes in and he does a lot of artist signings for us. That’s really fun. We use Constant Contact as a way to go out and sort of capture the masses through that. Dave: In addition to working with online channels, Kellee reaches new customers by getting out in her community and partnering with other local businesses. Dave: What were some of the other things that you were doing in the early days to make sure people could find your business, whether that be online or offline? How do those two interplay? Kellee: We did a ton of working with other businesses, partnering with other businesses, finding similar likes and interests. Either a hair salon and partnering in an event and having them come in or me going to their store and vice-versa and just sort of either be there just as a representative to say what we do, what we’re about, hand out a discount card to the store for them to come and check us out. Schools in terms of doing a lot of charitable contributions and working with organizations and giving donations to their raffles, gift certificates so that whoever wins comes back into the store and sees what you’re about. The partnering was probably one of the best things we could have done. Because we sort of tapped into different segments of the area. Worked with real estate brokers, we do housewarming gifts for them. The direct mail, it was tough because like I said, it was very costly, the print advertising in a magazine. We did all of that. It was just kind of having a budget and breaking it out throughout the year to see “Okay, let’s throw a dart and see what’s going to stick this year.” Dave: While many business owners know the importance of partnering with noncompeting businesses in their community, many struggle to put themselves out there. I asked Kellee if she faced disinterest from other businesses and how she is able to forge relationships that are mutually beneficial. Kellee: I had several that just weren’t interested. They felt that they were fine and they’re comfortable with what they were doing and they didn’t need to sort of outsource in that respect. I joined networking groups, so I was part of BNI (Business Networking International). Through there, you had up to 40 industries present. You could sort of pick their brains and figure out “Okay, what would make sense?” and “What are you doing next week? How are you sort of getting out there?” Through that networking group, there would be four to six of us that would kind of go together and say “Hey, let’s do this.” That was kind of good having that base to bounce ideas off of. Because I never had a partner that I could say “Hey, what do you think about doing this? Does this make sense? Does it not make sense?” It was always just me and I felt most of the time, I was just flying by the seat of my pants. But I felt if I didn’t put myself out there and get the name of the store visible, people weren’t going to find us. The networking group definitely helped. Chamber of Commerce definitely helped, going to a lot of their networking events. They held a bunch of speed networking. That was great because you had your one-on-one, you had three minutes to pitch your store, and what you do, and your product. Versus being in sort of that big environment if they have an event at such and such place where it’s definitely more going to drink and win the raffle prize there. I found those speed networking events really helpful. Because you have that one-on-one and you met 20 different people that way. Dave: With the help of these partnerships, Kellee reached her early business goals and began growing steadily. Soon after, she started thinking how to expand internally and add a few new staff members to her team. Kellee: Actually, all of our staff have been customers. The longest member, Cheryl, she’s been with me now five years since I moved the location here. She’s great. They’re all part-time, all moms. I think we all . . . I understand the most that your family comes first. That’s always been the basis of . . . I understand if you’ve got something to do, that’s where you need to be. But they equally enjoy . . . I think that they’re just looking for an outlet. They’ve got a creative side to them. They enjoy working with people. They know a lot of people in the community. Everyone who works for me right now, it’s great. I have one woman from Andover and then I have another mom from town who’s working with us. I also love hiring high school students. We’ve had a couple of high school students that come in, especially during the busier times to help us out or if we have a large corporate order, they’ll help me with that. I think it helps them to sort of see the part of the business that they wouldn’t necessarily . . . they can see the retail being on the floor, but then sort of the back-end from a larger order. I have one college student; she used to work for us when she was in high school and she comes back every Christmas and every summer now. I think being in that mode and we’ve been in for three years now, have had that sort of same staff, it’s been great. It’s helped tremendously. If you have people you really enjoy working with and can trust, it makes a world of difference. Dave: As a manager, Kellee is understanding of her staff’s work/life balance because it is something she’s had to juggle as well. After navigating some personal challenges of her own, Kellee has worked to develop a staff that she trusts to handle her customers and products with the same level of care she provides each day. Dave: Was there ever a point where you felt like “This might not work”? Kellee: Yeah. I’ve had many days like that. It’s hard. I think it’s when you’re . . . for me, I find it’s fourth quarter because that’s obviously where the bulk of our business is and it’s going through . . . when you’re a sole provider and you have to be there 24/7. I had a couple of blips in the radar with my husband. He, one year, was in a motorcycle accident and in the hospital for three months. That was kind of dicey. “How do I juggle that?” Then he had a heart attack two years ago and that was right on Thanksgiving. It was like “Okay, I’ve got to remove myself. How is the store going to operate without me there?” I think that was sort of the tip of the iceberg in terms of changing things, in terms of the store . . . that day-to-day operations didn’t physically depend on myself. That I had a good backbone and staff, that the store could operate without me here. I’m still part of the day-to-day operations, but I’ve sort of put into place . . . we’ve got enough staff that it’s covered and then I’ll never be in that position again of “I’ve got to close the doors. I can’t be open for business because I’m not there.” I think that’s one of the hardest things. Dave: What keeps you going through those tough times? Kellee: I think it’s how much time I’ve put into it, that I’ve invested into it. Rose & Dove is my heart and soul. It’s definitely . . . everything in here is representative of me. I wouldn’t bring something in here if I wouldn’t want to buy it personally or if I wouldn’t want to wear it or have displayed in my home. It is a representation of me and sort of my loves. I think people recognize that and they know that I’m constantly looking for that new, next big thing and I’m willing to take chances with a lot of the products we bring in. Dave: Although Kellee has had to make major changes over the years — in terms of product offering, location, and staff size — one thing that has stayed consistent is her commitment to an exceptional customer experience. While Kellee and her staff are happy to tell you about any piece on the store, they won’t pressure anyone into a sale that isn’t a perfect fit. Dave: You’re touching on this a bit, but what would you say makes your business different from others out there? Kellee: I think it’s the level of the customer service that we provide. We are not a high sales pressure store. For me, I have an amazing staff and they all equally enjoy working here, the products that we have and the customer interaction. It’s really making someone feel at home the minute they walk in the store and asking how we can help them. But social conversations, catching up, how everything is going in their lives. Then just helping them find a gift. They just come in . . . a lot of people say this is their happy place. They’ll just come in and walk around and not buy anything; that’s fine by me. This is their place to come. They’re looking, they’re staying, they’re thinking about . . . and it could be six months to a year, they come back and say “Oh, I remember seeing this. This is the perfect gift for someone.” To me, that’s the type of business I want to have. I want people to know that we’re reliable, we’ve got a great offering, that we’re changing our selection all the time. But also, you can buy something for $5 or you can buy something for $200 and I’m going to treat you the same as anyone else. It’s really . . . it’s like the level of the customer service. I want my staff to treat our customers the way I would expect to be treated when I walk into a store. Dave: Yeah. How do you measure success? What does that look like to you? Kellee: Obviously, there’s the financial component of it. If I’m making my numbers and I’m able to pay . . . I have four employees right now. If I can support that, I consider that a fairly successful business. I also look at the level of our customers and their satisfaction and how happy they are. Especially . . . I’ll be in the supermarket and someone will come up to me and be like “Oh, I gave that gift to so and so and it was perfect and you nailed it right in the head” and they were so happy. I think they love how they look in the gift-giving process and they loved seeing the response of their recipient getting the gift. I really measure a lot of it based on that, our customers’ sort of happiness. Dave: Even as a small business owner, it’s important to remember success is sweetest when shared with others. While it’s incredibly empowering to pursue your own dreams and make decisions for yourself, some of the best parts of your business will be when you are interacting with the people that matter most to your business. After my conversation with Kellee I’m reminded of the importance of valuing your customers, staying open to collaborative opportunities with other business, and treating your staff with respect. I’ll leave you with one last piece of business advice from Kellee: Dave: If you could give somebody else just starting their business a piece of advice, what would that be? Kellee: Trust your gut. Understand that you obviously have a dream and I think if you work hard, you can make that dream come true. It’s going to take time; it’s not going to happen overnight. Just be patient. Set short-term goals. Don’t think about that ten years where you’re going to be . . . just so that you understand the success as it’s sort of happening. It might be small, but each of those successes are going to build into something huge and amazing. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest, Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Rose & Dove Specialty Gift Shop – Small Biz Stories, Episode 7 appeared first on Constant Contact.

Kellee Twadelle, owner of Rose & Dove Specialty Gift Shop, is proud to own her own business. In this episode, Kellee shares how support from her local business community, quality staff, and loyal customer base keep her business going strong throughout various industry changes and personal challenges. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Kellee: It was nice sort of being in charge of your own destiny. Then again on the flip side, there’s so much pressure in wanting to make it succeed and that always in the back of your head, that chance of failure. I think seeing my father and how successful he was, that fear of failure, I sort of had this drive. “I’ve got to just keep going and running with this and changing and mixing it up and evolving.” I think anyone who goes straight to starting their own business has got such great moxie. My hat is off to them because that’s pretty amazing, too. At least I’ve got a base, a foundation of . . . I was a project manager, so I kind of knew how to approach certain things and events and I’m like “Okay. I can kind of use that template.” But someone coming, brand-new, that’s pretty incredible. Dave: Earlier this year, we surveyed small business owners to hear about the sacrifices and rewards of owning your own business. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that 59 percent of those surveyed agreed that the freedom to try new things, make your own mistakes, and control your destiny is the best part of running a small business. As important as personal freedom is to many owners, listening to their stories has shown that no successful business is truly self-sufficient. Today you’ll hear from Kellee Twadelle, owner of Rose and Dove Specialty Gift Shop. Kellee shares how support from her local business community, quality staff, and loyal customer base keep her business going strong throughout various industry changes and personal challenges. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Unlike a few of the other business owners we’ve talked to, Kellee didn’t start off her career as an owner. After spending over a decade working in the corporate world, Kellee shifted her focus to explore other talents. Kellee: We moved to North Andover back in 1998 and at that point, I was a stay-at-home mom raising two kids. By the time they both got to elementary school, I started getting antsy and wanted to sort of tap into the artistic side. I had been doing 12 years in system conversions. I had a master’s in computer science. It’s a pretty intense, rigorous 24/7 job and didn’t want to go back to the corporate world. I actually started making jewelry and going to craft fairs and traveling around selling to stores. Then just being in the retail environment, realized that’s something I just wanted to sort of tap into and start my own business. That’s how Rose & Dove evolved. Dave: When it came time to move beyond making her own product, and expand to a retail location of her own, Kellee initially pulled inspiration from her corporate background. Dave: How did you get to that point where you’re like “All right, it’s time to do my own shop” rather than bringing your wares around to others? Kellee: I think I liked the idea of having diversity in product and selling . . . I’ve sort of gotten a taste of the wholesale side back and selling to retail stores, sort of the retail side being in the festival environment and just wanted to expand upon jewelry and offerings. At the time, the model was corporate. Targeting companies, because that had been my background, for gift-giving to their clients to say “Thank you,” to give around for their employees. We did a lot with food and gift baskets. We had our wine license. For a while, that was working. But then when the economy changed, the whole model had to change and we shifted to more of . . . we changed our tagline. I worked with a marketing person and more towards the line of “Artful and affordable gifts for everyday occasions.” Finding something that wasn’t going to break the bank, but was a nice gift, it sort of represented who they were gift-giving to. It was just that price point level. It started with small gifts and then just sort of expanded. Dave: In addition to her own professional experience, Kellee’s inspiration for Rose and Dove comes from her father, who served as an important role model and motivated her to persevere through some early business challenges. Dave: Where does the inspiration for the store come from? Was anybody in your family an entrepreneur? Did anybody else own a business? Kellee: My dad was blue-collar, I should say, he was an electrician. He really instilled, I think, a strong work ethic in myself in terms of . . . I think just setting a goal and working towards that and doing everything you could to make it successful. I spent a lot of long hours in Lawrence sort of building the business. How do we build our customer base? For me, the most important thing is our customers. We have such a loyal customer base, it’s amazing. They have supported us in Lawrence and then when we moved to North Andover, they came and supported us here. That’s really the premise of the business. I think that drives me to find new products for them every year so they have got diversity in the gifts that they’re giving and there’s always something new and fresh for them. Dave: Did you ever receive any push-back when you . . . “All right, I’m going to start my own business.” Kellee: Absolutely. It’s the typical . . . the syndrome of a small business owner. You’ve got that panic. Those first couple of years are so trying. And I just threw myself out there. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no marketing background, I had no business background. It was a lot of trial by error and you learn and you build upon it and you try not to look at it as a setback. Just say “Okay, what can I take from this?” Then figure out “Let’s move forward.” Put that behind and how can we turn a negative into a positive? Dave: Can you tell us a little bit more about that? What were some of the hardest parts for you when you were starting out? Kellee: I think it was the location of the business. I really loved the charm of the historic building, the mill building that we were in. It was during a process of where Lawrence was going through the whole Gateway Revitalization Project. I really thought that there was momentum in a five to ten-year pace that they would be on track and there would just be this viable . . . just bring all these old buildings back to life. Unfortunately, one of the larger developers lost his funding because he had sort of the “Go Green” concept and they found asbestos in the buildings. That really set, I think, that whole project back years. Then with the bridge closing, I wasn’t getting the traffic from Andover which is one of our . . . we have a significant number of customers from Andover. At that point, I had to really think about “Okay, where are we going with this? What are we going to do?” I loved the concept of the store, people loved the product. Instead of being a destination store, I had to find somewhere we could be an anchor and really be visible. Dave: Making her business visible and growing her customer base has relied on strong communication with her existing customer base. Kellee began using email marketing in the early years of her business as a way to keep in touch with her customers and keep them up-to-date on the products she has in-store. Dave: What were the most challenging aspects for you besides finding the location in those beginning years? Kellee: It was the marketing portion of it. How do you get the word out that you’re there? There’s the print and direct mail and those are so costly. Then there’s building your database and we were from it, the get-go, really consistent about gathering our customers’ information once they came in and having a system in place that we could track their sales. What is the hot thing right now? What’s trending in terms of jewelry? Are we doing better in baby or bridal versus home accents, tabletop? We could gauge the back end in our buying part of it by capturing their e-mails was probably the smartest thing we ever did. Because then through software programs like Constant Contact, we were able to touch, but not inundate them. We always were of the philosophy of sending one to two e-mails a month, just letting them know sort of what’s new, what’s happening, events, special events. Making them feel special that “Thanks for supporting us in giving your e-mail’ and that’s how we do a lot of special offers out through those e-mails. Dave: You mentioned you send an e-mail out about a couple of times a month or so. What are some of the things that you do in there? What is your approach to doing that? Kellee: Obviously, the time of the year. I’ll start the beginning of the year and be like “Okay, we have 12 months to plan out.” So I have 24 e-mails, basically, that I want to send out, so what’s going to be my focus? We base them around the larger occasions like Valentine’s Day. Teacher appreciation is huge for us. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, back to school and then going into all the holiday. That’s really what drives the premise of the majority of my e-mails. We’ll do occasionally . . . we’ve got our annual tent sale which is huge that everyone looks forward to. Unfortunately, it’s the byproduct of sometimes me overbuying or the lines that I thought “Oh, this is going to be great” and not so much. The people always know that they can get a great deal at the tent sale. We’ve got sort of a contingency of following of people who come every year for that. But it’s really . . . not so much in terms of providing a coupon or discounting. But just to say “Hey, this is new. This is what we’re doing. This is an event coming up. We’re partnering with X, Y and Z. Come by and check us out.” We do a lot with Mariposa. That’s probably our number one brand that we sell. We’re one of their ten top nationwide dealers, which is pretty impressive for being 1,200 square feet. Mariposa is all over sand cast aluminum gift ware. It’s tabletop, but a lot with bridal. Then seasonal, Seashore does really well for us. They’re local, they’re up in Manchester. I just love working with them and their artist, Michael Updike. He comes in and he does a lot of artist signings for us. That’s really fun. We use Constant Contact as a way to go out and sort of capture the masses through that. Dave: In addition to working with online channels, Kellee reaches new customers by getting out in her community and partnering with other local businesses. Dave: What were some of the other things that you were doing in the early days to make sure people could find your business, whether that be online or offline? How do those two interplay? Kellee: We did a ton of working with other businesses, partnering with other businesses, finding similar likes and interests. Either a hair salon and partnering in an event and having them come in or me going to their store and vice-versa and just sort of either be there just as a representative to say what we do, what we’re about, hand out a discount card to the store for them to come and check us out. Schools in terms of doing a lot of charitable contributions and working with organizations and giving donations to their raffles, gift certificates so that whoever wins comes back into the store and sees what you’re about. The partnering was probably one of the best things we could have done. Because we sort of tapped into different segments of the area. Worked with real estate brokers, we do housewarming gifts for them. The direct mail, it was tough because like I said, it was very costly, the print advertising in a magazine. We did all of that. It was just kind of having a budget and breaking it out throughout the year to see “Okay, let’s throw a dart and see what’s going to stick this year.” Dave: While many business owners know the importance of partnering with noncompeting businesses in their community, many struggle to put themselves out there. I asked Kellee if she faced disinterest from other businesses and how she is able to forge relationships that are mutually beneficial. Kellee: I had several that just weren’t interested. They felt that they were fine and they’re comfortable with what they were doing and they didn’t need to sort of outsource in that respect. I joined networking groups, so I was part of BNI (Business Networking International). Through there, you had up to 40 industries present. You could sort of pick their brains and figure out “Okay, what would make sense?” and “What are you doing next week? How are you sort of getting out there?” Through that networking group, there would be four to six of us that would kind of go together and say “Hey, let’s do this.” That was kind of good having that base to bounce ideas off of. Because I never had a partner that I could say “Hey, what do you think about doing this? Does this make sense? Does it not make sense?” It was always just me and I felt most of the time, I was just flying by the seat of my pants. But I felt if I didn’t put myself out there and get the name of the store visible, people weren’t going to find us. The networking group definitely helped. Chamber of Commerce definitely helped, going to a lot of their networking events. They held a bunch of speed networking. That was great because you had your one-on-one, you had three minutes to pitch your store, and what you do, and your product. Versus being in sort of that big environment if they have an event at such and such place where it’s definitely more going to drink and win the raffle prize there. I found those speed networking events really helpful. Because you have that one-on-one and you met 20 different people that way. Dave: With the help of these partnerships, Kellee reached her early business goals and began growing steadily. Soon after, she started thinking how to expand internally and add a few new staff members to her team. Kellee: Actually, all of our staff have been customers. The longest member, Cheryl, she’s been with me now five years since I moved the location here. She’s great. They’re all part-time, all moms. I think we all . . . I understand the most that your family comes first. That’s always been the basis of . . . I understand if you’ve got something to do, that’s where you need to be. But they equally enjoy . . . I think that they’re just looking for an outlet. They’ve got a creative side to them. They enjoy working with people. They know a lot of people in the community. Everyone who works for me right now, it’s great. I have one woman from Andover and then I have another mom from town who’s working with us. I also love hiring high school students. We’ve had a couple of high school students that come in, especially during the busier times to help us out or if we have a large corporate order, they’ll help me with that. I think it helps them to sort of see the part of the business that they wouldn’t necessarily . . . they can see the retail being on the floor, but then sort of the back-end from a larger order. I have one college student; she used to work for us when she was in high school and she comes back every Christmas and every summer now. I think being in that mode and we’ve been in for three years now, have had that sort of same staff, it’s been great. It’s helped tremendously. If you have people you really enjoy working with and can trust, it makes a world of difference. Dave: As a manager, Kellee is understanding of her staff’s work/life balance because it is something she’s had to juggle as well. After navigating some personal challenges of her own, Kellee has worked to develop a staff that she trusts to handle her customers and products with the same level of care she provides each day. Dave: Was there ever a point where you felt like “This might not work”? Kellee: Yeah. I’ve had many days like that. It’s hard. I think it’s when you’re . . . for me, I find it’s fourth quarter because that’s obviously where the bulk of our business is and it’s going through . . . when you’re a sole provider and you have to be there 24/7. I had a couple of blips in the radar with my husband. He, one year, was in a motorcycle accident and in the hospital for three months. That was kind of dicey. “How do I juggle that?” Then he had a heart attack two years ago and that was right on Thanksgiving. It was like “Okay, I’ve got to remove myself. How is the store going to operate without me there?” I think that was sort of the tip of the iceberg in terms of changing things, in terms of the store . . . that day-to-day operations didn’t physically depend on myself. That I had a good backbone and staff, that the store could operate without me here. I’m still part of the day-to-day operations, but I’ve sort of put into place . . . we’ve got enough staff that it’s covered and then I’ll never be in that position again of “I’ve got to close the doors. I can’t be open for business because I’m not there.” I think that’s one of the hardest things. Dave: What keeps you going through those tough times? Kellee: I think it’s how much time I’ve put into it, that I’ve invested into it. Rose & Dove is my heart and soul. It’s definitely . . . everything in here is representative of me. I wouldn’t bring something in here if I wouldn’t want to buy it personally or if I wouldn’t want to wear it or have displayed in my home. It is a representation of me and sort of my loves. I think people recognize that and they know that I’m constantly looking for that new, next big thing and I’m willing to take chances with a lot of the products we bring in. Dave: Although Kellee has had to make major changes over the years — in terms of product offering, location, and staff size — one thing that has stayed consistent is her commitment to an exceptional customer experience. While Kellee and her staff are happy to tell you about any piece on the store, they won’t pressure anyone into a sale that isn’t a perfect fit. Dave: You’re touching on this a bit, but what would you say makes your business different from others out there? Kellee: I think it’s the level of the customer service that we provide. We are not a high sales pressure store. For me, I have an amazing staff and they all equally enjoy working here, the products that we have and the customer interaction. It’s really making someone feel at home the minute they walk in the store and asking how we can help them. But social conversations, catching up, how everything is going in their lives. Then just helping them find a gift. They just come in . . . a lot of people say this is their happy place. They’ll just come in and walk around and not buy anything; that’s fine by me. This is their place to come. They’re looking, they’re staying, they’re thinking about . . . and it could be six months to a year, they come back and say “Oh, I remember seeing this. This is the perfect gift for someone.” To me, that’s the type of business I want to have. I want people to know that we’re reliable, we’ve got a great offering, that we’re changing our selection all the time. But also, you can buy something for $5 or you can buy something for $200 and I’m going to treat you the same as anyone else. It’s really . . . it’s like the level of the customer service. I want my staff to treat our customers the way I would expect to be treated when I walk into a store. Dave: Yeah. How do you measure success? What does that look like to you? Kellee: Obviously, there’s the financial component of it. If I’m making my numbers and I’m able to pay . . . I have four employees right now. If I can support that, I consider that a fairly successful business. I also look at the level of our customers and their satisfaction and how happy they are. Especially . . . I’ll be in the supermarket and someone will come up to me and be like “Oh, I gave that gift to so and so and it was perfect and you nailed it right in the head” and they were so happy. I think they love how they look in the gift-giving process and they loved seeing the response of their recipient getting the gift. I really measure a lot of it based on that, our customers’ sort of happiness. Dave: Even as a small business owner, it’s important to remember success is sweetest when shared with others. While it’s incredibly empowering to pursue your own dreams and make decisions for yourself, some of the best parts of your business will be when you are interacting with the people that matter most to your business. After my conversation with Kellee I’m reminded of the importance of valuing your customers, staying open to collaborative opportunities with other business, and treating your staff with respect. I’ll leave you with one last piece of business advice from Kellee: Dave: If you could give somebody else just starting their business a piece of advice, what would that be? Kellee: Trust your gut. Understand that you obviously have a dream and I think if you work hard, you can make that dream come true. It’s going to take time; it’s not going to happen overnight. Just be patient. Set short-term goals. Don’t think about that ten years where you’re going to be . . . just so that you understand the success as it’s sort of happening. It might be small, but each of those successes are going to build into something huge and amazing. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest, Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Rose & Dove Specialty Gift Shop, Small Biz Stories Episode 7 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

Jim Kilroy, owner of Danish Country Antiques, knows what it takes to be a small business owner. Listen as he shares how he’s stayed motivated for over 30 years, his best advice, and what it really means to think like an owner. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Jim: There was no hard part. You just did it. You had to do it. There was no choice. I wasn’t going to go apply for a job. I just had to do it. And I had to succeed one way or the other. My wife was pregnant. You know what I mean? I had no money. I had to succeed. It was as simple as that. And I did. I was lucky. Dave: Jim Kilroy, owner of Danish Country Antiques, is the sixth business owner we’ve interviewed for Small Biz Stories. Since starting the project three months ago, we’ve talked to people like Andy and Jackie, who sold their home to start their own artisan bakery. Then there was Peter, a man who loves cheese enough to roll a 400 pound wheel of it down a red carpet during his annual cheese parade. We heard from Marie, who keeps her business going by displaying her talent both online and off. And most recently, Jason and Chris shared how their efforts contribute to community development and make a lasting impact. With each story comes a new adventure, shaped by the owners and their unique points of view. But look closer and you’ll start to see some unmistakable commonalities. These are people who hit the ground running on day one, and have followed through ever since. Their motivation comes from a strong desire to call the shots, as well as an unwavering belief in the value of what they do. Like a handcrafted Danish cabinet from the 1760s, these traits can’t be forged or copied. When you see the real deal, you just know it. Today Jim shares how he has stayed motivated for over 30 years, his biggest business regret, and what it really means to think like an owner. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Starting a small business, it doesn’t take long to realize what you’re up against. Listening to Jim talk about the early days of his business, you’ll hear his determination, as well as the importance of having a support system to make it through some early challenges. Jim: I was going to do an antique store one way or the other. Dave: What year was that when you started the shop? Jim: That was in ’84. Dave: ’84? Jim: Yeah. It was actually ’83 when I planned it, but it was ’84 when I opened it. Dave: Did you get any push back from folks who were like . . . ? Jim: No. No. No. No. No. Everybody was thrilled actually and then when I came back and found this location, everybody pitched in. It was a family affair. We painted the ceiling blue and my friends we did the basement. We tore out a wall. We did all this stuff. It was really, well, I see it happening around here, too, with small shops. People come in on a Saturday and Sunday and they blow through it. It took us a bit longer. This place was a real dump, but we got it all together within a month and then the container. I had already bought the furniture and we unloaded the first container in a snowstorm right out front. Four of us. Dave: Snowing? Jim: Yeah. It was snowing. Wind coming that direction was blowing in the back of the container. It was classic. Dave: New England. Jim: Yeah, I know. But on the other hand everybody was kind of interested. What’s going on? You know? And I was a lot younger in ’84 and it was really new merchandise for Boston. I was very lucky. This was before Pottery Barn. This was before you guys saw the blonde wood that you see there or you see there or you see behind you. I was really, I can’t say the first, but I was damn close to the first and then I was really big on it. Talking about inventory. So that’s how I got started. Dave: The pieces that Jim chooses to fill his shop are what make his store unique. Jim still travels to Scandinavia a couple times each year to hand pick each piece of inventory. Walking through his shop, you’ll notice lanky Swedish clocks, matching Mid Century chairs, and gleaming Chinese lacquered tables. Jim: I was never a guy . . . I didn’t want to expand to the typical Georgian mahogany and the English this and the French that and the Italian this. I wanted to always do something a little bit on the edge and the pine, I know people find it hard to believe, but it was on the edge at the beginning and it was very successful. So I didn’t have to worry about the first five years of being a success. It was more how to keep the momentum going, how to do it right, how to always keep the quality. And one thing about this business, one of the best things, is you learn every day. There’s no such thing as knowing it all. Never, ever, ever. I mean, I don’t know a thing about silver. People come in and ask me, do you know? No. I don’t know a thing. I know what I know. And you can learn something new about that every day, too. Dave: Yeah. What is it about one being a small business owner and this business that excites you the most? Jim: Well, excite, after 30 years I don’t know if excites is really the right word but keep me going I’d say is that every day is a new day and you have to make it that way, because no one else is going to do it. I mean, no one’s going to tell you to do it. But it really is and because you do come in and you do learn something and sometimes you learn something from reading. Sometimes you learn from people coming in and talking to them. We just start talking but you do get a chance to talk to people and 95% of the people are really nice. I wish it were 100 but it’s not. Dave: Yeah. Jim: So that’s where, excitement, I’d say the motivation to come in and if I had extra time, what was I doing? Cleaning the windows. I don’t really want to clean the windows and climb on the bars, but guess what? They had to get cleaned. Jim: And so that’s what you do. Dave: Would you ever go back to working for somebody else? Jim: I don’t think anybody would hire me. Are you kidding me? What am I going to do? No. Well, I wish you wouldn’t say that. No. I run into people young and old who I say act like owners and they don’t just stand there and say, “Okay. What do I do next?” They are already thinking ahead. They’re already saying, okay, if you’re the boss what do you need? I’m going to try to make it so that I’m almost giving it to you before you need it. And that’s thinking like an owner. So I’m trying to think, like now, on inventory, on my buying trips, I’m thinking what do people want? Now I don’t really know what people want. I just, it’s from listening to them, it’s from looking at the magazines. From reading this or just getting a feel for things. And we did the Chinese before anybody else. Well, there was one other store that was a month ahead of me and she unfortunately went out of business because she was very nice. But it’s always thinking ahead. It’s always, you can’t get deeply into a routine or you have to be in some kind of routine but you have to also think outside the box. Dave: Like many business owners, one of the things Jim spends a lot of time thinking about is how to reach his customers. I asked him why his customer base chooses Danish Country Antiques over his competition. Jim: Well, at the beginning it was really fresh, interesting merchandise and then if they compared me back then I think it was the quality and I like to think it was customer service if I want to use an abused word. And today it’s the same. I mean, I think I try to have a nice mix. It’s much more of a mix now. But it’s all a certain, it’s all point of view. It’s all the way I buy. If you came with me on a buying trip and you had to buy something, you’d be like, “Shoot I don’t know what I want to buy. Do I buy this one or that one?” But you’d have to trust what you like. And so that’s what I’ve always done. From the beginning, I trusted what I liked. It’s just the way it is. I think really the way at this point it’s a question of keeping the merchandise interesting, because old clients or new clients you have to stay up to date. What are we sitting around in? Gorgeous rosewood table from 1960. Mid century chairs, they’re so comfy. You know? They’re great. Ten years ago I wasn’t doing it at all. I probably should have started eight years ago, because I knew dealers in Denmark that were starting it, but I didn’t, because I was a little slow on that. So you have to, but you have to then be ready to open up. When it’s time to rock and roll you have to rock and roll. So now I do the mid-century in a very big way. I don’t have much right now, because we’ve sold most of it. But that’s what, when I go buying I will be doing that and getting the older things, but the real old things. The things that now, well, they just they still tell a story, but they’re real. They’re real stories. This isn’t creative writing stories. You just look at the pieces and they’re great. Dave: Being open to change has been crucial to Jim’s success. In the early years of his business, Jim remembers investing time and money to advertise in the Boston Globe. In the last decade, his strategy has changed to reach an online audience as well. Jim: We’re really a fringe edge of the furniture business or collectibles business. Now I was always on the furniture end of that corner and I think the big difference with me is that I advertised more than anybody else at the beginning. But I was very lucky, because when I first started, again, it was very new product for Boston. We did it in a relatively big way. The hardest thing now is exactly why you guys are here, because it is reaching people. It is much more difficult to reach people than it was ten years ago. It was effortless to do it compared to today,30 years ago. As I said, you had one vehicle. All you had to do was spend the money and I did. So reaching people and people have more choice today. And so there’s lots of more challenges nowadays, I think. Dave: Yeah. Jim: I think I had it easy to be honest with you. Dave: Jim is quick to admit when he is out of his element. Knowing that online marketing would be the best way to open up new opportunities for his business, Jim started working with his son-in-law, Eric, to find new ways to connect with customers online. Here’s Eric talking about the store’s new approach: Eric: So our digital strategy is really simple. It’s just two parts. The first is awareness. So getting our name out there, again, to the right people and the second is conversion online. Right? So for a really long time all of our sales was just in store. And recently, the past couple of years, we’ve started converting some business online as well. So that’s a real focus point for us. So making sure that we stay connected to people in a way that they know they can access our full inventory online, so they can even buy stuff on the site right now. We list on some other high end antique furniture marketplaces, we’re sending them there sometimes, too. And it’s really, it’s a mix of trying to get our name out there as much as possible but then also keep people involved so the retention aspect of it, too, which is where email plays such a huge part for us. It’s really email and social, but definitely in that order. Like, our email list, putting out quality content that we think people are really going to be interested in. So not spamming people but really coming from the consumer point of view of what do these people care about? It’s not just sales. It’s about, like, new shipments when we get new pieces in and we’re doing this right now. Jim: It’s not twice a day. Eric: It’s not twice a day. About once a week. But we’re doing a piece right now on his sister who spends so much time it’s amazing to hear. Dave: Unlike print ads, channels like email marketing and social media give Jim and Eric the space to tell their story to attract new customers and drive repeat business. It’s the stories of these unique products and people that draw others in through these channels. Eric: But that’s what the big mass retailers don’t have. Right. Because literally the furniture does not have a history. Dave: No. It’s . . . Eric: So I’m a big believer, any business, but especially a small business, you really need to double down on what your strength is. Dave: Yeah. Eric: And forget what your weaknesses are. We don’t have a big marketing budget. We’re not going to be able to, like, send out a mail or a catalog to everybody, but what we do have is beautiful furniture that each piece has its own unique history. So doubling down on that, telling those stories through content, through email, that’s what I think one of our biggest strengths is. That’s what we’re really trying to focus on. It’s really that simple. It’s awareness built on quality content that people are going to find valuable delivered through email, social, and then also doing a lot of we reach out to blogs and do guest blog posts and interviews, trying to get Jim out there and his expertise a little bit more. And then on the backend trying to see what kind of business we can actually build online while recognizing that we’re still a brick and mortar business and we need the foot traffic and this is where people . . . People need to touch furniture and see it. Dave: Yeah. You mentioned you send them out once a week? Eric: Yeah. Dave: So what types of things go in those newsletters? Eric: So we do promote sales, again, when we think it’s going to be something that people will find valuable. If you notice we actually just started a campaign to give people 10% off if they sign up for the newsletter, off the purchase of any list priced piece of furniture. So that’s been doing really well for us. And then I’m really interested and I think that people will be really interested in hearing more about the history and the behind . . . he doesn’t believe me, but I think people will be. The history and the behind the scenes, just like hearing him and his sister and people who have been in the business for so long talk about how they got started, why they keep doing it, their point of view on it. Dave: Yeah. Eric: Again, it’s just about quality content. Dave: Together, Jim and Eric combine their talents and work hard to keep the business looking good both online and in-store. Eric: Yeah. But I think it really is a blend of those mentalities. Right? Having the book smarts and the money smarts and the business smarts to know what needs to get done. But then also, like, rolling up your sleeves and doing … washing the windows when you have five minutes before you do a podcast interview. So whatever it takes. And I think there’s a lot of people, especially in my generation who call themselves entrepreneurs, especially on a tax base where I’m more involved, who aren’t willing to work that hard and work seven days a week for 30 years. And so that mentality has been interesting and to be honest, a little bit inspiring to learn from. Dave: Talking to Jim, it’s easy to see the dedication he had in the early days of his business hasn’t gone anywhere. While he never claims to have all the answers, he has confidence in his ability to make good decisions and keep moving forward. Jim: It was just really hit the ground running and I didn’t have a business education and I think it came back to haunt me later on, because I did try to expand certain ways in different locations, but I was also very conservative when it came to money. So I would never borrow, for example, and get myself into debt. And that also limits you. When you look at Sam Adams opened up the same year I opened up and he’s a billionaire. It would be, it’s a different product, it’s a different this. Again, this is a very, very sweet business but it’s not one, you’re not going to retire early. You’re going to keep working hard and I’ll keep working hard moving furniture. Dave: Yeah. Jim: You can’t stick around with me long, because everybody helps me move furniture. At one time or another, everyone’s picking something up. Yeah. Exactly. Dave: So then, how do you measure success? What does success look like to you? Jim: Success after 30 years it is that I have my original wife and I have three wonderful children. That’s what success is. And I’m healthy and fit and I still have a good time. That’s what it is. Dave: So you’ve talked a bit about it but was there ever a time where you were just, like, “I don’t know if this is going to work.”? Jim: Oh yeah. Of course. There’s always. Oh yeah. Of course. I think the worst time was this last recession, because talk about expanding products and location, I’ve always needed a warehouse. Almost from the very beginning, you can’t unload containers on Charles Street anymore and I opened up a store in Natick and that was just a mistake. It was too big. It was not the right atmosphere. And it was the worst recession since the Great Depression. So that was a bit scary. Dave: What’s something that keeps you going through those moments, those periods? Jim: Same thing that got me started. I didn’t have any choice. You just keep going. Going bankrupt and things like that, that’s not, I know people do it. I’m not clever enough. You know what I mean? Dave: Looking back on the interviews from this season, I’m realizing that nothing is guaranteed. Even as an owner there will be plenty of elements out of your control. So why do people do it? Listening to Jim, I think you’ll hear a strong understanding of the balance between risk and reward. While there have been plenty of sacrifices along the way, it’s clear Jim’s decision to start his own business is one he’d never go back on. I’ll leave you with one last piece of advice from Jim. Dave: What’s the one piece of advice that you would offer to someone just starting off in business? Jim: Go for it. What do you got to lose? That’s the question. What do you got to lose? When you’re young. I mean, really? You just have to, what do you have to lose? You’re going to have a gap year on your resume? Do you know what I mean? I already had that, so I really had nothing to lose. And so you go for it and then you be prepared for work, for every bit of it. But it’s fun. Eric’s having fun and he’s working like hell but he likes it. I’m still having fun. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Danish Country Antiques – Small Biz Stories, Episode 6 appeared first on Constant Contact.

Jim Kilroy, owner of Danish Country Antiques, knows what it takes to be a small business owner. Listen as he shares how he’s stayed motivated for over 30 years, his best advice, and what it really means to think like an owner. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Jim: There was no hard part. You just did it. You had to do it. There was no choice. I wasn’t going to go apply for a job. I just had to do it. And I had to succeed one way or the other. My wife was pregnant. You know what I mean? I had no money. I had to succeed. It was as simple as that. And I did. I was lucky. Dave: Jim Kilroy, owner of Danish Country Antiques, is the sixth business owner we’ve interviewed for Small Biz Stories. Since starting the project three months ago, we’ve talked to people like Andy and Jackie, who sold their home to start their own artisan bakery. Then there was Peter, a man who loves cheese enough to roll a 400 pound wheel of it down a red carpet during his annual cheese parade. We heard from Marie, who keeps her business going by displaying her talent both online and off. And most recently, Jason and Chris shared how their efforts contribute to community development and make a lasting impact. With each story comes a new adventure, shaped by the owners and their unique points of view. But look closer and you’ll start to see some unmistakable commonalities. These are people who hit the ground running on day one, and have followed through ever since. Their motivation comes from a strong desire to call the shots, as well as an unwavering belief in the value of what they do. Like a handcrafted Danish cabinet from the 1760s, these traits can’t be forged or copied. When you see the real deal, you just know it. Today Jim shares how he has stayed motivated for over 30 years, his biggest business regret, and what it really means to think like an owner. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Starting a small business, it doesn’t take long to realize what you’re up against. Listening to Jim talk about the early days of his business, you’ll hear his determination, as well as the importance of having a support system to make it through some early challenges. Jim: I was going to do an antique store one way or the other. Dave: What year was that when you started the shop? Jim: That was in ’84. Dave: ’84? Jim: Yeah. It was actually ’83 when I planned it, but it was ’84 when I opened it. Dave: Did you get any push back from folks who were like . . . ? Jim: No. No. No. No. No. Everybody was thrilled actually and then when I came back and found this location, everybody pitched in. It was a family affair. We painted the ceiling blue and my friends we did the basement. We tore out a wall. We did all this stuff. It was really, well, I see it happening around here, too, with small shops. People come in on a Saturday and Sunday and they blow through it. It took us a bit longer. This place was a real dump, but we got it all together within a month and then the container. I had already bought the furniture and we unloaded the first container in a snowstorm right out front. Four of us. Dave: Snowing? Jim: Yeah. It was snowing. Wind coming that direction was blowing in the back of the container. It was classic. Dave: New England. Jim: Yeah, I know. But on the other hand everybody was kind of interested. What’s going on? You know? And I was a lot younger in ’84 and it was really new merchandise for Boston. I was very lucky. This was before Pottery Barn. This was before you guys saw the blonde wood that you see there or you see there or you see behind you. I was really, I can’t say the first, but I was damn close to the first and then I was really big on it. Talking about inventory. So that’s how I got started. Dave: The pieces that Jim chooses to fill his shop are what make his store unique. Jim still travels to Scandinavia a couple times each year to hand pick each piece of inventory. Walking through his shop, you’ll notice lanky Swedish clocks, matching Mid Century chairs, and gleaming Chinese lacquered tables. Jim: I was never a guy . . . I didn’t want to expand to the typical Georgian mahogany and the English this and the French that and the Italian this. I wanted to always do something a little bit on the edge and the pine, I know people find it hard to believe, but it was on the edge at the beginning and it was very successful. So I didn’t have to worry about the first five years of being a success. It was more how to keep the momentum going, how to do it right, how to always keep the quality. And one thing about this business, one of the best things, is you learn every day. There’s no such thing as knowing it all. Never, ever, ever. I mean, I don’t know a thing about silver. People come in and ask me, do you know? No. I don’t know a thing. I know what I know. And you can learn something new about that every day, too. Dave: Yeah. What is it about one being a small business owner and this business that excites you the most? Jim: Well, excite, after 30 years I don’t know if excites is really the right word but keep me going I’d say is that every day is a new day and you have to make it that way, because no one else is going to do it. I mean, no one’s going to tell you to do it. But it really is and because you do come in and you do learn something and sometimes you learn something from reading. Sometimes you learn from people coming in and talking to them. We just start talking but you do get a chance to talk to people and 95% of the people are really nice. I wish it were 100 but it’s not. Dave: Yeah. Jim: So that’s where, excitement, I’d say the motivation to come in and if I had extra time, what was I doing? Cleaning the windows. I don’t really want to clean the windows and climb on the bars, but guess what? They had to get cleaned. Jim: And so that’s what you do. Dave: Would you ever go back to working for somebody else? Jim: I don’t think anybody would hire me. Are you kidding me? What am I going to do? No. Well, I wish you wouldn’t say that. No. I run into people young and old who I say act like owners and they don’t just stand there and say, “Okay. What do I do next?” They are already thinking ahead. They’re already saying, okay, if you’re the boss what do you need? I’m going to try to make it so that I’m almost giving it to you before you need it. And that’s thinking like an owner. So I’m trying to think, like now, on inventory, on my buying trips, I’m thinking what do people want? Now I don’t really know what people want. I just, it’s from listening to them, it’s from looking at the magazines. From reading this or just getting a feel for things. And we did the Chinese before anybody else. Well, there was one other store that was a month ahead of me and she unfortunately went out of business because she was very nice. But it’s always thinking ahead. It’s always, you can’t get deeply into a routine or you have to be in some kind of routine but you have to also think outside the box. Dave: Like many business owners, one of the things Jim spends a lot of time thinking about is how to reach his customers. I asked him why his customer base chooses Danish Country Antiques over his competition. Jim: Well, at the beginning it was really fresh, interesting merchandise and then if they compared me back then I think it was the quality and I like to think it was customer service if I want to use an abused word. And today it’s the same. I mean, I think I try to have a nice mix. It’s much more of a mix now. But it’s all a certain, it’s all point of view. It’s all the way I buy. If you came with me on a buying trip and you had to buy something, you’d be like, “Shoot I don’t know what I want to buy. Do I buy this one or that one?” But you’d have to trust what you like. And so that’s what I’ve always done. From the beginning, I trusted what I liked. It’s just the way it is. I think really the way at this point it’s a question of keeping the merchandise interesting, because old clients or new clients you have to stay up to date. What are we sitting around in? Gorgeous rosewood table from 1960. Mid century chairs, they’re so comfy. You know? They’re great. Ten years ago I wasn’t doing it at all. I probably should have started eight years ago, because I knew dealers in Denmark that were starting it, but I didn’t, because I was a little slow on that. So you have to, but you have to then be ready to open up. When it’s time to rock and roll you have to rock and roll. So now I do the mid-century in a very big way. I don’t have much right now, because we’ve sold most of it. But that’s what, when I go buying I will be doing that and getting the older things, but the real old things. The things that now, well, they just they still tell a story, but they’re real. They’re real stories. This isn’t creative writing stories. You just look at the pieces and they’re great. Dave: Being open to change has been crucial to Jim’s success. In the early years of his business, Jim remembers investing time and money to advertise in the Boston Globe. In the last decade, his strategy has changed to reach an online audience as well. Jim: We’re really a fringe edge of the furniture business or collectibles business. Now I was always on the furniture end of that corner and I think the big difference with me is that I advertised more than anybody else at the beginning. But I was very lucky, because when I first started, again, it was very new product for Boston. We did it in a relatively big way. The hardest thing now is exactly why you guys are here, because it is reaching people. It is much more difficult to reach people than it was ten years ago. It was effortless to do it compared to today,30 years ago. As I said, you had one vehicle. All you had to do was spend the money and I did. So reaching people and people have more choice today. And so there’s lots of more challenges nowadays, I think. Dave: Yeah. Jim: I think I had it easy to be honest with you. Dave: Jim is quick to admit when he is out of his element. Knowing that online marketing would be the best way to open up new opportunities for his business, Jim started working with his son-in-law, Eric, to find new ways to connect with customers online. Here’s Eric talking about the store’s new approach: Eric: So our digital strategy is really simple. It’s just two parts. The first is awareness. So getting our name out there, again, to the right people and the second is conversion online. Right? So for a really long time all of our sales was just in store. And recently, the past couple of years, we’ve started converting some business online as well. So that’s a real focus point for us. So making sure that we stay connected to people in a way that they know they can access our full inventory online, so they can even buy stuff on the site right now. We list on some other high end antique furniture marketplaces, we’re sending them there sometimes, too. And it’s really, it’s a mix of trying to get our name out there as much as possible but then also keep people involved so the retention aspect of it, too, which is where email plays such a huge part for us. It’s really email and social, but definitely in that order. Like, our email list, putting out quality content that we think people are really going to be interested in. So not spamming people but really coming from the consumer point of view of what do these people care about? It’s not just sales. It’s about, like, new shipments when we get new pieces in and we’re doing this right now. Jim: It’s not twice a day. Eric: It’s not twice a day. About once a week. But we’re doing a piece right now on his sister who spends so much time it’s amazing to hear. Dave: Unlike print ads, channels like email marketing and social media give Jim and Eric the space to tell their story to attract new customers and drive repeat business. It’s the stories of these unique products and people that draw others in through these channels. Eric: But that’s what the big mass retailers don’t have. Right. Because literally the furniture does not have a history. Dave: No. It’s . . . Eric: So I’m a big believer, any business, but especially a small business, you really need to double down on what your strength is. Dave: Yeah. Eric: And forget what your weaknesses are. We don’t have a big marketing budget. We’re not going to be able to, like, send out a mail or a catalog to everybody, but what we do have is beautiful furniture that each piece has its own unique history. So doubling down on that, telling those stories through content, through email, that’s what I think one of our biggest strengths is. That’s what we’re really trying to focus on. It’s really that simple. It’s awareness built on quality content that people are going to find valuable delivered through email, social, and then also doing a lot of we reach out to blogs and do guest blog posts and interviews, trying to get Jim out there and his expertise a little bit more. And then on the backend trying to see what kind of business we can actually build online while recognizing that we’re still a brick and mortar business and we need the foot traffic and this is where people . . . People need to touch furniture and see it. Dave: Yeah. You mentioned you send them out once a week? Eric: Yeah. Dave: So what types of things go in those newsletters? Eric: So we do promote sales, again, when we think it’s going to be something that people will find valuable. If you notice we actually just started a campaign to give people 10% off if they sign up for the newsletter, off the purchase of any list priced piece of furniture. So that’s been doing really well for us. And then I’m really interested and I think that people will be really interested in hearing more about the history and the behind . . . he doesn’t believe me, but I think people will be. The history and the behind the scenes, just like hearing him and his sister and people who have been in the business for so long talk about how they got started, why they keep doing it, their point of view on it. Dave: Yeah. Eric: Again, it’s just about quality content. Dave: Together, Jim and Eric combine their talents and work hard to keep the business looking good both online and in-store. Eric: Yeah. But I think it really is a blend of those mentalities. Right? Having the book smarts and the money smarts and the business smarts to know what needs to get done. But then also, like, rolling up your sleeves and doing … washing the windows when you have five minutes before you do a podcast interview. So whatever it takes. And I think there’s a lot of people, especially in my generation who call themselves entrepreneurs, especially on a tax base where I’m more involved, who aren’t willing to work that hard and work seven days a week for 30 years. And so that mentality has been interesting and to be honest, a little bit inspiring to learn from. Dave: Talking to Jim, it’s easy to see the dedication he had in the early days of his business hasn’t gone anywhere. While he never claims to have all the answers, he has confidence in his ability to make good decisions and keep moving forward. Jim: It was just really hit the ground running and I didn’t have a business education and I think it came back to haunt me later on, because I did try to expand certain ways in different locations, but I was also very conservative when it came to money. So I would never borrow, for example, and get myself into debt. And that also limits you. When you look at Sam Adams opened up the same year I opened up and he’s a billionaire. It would be, it’s a different product, it’s a different this. Again, this is a very, very sweet business but it’s not one, you’re not going to retire early. You’re going to keep working hard and I’ll keep working hard moving furniture. Dave: Yeah. Jim: You can’t stick around with me long, because everybody helps me move furniture. At one time or another, everyone’s picking something up. Yeah. Exactly. Dave: So then, how do you measure success? What does success look like to you? Jim: Success after 30 years it is that I have my original wife and I have three wonderful children. That’s what success is. And I’m healthy and fit and I still have a good time. That’s what it is. Dave: So you’ve talked a bit about it but was there ever a time where you were just, like, “I don’t know if this is going to work.”? Jim: Oh yeah. Of course. There’s always. Oh yeah. Of course. I think the worst time was this last recession, because talk about expanding products and location, I’ve always needed a warehouse. Almost from the very beginning, you can’t unload containers on Charles Street anymore and I opened up a store in Natick and that was just a mistake. It was too big. It was not the right atmosphere. And it was the worst recession since the Great Depression. So that was a bit scary. Dave: What’s something that keeps you going through those moments, those periods? Jim: Same thing that got me started. I didn’t have any choice. You just keep going. Going bankrupt and things like that, that’s not, I know people do it. I’m not clever enough. You know what I mean? Dave: Looking back on the interviews from this season, I’m realizing that nothing is guaranteed. Even as an owner there will be plenty of elements out of your control. So why do people do it? Listening to Jim, I think you’ll hear a strong understanding of the balance between risk and reward. While there have been plenty of sacrifices along the way, it’s clear Jim’s decision to start his own business is one he’d never go back on. I’ll leave you with one last piece of advice from Jim. Dave: What’s the one piece of advice that you would offer to someone just starting off in business? Jim: Go for it. What do you got to lose? That’s the question. What do you got to lose? When you’re young. I mean, really? You just have to, what do you have to lose? You’re going to have a gap year on your resume? Do you know what I mean? I already had that, so I really had nothing to lose. And so you go for it and then you be prepared for work, for every bit of it. But it’s fun. Eric’s having fun and he’s working like hell but he likes it. I’m still having fun. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Danish Country Antiques, Small Biz Stories Episode 6 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

In episode 5, you’ll meet Chris Iousa, owner of Destaré martini bar and Chaibo coffee and tea house in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Listen as he shares how small businesses have the power to transform Main Street and revitalize communities. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher. You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Chris: The chasing of money, it actually bores me. It’s just not something that intrigues me. It’s difficult for me to be around a lot of other business people. They’re talking about their profits and their return on investments. It doesn’t inspire me. It’s like, what have you done? What have you created? What difference have you made in the communities that you’re in? By default, the businesses do make money, but that’s never been my passion. It’s been really about engaging with customers, engaging the neighborhood, hoping to help make people feel a little more pride in their community. Dave: Chris Iousa remembers the first time he drove through Fitchburg. The old mill town architecture and Victorian homes awoke an excitement that hasn’t left him since. Driving down Main Street, Chris saw an opportunity to revitalize a community and reclaim Fitchburg as the destination spot it once was during the peak of its industrial and commercial prosperity. Like many small business owners, Chris is passionate about his local community. He knows his customers’ names and their favorite orders. He listens to his staff and gives them opportunities to directly contribute to the business. Above all, Chris holds a strong conviction that small businesses have the power to transform communities. Today, Chris shares how he overcame doubts and challenges to create profitable small businesses in his community. He’ll share how his approach as a business owner has changed over time and his best piece of advice for those just starting out. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Chris’s interest in community development stems from a background in real estate. For years, Chris has made lasting impact by renovating space and stimulating neighborhoods. Chris: My passion is transforming space. Prior to acquiring this building, most of my development activities were looking in the most desperate of residential neighborhoods. I’d find the worst house in the neighborhood and I went in and renovated it. We did a full development of the space of the building. I watched on a small scale that our efforts on one building in a neighborhood would start getting. I’d send my crews down there. The landscapers would go out and do their thing. Then I’d watch the next weekend a property that had been completely unmaintained for years and years and years, now the other person, a neighbor was out actually raking the leaves that had been accumulating for many, many years. I looked at that and I said, “You can’t count on the neighborhood transforming but you can make a difference.” I did that for a lot of years. I took homes that had notorious reputation for gang activity or notorious activity for drug activity and went in. We did our thing and turned it into a beautiful spot, beautiful landscaping, and turned what was the eyesore of a neighborhood to really the jewel of a neighborhood. It transformed neighborhoods. I figured with that experience, I would take that experience and bring it down to Main Street. Because it’s really once General Electric left Fitchburg, the Main Street area really had suffered dramatically. For 10 years, I’ve been working in various capacities both from a private business perspective and with nonprofit organizations to try to find ways to just put us on the map as being a destination spot. Dave: Chris will be the first to tell you he’s not afraid to go out on a limb. When it came time to find the right building to renovate, he chose one of the most visible buildings in the city — the massive and historic Dickinson building. Chris: This building had been vacant for 40 years when I bought it. I went out and did my typical real estate developer activities and attempted to find larger, more well-recognized, the Starbucks and the 99 Restaurants. I said we’ve got a beautiful space. It’s the Gateway Building on Main Street and it’d be a great spot for your establishment. They looked at the demographics of Fitchburg and had no interest. So I kept hearing this time and time again. I said, “You know what? I’ve heard it enough. I’m not going to continue to go down those roads. I’m going to just try to reestablish this city as a destination spot. We started with the business center just to get some activity in the building and then moved over to Destaré and really put the effort into designing a space that would be considered really over the top for the area just to get the recognition factor, and we did. We got Chronicle come out. We did a piece on Chronicle. It was just a very interesting interview, because from their perspective the question was why. In this particular area, why would you ever consider? We owned the building. The only way that this area was going to make a transformation is if we stepped up to the plate and made things happen that otherwise would not be happening. I think they called it the most audacious display of confidence they had ever seen. From my perspective, it’s all made sense. Dave: Despite the misgivings from other businesses and media outlets, Chris pushed forward with his mission.  His first step was to open Fitchburg’s Business Center, which serves as an incubator space for local small businesses. Then, on the street level, Chris focused his efforts on Destaré, a martini bar named for its Italian translation: awakening. But making his business a reality was not an easy process. Here’s Chris describing some of the early challenges that occurred before opening Destaré’s doors to the public. Chris: The challenge, it took us two years to get a building permit to open our doors. If it were just monetary gain that I was seeking, I never would have went through the two year process. We started this process of the building plans right after the horrific experience in the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island. So the idea that we were now going to open a nightclub with a large capacity of people as our potential customers, the fire department was very alarmed, justifiably so. I mean, people lost their lives and there was a tragic accident, but the pendulum swung so far to the other side that they came to us and said, “In order to build your space, you need to take the five floors above you and heat it and make it fire safety ready.” We need sprinklers up through there. I said, we have a 48,000 square foot building. Almost 40,000 of that are on the upper floors. The idea that we’re going to heat that amount of space to maintain a sprinkler system is just absurd. It was a year after year process of negotiating with the architects and the engineers to finally be able to create what we consider to be a very, very safe spot from a fire safety perspective. It worked with the fire department as well. But for two years, it was a long drawn out process. There were times where I said this is testing patience, but the conviction was always there to make this happen. We followed through and here we are. Dave: With patience and persistence, Chris made it to Destaré’s opening day. While the wait was longer than he would have hoped, it did create anticipation and curiosity within the community. Chris: We just put our lights on and the trickle of people flow and people started coming through. They said, “We’ve been waiting for this moment. Because a lot of the time during construction, we took and put a great big question mark in the front window.” People were driving by. A lot of people were saying, “What is going on in this building. It’s been vacant for so many years, what is happening?” I just played into that a little bit and put the big question mark up. A lot of people who were not really close to me either personally or in a business perspective had asked what was going on. I’d say, “We’ve got something unique and special going on. I can’t fill you in much more of the details.” So there was a little bit of built up pent up demand to know what was happening. Those customers came in, our friends and family and business associates in there just started trickling in. It was just great to see the menu being well received and people going up and down the menu saying, “Wow, look at the selection. Look at the diversity of beverages and food.” It was just a great experience for us. Dave: The quality of food and drink is something Chris approaches with a great deal of pride. With Destare, Chris made bold menu choices to offer Fitchburg residents something new and distinctive that they couldn’t get anywhere else in the area. Chris: There were no other martini bars. To get a martini in this area, you really had to travel outside the area. The martini, they’ve heard of it. Everybody’s familiar with James Bond. But as a source of a beverage that could be a once or twice a week activity, it was just not that type of familiarity with it in this marketplace. So there was a lot more education to our customer base that we had to go through. We took that as a very interesting challenge. We started now introducing scotch that might not have been sold in Fitchburg since 40 or 50 or 60 years when Fitchburg was really experiencing its renaissance. We went to cognac and started bringing in bottles of very, very expensive cognac. We actually put a cognac on our menu that was $235 for a two ounce glass. People said, “You’re insane. This is a surefire way to have you head to bankruptcy.” I said, “No. I really believe that with the right education and the right presentation, people will buy it.” This bottle of Louis XIII cognac has been something that we go through on a regular basis now. People were just saying, “We don’t understand how you’re doing it. The demographics of your neighborhood and your area really don’t support ever that type of sale of alcohol.” But we have it on our menu. We’ve kept it on our menu for eight years and we cycle through the bottles on a regular basis. Dave: Chris’s commitment to providing new and quality experiences paid off. Just two years after opening Destaré, he opened Chaibo, a café with specialty teas, craft beer, and food items. Chris attributes the success of each business to the unique menu offerings and décor. Chris: Specifically, our success has been the uniqueness of our menu. It has been something I really try to drive home the point that if you go up and down Main Street right now, a lot of businesses look to what is the easiest business to open and the most profitable business to open, which tends to be pizza shops. From the beginning of Main Street to the next, I haven’t been actually able to count how many there are but there have been a lot of them. A lot of them try and fail because they just don’t have a unique concept behind their particular plan. For me, it was just creating such a unique menu that people would come in just for our menu. We would start advertising 30 different types of vodkas and 30 different types of scotches and 45 different types of cognacs. Downstairs at Chaibo, we have a very, very diverse selection of very outstanding craft beer along with great teas and great coffees and cheeses. People really found that to be the uniqueness of our menu was something that was very important to people. For a small example, with Chaibo, it was that instead of selling tea as most every place in this area would sell it, we spent a lot of time doing a lot of research and made the presentation of our tea with a loose leaf tea pot and very cute cups to make the presentation very interesting with tea timers and made it a very interesting experience. People just flooded us. And for the first two years of our business, tea was our highest volume product to an area where loose leaf tea, there hadn’t been a loose leaf tea shop in this area, none that I could ever remember. So it was just by taking the unique market. We did the same thing with gelato. Everybody was very familiar with ice cream in this area. I started making some craft gelato. I really had a great time with it. We introduced the consumers of this area to the experience of enjoying gelato. That was something so new to this area. Again, it was just the uniqueness of the menu that people were telling their friends and family, “You’ve got to try this.” I think that was to a great degree a reason for our success. A lot of it also had to do with our decor. We tended to use design elements that were very unique to this space. It was actually a lot easier for us to build Destaré because we found the best chandeliers we could find, the best of everything, the highest quality of all the products that we could find for. We had all of our furniture custom made. We threw a lot of money at creating and designing Destaré. Then with Chaibo, it was a little bit of a different unique situation. I wanted to use a lot of repurposed things. A lot of the mirrors and stained glass and lighting fixtures are all from Victorian homes around the city that I had renovated through the years and just accumulated these pieces always thinking they’d have a destination. I’d have a spot for them that would be very unique and special. Chaibo came along. I went into my garage and looked at the stuff we had in the storage and said, “Absolutely, this piece of lighting fixture is going to work wonderfully in this corner. This stained glass will work well up here.” So it was a little more of a creative process to the design elements of Chaibo but it has a very special and unique feel because of that. So we really took our emphasis on defining our menus to be very unique and selective and defining our interiors to be something unlike you’d find anywhere in this area as well. Dave: Many small business owners share this commitment to personal and distinctive customer experiences. As larger corporations threaten to homogenize communities, small business owners like Chris know the importance of embracing diversity and offering consumers something special. Chris: We have a very unique opportunity to make Main Street a different flavor than vanilla. A lot of times, I travel quite a bit. I crisscross the country often on motorcycle trips and I drive through so many communities and it’s the same thing. You see a Starbucks and a Target and a McDonald’s and then a Wendy’s. It’s like one town and looks like another town. I come back to this area and I look at the architecture that has just been standing here since the 1800s and these beautiful old buildings. I say, “Yeah, we have an opportunity to have a different experience here.” If the consumers in our marketplace can understand and correlate the opportunity they have to help business owners create a very vibrant unique downtown, then we’ve got a great opportunity in front of us. That’s been my last 10 years passion and I’m hoping to make it the next 10 years as well. I just want to see something different. I think that eventually, what will be the downfall of a lot of the chain restaurants and chain coffee shops, it’s that people love familiarity, and that’s what the chain stores have going for them. You get a mocha latte in Starbucks in Manhattan and go out to San Francisco and get your mocha latte, it is going to be the same. People like the familiarity with the taste profile of their product. For me, and I think a lot of other people, they want to walk in and see something visually different. They want to see a menu that’s a little different. I think that that’s something that as a society if we’re not cautious, we’re going to lose that diversity. Some people could care less. I just happen to be in the selection of people, maybe a minority. I’m not sure, that hope that doesn’t happen. I want that diversity. I want to drive into a small town and say, “This is a great place,” because look at the unique establishments you’re seeing all around you. That’s just my own personal view. Dave: With such a clear goal in mind, I asked Chris what he sees as the biggest challenge to his business and what he does to overcome it. Chris: It is very simply getting customers in our door. That’s where it’s been so important for us to use tools like Constant Contact to be able to have a tool to collect names, get them on our mailing list, and then present some very unique and special things to them. To this day, we still spend more of our time on marketing than I would ever care to, but that’s the plight of a small independent business owner. We’re always having to reinvent ourselves. We’re always having to get our message out. That particular process is really the one aspect of running a business, that’s just not my favorite. We have good people helping us and great tools like Constant Contact to allow us to get the word out to consumers. If there’s something fun and unique and different going on, letting the customers that have already said to us, “We want to be on your mailing list,” letting them know about it usually results in them coming in. Dave: Being able to follow up with customers means Chris’s businesses can stay fresh in his customers’ minds. He’s also able to get the word out about food or drink specials or upcoming open mic nights to drive business in the slower months. The ability for us to keep that engagement going forward is just paramount for our success. The presentation that I’ve made while they’re in our shop is . . . They’re gonna forget that after, I’m hoping, a day, probably 15 minutes after they walk out the door. They forget the interaction they’ve had with me, but the ability to follow that up with an email newsletter just gets us right back. It might say, “Now remember,” because a lot of people . . . It may have been their first step through the door. Without that follow up piece of activity, that follow up piece of communication, it may potentially be their last. We may have made a good impression on them, but I tell my staff all the time, “A good impression doesn’t cut it. A super impression is the only way that we have a chance to get people back through the door.” A super impression, followed up with a nice email or a newsletter that may be received at the right time, on a continual basis, just reenforces that great experience they had. We hope that that works, and we’re pretty confident it has. Dave: While Chris understands the importance of marketing, he doesn’t see it as one of his biggest strengths. I asked him how he makes time for marketing and how he provides value to subscribers. Delegation. Yeah. From my perspective, I do virtually none. When I do it, I’m usually hearing from my staff that I worded this wrong. It’s just something I learned at the beginning stages. I just gravitated towards my staff that had the greatest flare for that particular piece and just let them run with it. I certainly monitor things very closely, because it’s my name and image that’s on the organization. So I’m cautious about it. But once we’ve developed that level of comfort from there, it’s just let the people who know what they’re doing run with what they’re doing. It’s not me. Chris: I think one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned, again, is getting back to the willingness to delegate tasks to the right people. I think a lot of entrepreneurs fall into the trap of thinking. In many instances, it’s accurate that they are the best person for every job. They’re the most passionate, the most knowledgeable. Although that may be accurate in most every instance, except for me and marketing, there is a time when you just have to let the people that know best run with the ball. To build a team, you need to allow that flexibility. Dave: Chris has learned to spend his time working on the parts of the business he’s best at. He gives his employees more responsibility and the ability to contribute — so they have a stronger level of commitment because they know their ideas are being heard. Chris: We employ, between both companies, between 25 and 30 people. Most all of them are part-time people. We employ a lot of students from Fitchburg State. Most of our staff has been with us for quite a while. There is quite a bit of turnover in this business, but we’ve been very fortunate to have people that feel engaged with our business and, as a result, want to continue. They like the idea their feedback is being listened to. Right after this particular meeting that we’re having, I’m sitting down with three of my staff members for menu item changes, to say . . . I’ve given them some homework to do, to come, each of them, with three new items we should be rolling out to Chaibo’s menu. I said, “Look. You’re listening to our customers. You’re out back there, cooking. What is it that you think we need to have?” That level of engagement with the staff has been critical for my side of things, just to keep turnover low, but it’s made them feel part of the organization. It’s great, as well, that we actually have a customer base. A lot of our staff . . . Tipping is a big portion of their pay. Because of the unique product lineup we have, the staff have done very well. It’s great to see people put themselves through college or be able to support themselves in their own apartment, just based on working what might be considered a minimum-wage job. But in our instances, they’re being very well-paid. It’s great seeing somebody be able to pay their own rent, based on their pay from here. Dave: As Chris continues to learn from his employees and customers, he makes small improvements to make sure his businesses are offering unforgettable experiences to his loyal customer base. As a result, Chris hopes to inspire more businesses to join the community and restore Fitchburg to a commercial hub with a vibrant Main Street. Over these five episodes we’ve heard some recurring themes: a dedication to your community, an investment in your staff and a commitment to getting the word out to your customers all play an integral role in your success. We’ve also learned that while these things might never be easy, they have the ability to make a lasting impact. As a last question, I asked Chris where he’d like to be in the next five years. I think you’ll hear his passion for the local community isn’t going anywhere. Chris: I hope that we’re still in the same spot, doing the same thing. I’ve been asked very frequently to take our business models to different geographic areas. I just say, “No,” all the time. When I try to explain to people that it’s a passion for my community that I’m living in and doing business in, that makes me want to be where I am, not a passion for more revenue. If somebody presented to me a community that could benefit from having a Chaibo or Destaré in their neighborhood, I might be intrigued by that. But if I’m gonna be one more coffee shop or one more martini bar, that’s boring to me. For me to build something to take business away from somebody else, that’s just not the way I go about things. Dave: We’ve been honored to hear the stories of small business owners who are making a difference in their community and overcoming challenges to find success and fulfill their dreams. We hope you’ve enjoyed these episodes as much as we have. We’re about to go on mid-season break — and we’ll be back with five more episodes starting in August. If you’ve enjoyed listening, please take a minute out of your day to let us know what you think by leaving a review in iTunes, Sticher, or contacting us directly at podcast@constantcontact.com. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Destaré and Chaibo – Small Biz Stories, Episode 5 appeared first on Constant Contact.

In episode 5, you’ll meet Chris Iousa, owner of Destaré martini bar and Chaibo coffee and tea house in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Listen as he shares how small businesses have the power to transform Main Street and revitalize communities. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher. You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Chris: The chasing of money, it actually bores me. It’s just not something that intrigues me. It’s difficult for me to be around a lot of other business people. They’re talking about their profits and their return on investments. It doesn’t inspire me. It’s like, what have you done? What have you created? What difference have you made in the communities that you’re in? By default, the businesses do make money, but that’s never been my passion. It’s been really about engaging with customers, engaging the neighborhood, hoping to help make people feel a little more pride in their community. Dave: Chris Iousa remembers the first time he drove through Fitchburg. The old mill town architecture and Victorian homes awoke an excitement that hasn’t left him since. Driving down Main Street, Chris saw an opportunity to revitalize a community and reclaim Fitchburg as the destination spot it once was during the peak of its industrial and commercial prosperity. Like many small business owners, Chris is passionate about his local community. He knows his customers’ names and their favorite orders. He listens to his staff and gives them opportunities to directly contribute to the business. Above all, Chris holds a strong conviction that small businesses have the power to transform communities. Today, Chris shares how he overcame doubts and challenges to create profitable and influential businesses in his community. He’ll share how his approach as a business owner has changed over time and his best piece of advice for those just starting out. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Chris’s interest in community development stems from a background in real estate. For years, Chris has made lasting impact by renovating space and stimulating neighborhoods. Chris: My passion is transforming space. Prior to acquiring this building, most of my development activities were looking in the most desperate of residential neighborhoods. I’d find the worst house in the neighborhood and I went in and renovated it. We did a full development of the space of the building. I watched on a small scale that our efforts on one building in a neighborhood would start getting. I’d send my crews down there. The landscapers would go out and do their thing. Then I’d watch the next weekend a property that had been completely unmaintained for years and years and years, now the other person, a neighbor was out actually raking the leaves that had been accumulating for many, many years. I looked at that and I said, “You can’t count on the neighborhood transforming but you can make a difference.” I did that for a lot of years. I took homes that had notorious reputation for gang activity or notorious activity for drug activity and went in. We did our thing and turned it into a beautiful spot, beautiful landscaping, and turned what was the eyesore of a neighborhood to really the jewel of a neighborhood. It transformed neighborhoods. I figured with that experience, I would take that experience and bring it down to Main Street. Because it’s really once General Electric left Fitchburg, the Main Street area really had suffered dramatically. For 10 years, I’ve been working in various capacities both from a private business perspective and with nonprofit organizations to try to find ways to just put us on the map as being a destination spot. Dave: Chris will be the first to tell you he’s not afraid to go out on a limb. When it came time to find the right building to renovate, he chose one of the most visible buildings in the city — the massive and historic Dickinson building. Chris: This building had been vacant for 40 years when I bought it. I went out and did my typical real estate developer activities and attempted to find larger, more well-recognized, the Starbucks and the 99 Restaurants. I said we’ve got a beautiful space. It’s the Gateway Building on Main Street and it’d be a great spot for your establishment. They looked at the demographics of Fitchburg and had no interest. So I kept hearing this time and time again. I said, “You know what? I’ve heard it enough. I’m not going to continue to go down those roads. I’m going to just try to reestablish this city as a destination spot. We started with the business center just to get some activity in the building and then moved over to Destaré and really put the effort into designing a space that would be considered really over the top for the area just to get the recognition factor, and we did. We got Chronicle come out. We did a piece on Chronicle. It was just a very interesting interview, because from their perspective the question was why. In this particular area, why would you ever consider? We owned the building. The only way that this area was going to make a transformation is if we stepped up to the plate and made things happen that otherwise would not be happening. I think they called it the most audacious display of confidence they had ever seen. From my perspective, it’s all made sense. Dave: Despite the misgivings from other businesses and media outlets, Chris pushed forward with his mission.  His first step was to open Fitchburg’s Business Center, which serves as an incubator space for local small businesses. Then, on the street level, Chris focused his efforts on Destaré, a martini bar named for its Italian translation: awakening. But making his business a reality was not an easy process. Here’s Chris describing some of the early challenges that occurred before opening Destaré’s doors to the public. Chris: The challenge, it took us two years to get a building permit to open our doors. If it were just monetary gain that I was seeking, I never would have went through the two year process. We started this process of the building plans right after the horrific experience in the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island. So the idea that we were now going to open a nightclub with a large capacity of people as our potential customers, the fire department was very alarmed, justifiably so. I mean, people lost their lives and there was a tragic accident, but the pendulum swung so far to the other side that they came to us and said, “In order to build your space, you need to take the five floors above you and heat it and make it fire safety ready.” We need sprinklers up through there. I said, we have a 48,000 square foot building. Almost 40,000 of that are on the upper floors. The idea that we’re going to heat that amount of space to maintain a sprinkler system is just absurd. It was a year after year process of negotiating with the architects and the engineers to finally be able to create what we consider to be a very, very safe spot from a fire safety perspective. It worked with the fire department as well. But for two years, it was a long drawn out process. There were times where I said this is testing patience, but the conviction was always there to make this happen. We followed through and here we are. Dave: With patience and persistence, Chris made it to Destaré’s opening day. While the wait was longer than he would have hoped, it did create anticipation and curiosity within the community. Chris: We just put our lights on and the trickle of people flow and people started coming through. They said, “We’ve been waiting for this moment. Because a lot of the time during construction, we took and put a great big question mark in the front window.” People were driving by. A lot of people were saying, “What is going on in this building. It’s been vacant for so many years, what is happening?” I just played into that a little bit and put the big question mark up. A lot of people who were not really close to me either personally or in a business perspective had asked what was going on. I’d say, “We’ve got something unique and special going on. I can’t fill you in much more of the details.” So there was a little bit of built up pent up demand to know what was happening. Those customers came in, our friends and family and business associates in there just started trickling in. It was just great to see the menu being well received and people going up and down the menu saying, “Wow, look at the selection. Look at the diversity of beverages and food.” It was just a great experience for us. Dave: The quality of food and drink is something Chris approaches with a great deal of pride. With Destare, Chris made bold menu choices to offer Fitchburg residents something new and distinctive that they couldn’t get anywhere else in the area. Chris: There were no other martini bars. To get a martini in this area, you really had to travel outside the area. The martini, they’ve heard of it. Everybody’s familiar with James Bond. But as a source of a beverage that could be a once or twice a week activity, it was just not that type of familiarity with it in this marketplace. So there was a lot more education to our customer base that we had to go through. We took that as a very interesting challenge. We started now introducing scotch that might not have been sold in Fitchburg since 40 or 50 or 60 years when Fitchburg was really experiencing its renaissance. We went to cognac and started bringing in bottles of very, very expensive cognac. We actually put a cognac on our menu that was $235 for a two ounce glass. People said, “You’re insane. This is a surefire way to have you head to bankruptcy.” I said, “No. I really believe that with the right education and the right presentation, people will buy it.” This bottle of Louis XIII cognac has been something that we go through on a regular basis now. People were just saying, “We don’t understand how you’re doing it. The demographics of your neighborhood and your area really don’t support ever that type of sale of alcohol.” But we have it on our menu. We’ve kept it on our menu for eight years and we cycle through the bottles on a regular basis. Dave: Chris’s commitment to providing new and quality experiences paid off. Just two years after opening Destaré, he opened Chaibo, a café with specialty teas, craft beer, and food items. Chris attributes the success of each business to the unique menu offerings and décor. Chris: Specifically, our success has been the uniqueness of our menu. It has been something I really try to drive home the point that if you go up and down Main Street right now, a lot of businesses look to what is the easiest business to open and the most profitable business to open, which tends to be pizza shops. From the beginning of Main Street to the next, I haven’t been actually able to count how many there are but there have been a lot of them. A lot of them try and fail because they just don’t have a unique concept behind their particular plan. For me, it was just creating such a unique menu that people would come in just for our menu. We would start advertising 30 different types of vodkas and 30 different types of scotches and 45 different types of cognacs. Downstairs at Chaibo, we have a very, very diverse selection of very outstanding craft beer along with great teas and great coffees and cheeses. People really found that to be the uniqueness of our menu was something that was very important to people. For a small example, with Chaibo, it was that instead of selling tea as most every place in this area would sell it, we spent a lot of time doing a lot of research and made the presentation of our tea with a loose leaf tea pot and very cute cups to make the presentation very interesting with tea timers and made it a very interesting experience. People just flooded us. And for the first two years of our business, tea was our highest volume product to an area where loose leaf tea, there hadn’t been a loose leaf tea shop in this area, none that I could ever remember. So it was just by taking the unique market. We did the same thing with gelato. Everybody was very familiar with ice cream in this area. I started making some craft gelato. I really had a great time with it. We introduced the consumers of this area to the experience of enjoying gelato. That was something so new to this area. Again, it was just the uniqueness of the menu that people were telling their friends and family, “You’ve got to try this.” I think that was to a great degree a reason for our success. A lot of it also had to do with our decor. We tended to use design elements that were very unique to this space. It was actually a lot easier for us to build Destaré because we found the best chandeliers we could find, the best of everything, the highest quality of all the products that we could find for. We had all of our furniture custom made. We threw a lot of money at creating and designing Destaré. Then with Chaibo, it was a little bit of a different unique situation. I wanted to use a lot of repurposed things. A lot of the mirrors and stained glass and lighting fixtures are all from Victorian homes around the city that I had renovated through the years and just accumulated these pieces always thinking they’d have a destination. I’d have a spot for them that would be very unique and special. Chaibo came along. I went into my garage and looked at the stuff we had in the storage and said, “Absolutely, this piece of lighting fixture is going to work wonderfully in this corner. This stained glass will work well up here.” So it was a little more of a creative process to the design elements of Chaibo but it has a very special and unique feel because of that. So we really took our emphasis on defining our menus to be very unique and selective and defining our interiors to be something unlike you’d find anywhere in this area as well. Dave: Many small business owners share this commitment to personal and distinctive customer experiences. As larger corporations threaten to homogenize communities, small business owners like Chris know the importance of embracing diversity and offering consumers something special. Chris: We have a very unique opportunity to make Main Street a different flavor than vanilla. A lot of times, I travel quite a bit. I crisscross the country often on motorcycle trips and I drive through so many communities and it’s the same thing. You see a Starbucks and a Target and a McDonald’s and then a Wendy’s. It’s like one town and looks like another town. I come back to this area and I look at the architecture that has just been standing here since the 1800s and these beautiful old buildings. I say, “Yeah, we have an opportunity to have a different experience here.” If the consumers in our marketplace can understand and correlate the opportunity they have to help business owners create a very vibrant unique downtown, then we’ve got a great opportunity in front of us. That’s been my last 10 years passion and I’m hoping to make it the next 10 years as well. I just want to see something different. I think that eventually, what will be the downfall of a lot of the chain restaurants and chain coffee shops, it’s that people love familiarity, and that’s what the chain stores have going for them. You get a mocha latte in Starbucks in Manhattan and go out to San Francisco and get your mocha latte, it is going to be the same. People like the familiarity with the taste profile of their product. For me, and I think a lot of other people, they want to walk in and see something visually different. They want to see a menu that’s a little different. I think that that’s something that as a society if we’re not cautious, we’re going to lose that diversity. Some people could care less. I just happen to be in the selection of people, maybe a minority. I’m not sure, that hope that doesn’t happen. I want that diversity. I want to drive into a small town and say, “This is a great place,” because look at the unique establishments you’re seeing all around you. That’s just my own personal view. Dave: With such a clear goal in mind, I asked Chris what he sees as the biggest challenge to his business and what he does to overcome it. Chris: It is very simply getting customers in our door. That’s where it’s been so important for us to use tools like Constant Contact to be able to have a tool to collect names, get them on our mailing list, and then present some very unique and special things to them. To this day, we still spend more of our time on marketing than I would ever care to, but that’s the plight of a small independent business owner. We’re always having to reinvent ourselves. We’re always having to get our message out. That particular process is really the one aspect of running a business, that’s just not my favorite. We have good people helping us and great tools like Constant Contact to allow us to get the word out to consumers. If there’s something fun and unique and different going on, letting the customers that have already said to us, “We want to be on your mailing list,” letting them know about it usually results in them coming in. Dave: Being able to follow up with customers means Chris’s businesses can stay fresh in his customers’ minds. He’s also able to get the word out about food or drink specials or upcoming open mic nights to drive business in the slower months. The ability for us to keep that engagement going forward is just paramount for our success. The presentation that I’ve made while they’re in our shop is . . . They’re gonna forget that after, I’m hoping, a day, probably 15 minutes after they walk out the door. They forget the interaction they’ve had with me, but the ability to follow that up with an email newsletter just gets us right back. It might say, “Now remember,” because a lot of people . . . It may have been their first step through the door. Without that follow up piece of activity, that follow up piece of communication, it may potentially be their last. We may have made a good impression on them, but I tell my staff all the time, “A good impression doesn’t cut it. A super impression is the only way that we have a chance to get people back through the door.” A super impression, followed up with a nice email or a newsletter that may be received at the right time, on a continual basis, just reenforces that great experience they had. We hope that that works, and we’re pretty confident it has. Dave: While Chris understands the importance of marketing, he doesn’t see it as one of his biggest strengths. I asked him how he makes time for marketing and how he provides value to subscribers. Delegation. Yeah. From my perspective, I do virtually none. When I do it, I’m usually hearing from my staff that I worded this wrong. It’s just something I learned at the beginning stages. I just gravitated towards my staff that had the greatest flare for that particular piece and just let them run with it. I certainly monitor things very closely, because it’s my name and image that’s on the organization. So I’m cautious about it. But once we’ve developed that level of comfort from there, it’s just let the people who know what they’re doing run with what they’re doing. It’s not me. Chris: I think one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned, again, is getting back to the willingness to delegate tasks to the right people. I think a lot of entrepreneurs fall into the trap of thinking. In many instances, it’s accurate that they are the best person for every job. They’re the most passionate, the most knowledgeable. Although that may be accurate in most every instance, except for me and marketing, there is a time when you just have to let the people that know best run with the ball. To build a team, you need to allow that flexibility. Dave: Chris has learned to spend his time working on the parts of the business he’s best at. He gives his employees more responsibility and the ability to contribute — so they have a stronger level of commitment because they know their ideas are being heard. Chris: We employ, between both companies, between 25 and 30 people. Most all of them are part-time people. We employ a lot of students from Fitchburg State. Most of our staff has been with us for quite a while. There is quite a bit of turnover in this business, but we’ve been very fortunate to have people that feel engaged with our business and, as a result, want to continue. They like the idea their feedback is being listened to. Right after this particular meeting that we’re having, I’m sitting down with three of my staff members for menu item changes, to say . . . I’ve given them some homework to do, to come, each of them, with three new items we should be rolling out to Chaibo’s menu. I said, “Look. You’re listening to our customers. You’re out back there, cooking. What is it that you think we need to have?” That level of engagement with the staff has been critical for my side of things, just to keep turnover low, but it’s made them feel part of the organization. It’s great, as well, that we actually have a customer base. A lot of our staff . . . Tipping is a big portion of their pay. Because of the unique product lineup we have, the staff have done very well. It’s great to see people put themselves through college or be able to support themselves in their own apartment, just based on working what might be considered a minimum-wage job. But in our instances, they’re being very well-paid. It’s great seeing somebody be able to pay their own rent, based on their pay from here. Dave: As Chris continues to learn from his employees and customers, he makes small improvements to make sure his businesses are offering unforgettable experiences to his loyal customer base. As a result, Chris hopes to inspire more businesses to join the community and restore Fitchburg to a commercial hub with a vibrant Main Street. Over these five episodes we’ve heard some recurring themes: a dedication to your community, an investment in your staff and a commitment to getting the word out to your customers all play an integral role in your success. We’ve also learned that while these things might never be easy, they have the ability to make a lasting impact. As a last question, I asked Chris where he’d like to be in the next five years. I think you’ll hear his passion for the local community isn’t going anywhere. Chris: I hope that we’re still in the same spot, doing the same thing. I’ve been asked very frequently to take our business models to different geographic areas. I just say, “No,” all the time. When I try to explain to people that it’s a passion for my community that I’m living in and doing business in, that makes me want to be where I am, not a passion for more revenue. If somebody presented to me a community that could benefit from having a Chaibo or Destaré in their neighborhood, I might be intrigued by that. But if I’m gonna be one more coffee shop or one more martini bar, that’s boring to me. For me to build something to take business away from somebody else, that’s just not the way I go about things. Dave: We’ve been honored to hear the stories of small business owners who are making a difference in their community and overcoming challenges to find success and fulfill their dreams. We hope you’ve enjoyed these episodes as much as we have. We’re about to go on mid-season break — and we’ll be back with five more episodes starting in August. If you’ve enjoyed listening, please take a minute out of your day to let us know what you think by leaving a review in iTunes, Sticher, or contacting us directly at podcast@constantcontact.com. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Destaré and Chaibo, Small Biz Stories Episode 5 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

Meet Jason Talbot, co-founder of Artists for Humanity. Jason shares his views on how to transform ideas, individuals, and the greater community. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Jason: I could feel it happening to my mind, to myself, to my self-image, to my vision for my future that I wanted to continue. I wanted to have an art show in that gallery every weekend for the rest of my life, because it felt that good. And that’s why we do it, because it makes that effort worth something. Dave: If you own a small business, you’re probably familiar with this feeling. There’s a moment when all the hard work and sacrifice you’ve put into something finally pays off. You feel a true sense of accomplishment. As any small business owner can tell you, you’ll need hard work, focus, and discipline to take full advantage of the opportunities available to you. Today, Jason Talbot, co-founder of Artists for Humanity, shares how a strong work ethic has the power to transform your idea, self-image, and community. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Artists for Humanity is a nonprofit that started off with an idea: to address the lack of arts experiences in Boston’s Public schools by employing urban teens to provide creative services to clients within the local business community. Jason has been involved in this program since the beginning — first as a student of the program, and today as a co-founder and Special Projects Director for the organization. Dave: So I guess let’s look at the history starting there. You’re in a unique position where that you’re kind of a product of the program, I guess, before it was a program, right? Jason: Yeah, yeah. Dave: Tell us a little bit about how that all started. Jason: Well, Artists for Humanity, it started in a real organic way. Susan Rodgerson, our executive director, saw what was going on in the Boston Public School System. Saw art programs being slashed and really took it upon herself in a real entrepreneurial way to make sure the young people got the enrichment that art brings to their lives. And she wanted to make sure that there was art in schools, that kids had that experience. And so she had this plan to paint a big, giant painting with a bunch of kids and sell it off to a corporation for lobby art to then fund the next painting. In a cyclical way be able to make sure that there was an art program for kids. And I was one of the kids that worked on that very first piece. She came to my junior high, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, and we worked and we started painting this painting together. And there were a group of six of us, but we were art minded, we were art focused. Our teachers knew that we were into art. The principal knew we were into art. We drew together, we doodled together, we all had a love for spray paint. She saw that we kind of rose, she saw our leadership, and after that project we continued to work together. Dave: Artists for Humanity gave this small group a transformative and meaningful experience. For the first time, Jason and his fellow students had a place to call their own and began to feel truly accepted. What impact do you think that’s had on your life? Jason: Wow. It’s totally changed my life. It’s totally shaped my path. See, growing up, there wasn’t much of a future. Dave: Yeah. Jason: It was both real and it was both imposed. So there was violence in my neighborhood, I was the victim of violence, attacks. And then in the newspaper every Monday there was a tally of how many kids got murdered in my neighborhood or on my block and it was just like . . . So I was in danger but it was even amplified by the media. And it really gave me the impression that I had a bleak future but also the people around me, my teachers and the other people in the community, that I was expendable. I think here at Artists for Humanity there’s a total shift where the message is 100% different where, “Hey, guess what? You are not hooked into any future. You can shape your own fate and destiny. And the best tool to shape your destiny is hard work and focus and discipline.” And Susan had the highest expectations of us. She knew that if we worked hard, if we were focused, we could accomplish amazing things. We had done it way back at the King School and every time a client came to us with a job we put 100% into it and ended up with some really great accomplishments. And I got really hooked on accomplishments. I just loved working with my team, I loved the whole process where even when we were working at the eleventh hour and everything was . . . We had issues and problems and drama. We would fight through, we would solve those problems, and then we would end up . . . It just made that success even more sweet and wonderful. It bonded our relationships even better. And even in the end I even got more connected with my education and looking for opportunities and dreaming about an awesome career for myself. So being in this building, working in this facility, working with these projects and this community, it was absolutely transformative. Dave: One of the most important values for Artists for Humanity is that ideas can come from anywhere. Students know that their opinions will be taken seriously and they’re not afraid to try something new that’s never been done before. Dave: What would you say, then, makes Artists for Humanity different from say another youth program that’s out there? Jason: Well, we’re different not just from any youth program, we’re just different. Dave: Okay. Jason: Because we listen and we respond. And there’s a point where somebody says, “Hey, I’ve got this great idea.” And everybody else is like, “Oh, but we planned to do this.” And that idea gets left on the table, it gets swept under the rug, it’s on the cutting room floor and who knows what. But I think this is a place where that idea gets put to work. I think that’s the difference. If government ran like that, if corporations ran like that, if car companies ran like that, then we would constantly build, evolve, innovate. There’s room here for that. Again, our organization started with this very simple idea, but since then it has built . . . We have added layer after layer after layer. Every time we see an opportunity, every time there’s a program to develop, or a service we can provide for our teams we just pull it on in. Dave: Right. Jason: And add it to the organization. So I mean hey, are we an artist organization? Of course, art is our medium, it’s our vehicle. With that we’re able to tack on all this positivity, all this enrichment for our teens, for our staff, for our community, and of course for our clients. Dave: Yeah. Why is that? This idea of listening and then evolving based on what the problems are, why is that so important to you and to the organization? Jason: Well, somehow I feel like it just makes sense. I think that there’s a . . . When you’re working with a team you need a plan. You need to have some guidelines. You need to have an easy way to make sure everybody’s on the same page and that everybody’s able to communicate. But when you let that plan restrict you, or that curriculum restrict you, or the guidelines restrict you then you lose a lot. And here our focus is on creativity. It’s on problem-solving. It’s on innovating. And so we have to give our young people the opportunity to do that, and in doing that, and our staff people there an opportunity to innovate and have ideas. And so to do that we have to be a little bit flexible. We have to be able to hear and make things happen and react. As well as be thoughtful and plan things out. And that kind of is tough for a lot of people to juggle. There’s a juggling going on with all that we do here. Whether it’s the experience to mentor and the innocent mentee, protege, we’re balancing those things, those two, into a beautiful piece of artwork or beautiful project, a commission for our clients. And there are benefits to be added by both people in that arrangement. Dave: This unique approach makes Artists for Humanity a popular place for students looking for work, as well as creative opportunities. As the organization continues to expand, Jason and his team work hard to maintain the same level of commitment to personal and community development that existed when the program was only 6 students. Dave: So when you started it was just a small group of you, right? Jason: Yeah. Dave: And so where are you now? Like in terms of staff, and how big have you grown since those early days? Jason: Yeah. So right now we’ve got about 145 kids employed. That’s about how many we can stuff into the building. We’re actually gonna ramp it up this summer to about 150. Throughout the year we’ve probably employed about 250 kids this year. And then we have about 30 staff members who are in support of that, but we wanna ramp that up. We’re looking to double youth employment. We’re looking to activate our space all day long. We’re looking to add new programming, all with the focus on building community, having people work together, share each others’ resources, and also make the most of the resources here in the city. We’ve always been an after-school program, but we want to activate our space during the day, as well. We wanna bring in, maybe kids who were recently graduated or dropped out or were looking for opportunities. There’s been a shift in America to build infrastructure, invest in our cities, our towns, our bridges, our systems, our infrastructure, and we want to train that next level of young people that are going to be able to take those jobs and those opportunities. And so activating our space during the day, having kids learn the trades and the vocations, so that if there are opportunities out there then our young people, who are under resourced, under served, living below the poverty line, that they’re able to meet those opportunities and chisel out a real positive, successful future for themselves. It’s important to us. It’s important to our city. It’s important to our country. So if we can model that the way we modeled green design when we built our building then I think we’ll be doing something really good that goes beyond the walls of our facility. Dave: The space Jason is referring to is The EpiCenter. Designed with energy sustainability in mind, the award-winning EpiCenter is the first building in Boston to achieve LEED certification. With impressive gallery space, art studios, and offices, the facility has become the organization’s home, as well as a popular rental space for weddings and events. But beyond that, the EpiCenter is the perfect example of the long-lasting impact Artists for Humanity makes on its students. Here’s Jason on the building’s background. Jason: We opened this building in 2004. Dave: And it’s just you guys, right? Jason: Yep. Yep. Yep. Dave: All right. And so what was it like? What was that move like? Coming into this space? Jason: Well, it was an amazing feeling. We had this beautiful facility. But we programmed it for what we envisioned Artists for Humanity people . . . We couldn’t have anticipated what it would be like to have our own facility and how that would increase the opportunities for us, increase our visibility. Let our funders, our supporters, our clients, the teams all know that we were solid, that we were liquid, and that we were gonna be here for a long time. Dave: Yeah. Jason: It really added a bit of credibility to what we were doing and then, of course, to have such a cutting edge facility, such a green facility. It really helped people take a notice of us and pay attention to what we were doing. Dave: Did you have it built? Jason: We built it from scratch. Even that was like another . . . We were able to inject positivity into that because one of my other guys, one of the original Artist alumni that was at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School with me, after graduating high school went off to Risley, became an architect, and he was actually on the team designing and building this building. But it doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t stop there, because then he opened an architecture studio here with a bunch of kids and they were able to help design architectural features that actually went into the building. And from that program we have like four or five kids who are in architecture careers right now because they had that experience. Because they had that exposure. Dave: Artists for Humanity purposely exposes their students to new experiences and people. Getting them out into the art and business community makes them more mindful of their future and gives them a sense of accomplishment they often haven’t yet experienced. Dave: Yeah. You mentioned a bit earlier about the events that you guys have, especially after you’ve finished a project you’ll bring everybody together. Why are those events so important? And any other events that you run for that matter. Jason: Well, I guess it’s all about community. It’s all about people coming together. It’s not like Boston is at a lack for resources. This is a world-class city. People come here from all over the world to do business, to learn, and to educate. It’s that there is a population here that doesn’t have access. And so the more we can bring people together the more we can distribute all of these resources. The more that we can have people understand each other’s cultures and work together to get stuff done. And we model that and we want to make sure that if we do this amazing, awesome mural that we just don’t passively sit around and wait for people to check it out and pat us on the back. We wanna invite everyone. And so the more that we can facilitate, the more that we can exemplify, I think it serves us and it serves our participants. So yeah, we’re gonna throw some confetti in the air and cheer, cut a ribbon. And you know what? That’s when it all is driven home. One of our early endeavors was a gallery show. We worked as a studio, we worked on paintings, we produced this body of work to be shown at the Nielsen Gallery on Newbury Street. And we worked hard and we produced a lot of artwork and it was great. And under normal circumstances, in a normal class, I would have got an A or B based on my effort, but here we put those paintings in that gallery, and I stood in that gallery. And people came in and they asked me about my work, and they were astonished by what we were able to do. And I was introduced to this whole community, this place I had never been. I didn’t understand it, it was beautiful to me. I could feel it happening to my mind, to myself, to my self-image, to my vision for my future that I wanted to continue. I wanted to have an art show in that gallery every weekend for the rest of my life, because it felt that good. And that’s why we do it, because it makes that effort worth something. Yeah, an A and an A+ is pretty great, that’s a pretty good celebration. But let me tell you when that flashing cameras, when you’re standing next to Deval Patrick it’s like, “All right. This is something. All right, this is something special.” Dave: Yeah. Jason: And that happened. We were at Vertex, down the street. They had opened their new building. We had produced this series of coffee tables where we cut and composed their collateral material with these beautiful designs on these tables, set them in resin, and when they unveiled their building they put one of them on stage with the CEO, the founder, and Deval, and I think Marty Walsh was there, too. And then two of our kids. And it’s like those kids, they still feel like big shots from that. Dave: How do you guys get the word out about these things? Either the events you’re running to those audiences that you’re trying to reach but also just about the program. How do you get the word out about that? Jason: Yeah, sure. So we do have our evangelists, our happy customers. They’re always out there toting Artists for Humanity but one thing that’s a great added value to what we do is that there is this back story. Yeah, okay, you’ve got a bunch of beautiful paintings on your wall, but guess what? They were done by teenagers and so there’s always that social media component. So we like to document kids working on projects. We like to share that type of information with clients, give them a little something to Tweet out there or post it at folks Facebook page. Or even inter-office communications. It’s one of those things that make people feel proud of their workplace because patronizing Artists for Humanity really is, it’s kind of community building. Dave: Jason and his team rely on social media and email marketing to communicate with their audience, which has quickly become another outlet for students to give their input and showcase their work. We have our own Facebook page. That’s a great network for us, it’s really helped us stay in contact with our alumni. And we have an event, we e-blast it out, and we do use Constant Contact. We’re always able to tell who opens what and the effectiveness of our correspondence, that’s always great for us. But it’s also though, what’s funny is as social media has become this bigger beast, our kids are the experts. Jason: It’s something that we’re actually hoping we can market out there to our clients. We actually have started, in our video studio, doing square videos for Instagram. Dave: Instagram, yeah. Jason: And just getting the word out there and being cutting edge. Using that young, contemporary youth voice that we have here, the early adopters, to help our clients achieve their goals. Jason: Well, everything we do is about building community. So the more that we can get the word out there, the more that we can bring people together, the more that people know what’s going on at Artists for Humanity the better. And so we’re willing to go . . . If we had a messenger pigeon that would come back we’d send it that way, we’d send the message. But email is a great way to do it. We’ve got a huge contact list of interested parties and so being able to be consistently reaching out to those people, reminding them of this awesome thing, letting them know we have an idea or we’re gonna throw an event. Dave:  Being able to easily communicate with their audience has also helped the organization overcome its biggest challenge: fundraising. Jason: Well, one of our earliest challenges was the fact that Arts for Humanity was six boys. And so it was a small program and sometimes for funders it was tough for them to see the impact there. What’s the point of funding an organization with four guys in it? And so we struggled with that. But that struggle, I’ve gotta say it was a blessing, because what funding we couldn’t find in foundations we decided, “Well, okay, let’s go earn it. Let’s go earn some money. Let’s go earn some money to pay the rent so we can keep the doors open.” And that’s really what helped us develop this model where we’re working for clients, providing services. It was literally to keep the doors open in the beginning. So that was a blessing and a curse. It helped shape us. If you couldn’t ask for it, if you couldn’t get it through philanthropy then we were willing to earn that money. And that earned revenue has always been the thing that has helped us get through those tough times with the economy or the stock market or funding shifts and changes. It’s a fickle market and so as long as we’re able to say, “Hey, let’s go. There’s somebody over there that needs something done.” And if we can rally the troops and go make that happen and earn some money, then we can keep doing what we love to do. Dave: With so many areas of focus, I was curious how Artists for Humanity gauges their success, and how they’ve kept going strong for almost 25 years. Jason: What is success? I guess it’s just when our city is a better place. When kids who need opportunities, when kids who want to participate, if they’re included and in Boston. And we wanna make opportunities here in our organization but we also wanna make sure that there are places, that there are companies, that there are other organizations that will accept and hire our participants after the fact. And that our participants are there in leadership roles, doing their best to make Boston a better place. Dave: Yeah. So looking forward, right? Looking forward and really thinking back on the lessons you’ve learned through the years. What would you say is the most important thing that keeps both you personally going and the organization moving forward? Jason: What keeps me going is making things. I like to make stuff. It’s just, yeah I can go to the mall and I can buy stuff. But I like making things. That is so much fun when you just take a pile of crap and then you turn it around and it’s a sculpture or it’s a beautiful bust or it’s a little pouch for my knick-knacks. I do a lot of origami so even I have this flat sheet of paper and then a couple minutes later it’s a horse or a gorilla. That to me is just . . . It’s what makes us humans. I think that is so empowering, is so much fun, it’s just so great. Or driving down the street I see a mural I painted. That’s like, “That’s it.” And so then, when you can gather a group of 10 or 15 awesome people and rather than just hang out or rather than just going to dinner or something, make something. Make something bigger than I can make by myself. Make something that’s important, make something that changes peoples’ lives, that inspires people. Dave: Part of the organization’s success comes from their view on mistakes. The artist mindset is so central to the organization that challenges are seen as part of the creative process, rather than a stumbling block. Jason: Well, I guess mistakes are good. I think as artists, and maybe there’s a philosophy or something, but when I started painting or with our kids, it’s all about mistakes. It’s all about just get something going. Make something happen. Put something down. And then fix it up a lot. You know what I mean? Then add some details and then put some focus in some areas and then it’ll be awesome. “Hey, guys, you’ve got cameras. Just shoot, shoot, shoot.” We’ll edit out the bad ones later. We’ll chop that maybe into something that’s interesting, that’s digestible later. But just go at it. I think the mistake is inaction. The mistake is fear. Be loose, be brave, make things happen, and leave yourself some time to fix it up. Dave: What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through your experience so far? Jason: It’s tough, because my initial reaction to that question is to say that hard work pays off. It seems so inherent but it’s not. Because for our kids the message is “Play the lottery and get rich quick.” Or sing a song and you’ll be a billionaire.” Or “Play that sport really good.” It’s not about hard work. Our kids, our role models aren’t doing that, that part of the story isn’t being told. And then in school it’s like work real hard and here is . . . The difference between hard working and not hard working, it’s a B and a C. And it’s like so arbitrary, but I think in the studios you gotta do some hard stuff. This work isn’t easy. To make a really great product for your client on budget, on time, is extremely difficult. It can be stressful. It can be an uphill battle sometimes. But if you work through it, if you’re focused, disciplined, then some amazing things can happen. I don’t think that lesson took for me until I was in these studios and I saw that. Dave: These are the lessons Artists for Humanity instills in their students every day. While Jason would never say that success comes easy, he and his organization are showing students the impact of hard work, focus, and discipline. These are the same values that can positively impact your own business and community. In closing, I asked Jason about the future of Artists for Humanity — his expectations are higher than ever. Jason: Wow. Well, right now we’re really working to expand our facility. We wanna triple our square footage and build beyond LEED platinum. We’re going for energy positive this time with the new expansion of our facility. So I mean I wanna just continue to innovate. I wanna continue . . . I want this place to be that place where new ideas are coming from. Where people with great ideas are going to to flesh them out. I just wanna continue to be a resource and a model for how we all can get together, work together, and make things happen. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Artists for Humanity – Small Biz Stories, Episode 4 appeared first on Constant Contact.

Meet Jason Talbot, co-founder of Artists for Humanity. Jason shares his views on how to transform ideas, individuals, and the greater community. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Jason: I could feel it happening to my mind, to myself, to my self-image, to my vision for my future that I wanted to continue. I wanted to have an art show in that gallery every weekend for the rest of my life, because it felt that good. And that’s why we do it, because it makes that effort worth something. Dave: If you own a small business, you’re probably familiar with this feeling. There’s a moment when all the hard work and sacrifice you’ve put into something finally pays off. You feel a true sense of accomplishment. As any small business owner can tell you, you’ll need hard work, focus, and discipline to take full advantage of the opportunities available to you. Today, Jason Talbot, co-founder of Artists for Humanity, shares how a strong work ethic has the power to transform your idea, self-image, and community. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Artists for Humanity is a nonprofit that started off with an idea: to address the lack of arts experiences in Boston’s Public schools by employing urban teens to provide creative services to clients within the local business community. Jason has been involved in this program since the beginning — first as a student of the program, and today as a co-founder and Special Projects Director for the organization. Dave: So I guess let’s look at the history starting there. You’re in a unique position where that you’re kind of a product of the program, I guess, before it was a program, right? Jason: Yeah, yeah. Dave: Tell us a little bit about how that all started. Jason: Well, Artists for Humanity, it started in a real organic way. Susan Rodgerson, our executive director, saw what was going on in the Boston Public School System. Saw art programs being slashed and really took it upon herself in a real entrepreneurial way to make sure the young people got the enrichment that art brings to their lives. And she wanted to make sure that there was art in schools, that kids had that experience. And so she had this plan to paint a big, giant painting with a bunch of kids and sell it off to a corporation for lobby art to then fund the next painting. In a cyclical way be able to make sure that there was an art program for kids. And I was one of the kids that worked on that very first piece. She came to my junior high, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, and we worked and we started painting this painting together. And there were a group of six of us, but we were art minded, we were art focused. Our teachers knew that we were into art. The principal knew we were into art. We drew together, we doodled together, we all had a love for spray paint. She saw that we kind of rose, she saw our leadership, and after that project we continued to work together. Dave: Artists for Humanity gave this small group a transformative and meaningful experience. For the first time, Jason and his fellow students had a place to call their own and began to feel truly accepted. What impact do you think that’s had on your life? Jason: Wow. It’s totally changed my life. It’s totally shaped my path. See, growing up, there wasn’t much of a future. Dave: Yeah. Jason: It was both real and it was both imposed. So there was violence in my neighborhood, I was the victim of violence, attacks. And then in the newspaper every Monday there was a tally of how many kids got murdered in my neighborhood or on my block and it was just like . . . So I was in danger but it was even amplified by the media. And it really gave me the impression that I had a bleak future but also the people around me, my teachers and the other people in the community, that I was expendable. I think here at Artists for Humanity there’s a total shift where the message is 100% different where, “Hey, guess what? You are not hooked into any future. You can shape your own fate and destiny. And the best tool to shape your destiny is hard work and focus and discipline.” And Susan had the highest expectations of us. She knew that if we worked hard, if we were focused, we could accomplish amazing things. We had done it way back at the King School and every time a client came to us with a job we put 100% into it and ended up with some really great accomplishments. And I got really hooked on accomplishments. I just loved working with my team, I loved the whole process where even when we were working at the eleventh hour and everything was . . . We had issues and problems and drama. We would fight through, we would solve those problems, and then we would end up . . . It just made that success even more sweet and wonderful. It bonded our relationships even better. And even in the end I even got more connected with my education and looking for opportunities and dreaming about an awesome career for myself. So being in this building, working in this facility, working with these projects and this community, it was absolutely transformative. Dave: One of the most important values for Artists for Humanity is that ideas can come from anywhere. Students know that their opinions will be taken seriously and they’re not afraid to try something new that’s never been done before. Dave: What would you say, then, makes Artists for Humanity different from say another youth program that’s out there? Jason: Well, we’re different not just from any youth program, we’re just different. Dave: Okay. Jason: Because we listen and we respond. And there’s a point where somebody says, “Hey, I’ve got this great idea.” And everybody else is like, “Oh, but we planned to do this.” And that idea gets left on the table, it gets swept under the rug, it’s on the cutting room floor and who knows what. But I think this is a place where that idea gets put to work. I think that’s the difference. If government ran like that, if corporations ran like that, if car companies ran like that, then we would constantly build, evolve, innovate. There’s room here for that. Again, our organization started with this very simple idea, but since then it has built . . . We have added layer after layer after layer. Every time we see an opportunity, every time there’s a program to develop, or a service we can provide for our teams we just pull it on in. Dave: Right. Jason: And add it to the organization. So I mean hey, are we an artist organization? Of course, art is our medium, it’s our vehicle. With that we’re able to tack on all this positivity, all this enrichment for our teens, for our staff, for our community, and of course for our clients. Dave: Yeah. Why is that? This idea of listening and then evolving based on what the problems are, why is that so important to you and to the organization? Jason: Well, somehow I feel like it just makes sense. I think that there’s a . . . When you’re working with a team you need a plan. You need to have some guidelines. You need to have an easy way to make sure everybody’s on the same page and that everybody’s able to communicate. But when you let that plan restrict you, or that curriculum restrict you, or the guidelines restrict you then you lose a lot. And here our focus is on creativity. It’s on problem-solving. It’s on innovating. And so we have to give our young people the opportunity to do that, and in doing that, and our staff people there an opportunity to innovate and have ideas. And so to do that we have to be a little bit flexible. We have to be able to hear and make things happen and react. As well as be thoughtful and plan things out. And that kind of is tough for a lot of people to juggle. There’s a juggling going on with all that we do here. Whether it’s the experience to mentor and the innocent mentee, protege, we’re balancing those things, those two, into a beautiful piece of artwork or beautiful project, a commission for our clients. And there are benefits to be added by both people in that arrangement. Dave: This unique approach makes Artists for Humanity a popular place for students looking for work, as well as creative opportunities. As the organization continues to expand, Jason and his team work hard to maintain the same level of commitment to personal and community development that existed when the program was only 6 students. Dave: So when you started it was just a small group of you, right? Jason: Yeah. Dave: And so where are you now? Like in terms of staff, and how big have you grown since those early days? Jason: Yeah. So right now we’ve got about 145 kids employed. That’s about how many we can stuff into the building. We’re actually gonna ramp it up this summer to about 150. Throughout the year we’ve probably employed about 250 kids this year. And then we have about 30 staff members who are in support of that, but we wanna ramp that up. We’re looking to double youth employment. We’re looking to activate our space all day long. We’re looking to add new programming, all with the focus on building community, having people work together, share each others’ resources, and also make the most of the resources here in the city. We’ve always been an after-school program, but we want to activate our space during the day, as well. We wanna bring in, maybe kids who were recently graduated or dropped out or were looking for opportunities. There’s been a shift in America to build infrastructure, invest in our cities, our towns, our bridges, our systems, our infrastructure, and we want to train that next level of young people that are going to be able to take those jobs and those opportunities. And so activating our space during the day, having kids learn the trades and the vocations, so that if there are opportunities out there then our young people, who are under resourced, under served, living below the poverty line, that they’re able to meet those opportunities and chisel out a real positive, successful future for themselves. It’s important to us. It’s important to our city. It’s important to our country. So if we can model that the way we modeled green design when we built our building then I think we’ll be doing something really good that goes beyond the walls of our facility. Dave: The space Jason is referring to is The EpiCenter. Designed with energy sustainability in mind, the award-winning EpiCenter is the first building in Boston to achieve LEED certification. With impressive gallery space, art studios, and offices, the facility has become the organization’s home, as well as a popular rental space for weddings and events. But beyond that, the EpiCenter is the perfect example of the long-lasting impact Artists for Humanity makes on its students. Here’s Jason on the building’s background. Jason: We opened this building in 2004. Dave: And it’s just you guys, right? Jason: Yep. Yep. Yep. Dave: All right. And so what was it like? What was that move like? Coming into this space? Jason: Well, it was an amazing feeling. We had this beautiful facility. But we programmed it for what we envisioned Artists for Humanity people . . . We couldn’t have anticipated what it would be like to have our own facility and how that would increase the opportunities for us, increase our visibility. Let our funders, our supporters, our clients, the teams all know that we were solid, that we were liquid, and that we were gonna be here for a long time. Dave: Yeah. Jason: It really added a bit of credibility to what we were doing and then, of course, to have such a cutting edge facility, such a green facility. It really helped people take a notice of us and pay attention to what we were doing. Dave: Did you have it built? Jason: We built it from scratch. Even that was like another . . . We were able to inject positivity into that because one of my other guys, one of the original Artist alumni that was at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School with me, after graduating high school went off to Risley, became an architect, and he was actually on the team designing and building this building. But it doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t stop there, because then he opened an architecture studio here with a bunch of kids and they were able to help design architectural features that actually went into the building. And from that program we have like four or five kids who are in architecture careers right now because they had that experience. Because they had that exposure. Dave: Artists for Humanity purposely exposes their students to new experiences and people. Getting them out into the art and business community makes them more mindful of their future and gives them a sense of accomplishment they often haven’t yet experienced. Dave: Yeah. You mentioned a bit earlier about the events that you guys have, especially after you’ve finished a project you’ll bring everybody together. Why are those events so important? And any other events that you run for that matter. Jason: Well, I guess it’s all about community. It’s all about people coming together. It’s not like Boston is at a lack for resources. This is a world-class city. People come here from all over the world to do business, to learn, and to educate. It’s that there is a population here that doesn’t have access. And so the more we can bring people together the more we can distribute all of these resources. The more that we can have people understand each other’s cultures and work together to get stuff done. And we model that and we want to make sure that if we do this amazing, awesome mural that we just don’t passively sit around and wait for people to check it out and pat us on the back. We wanna invite everyone. And so the more that we can facilitate, the more that we can exemplify, I think it serves us and it serves our participants. So yeah, we’re gonna throw some confetti in the air and cheer, cut a ribbon. And you know what? That’s when it all is driven home. One of our early endeavors was a gallery show. We worked as a studio, we worked on paintings, we produced this body of work to be shown at the Nielsen Gallery on Newbury Street. And we worked hard and we produced a lot of artwork and it was great. And under normal circumstances, in a normal class, I would have got an A or B based on my effort, but here we put those paintings in that gallery, and I stood in that gallery. And people came in and they asked me about my work, and they were astonished by what we were able to do. And I was introduced to this whole community, this place I had never been. I didn’t understand it, it was beautiful to me. I could feel it happening to my mind, to myself, to my self-image, to my vision for my future that I wanted to continue. I wanted to have an art show in that gallery every weekend for the rest of my life, because it felt that good. And that’s why we do it, because it makes that effort worth something. Yeah, an A and an A+ is pretty great, that’s a pretty good celebration. But let me tell you when that flashing cameras, when you’re standing next to Deval Patrick it’s like, “All right. This is something. All right, this is something special.” Dave: Yeah. Jason: And that happened. We were at Vertex, down the street. They had opened their new building. We had produced this series of coffee tables where we cut and composed their collateral material with these beautiful designs on these tables, set them in resin, and when they unveiled their building they put one of them on stage with the CEO, the founder, and Deval, and I think Marty Walsh was there, too. And then two of our kids. And it’s like those kids, they still feel like big shots from that. Dave: How do you guys get the word out about these things? Either the events you’re running to those audiences that you’re trying to reach but also just about the program. How do you get the word out about that? Jason: Yeah, sure. So we do have our evangelists, our happy customers. They’re always out there toting Artists for Humanity but one thing that’s a great added value to what we do is that there is this back story. Yeah, okay, you’ve got a bunch of beautiful paintings on your wall, but guess what? They were done by teenagers and so there’s always that social media component. So we like to document kids working on projects. We like to share that type of information with clients, give them a little something to Tweet out there or post it at folks Facebook page. Or even inter-office communications. It’s one of those things that make people feel proud of their workplace because patronizing Artists for Humanity really is, it’s kind of community building. Dave: Jason and his team rely on social media and email marketing to communicate with their audience, which has quickly become another outlet for students to give their input and showcase their work. We have our own Facebook page. That’s a great network for us, it’s really helped us stay in contact with our alumni. And we have an event, we e-blast it out, and we do use Constant Contact. We’re always able to tell who opens what and the effectiveness of our correspondence, that’s always great for us. But it’s also though, what’s funny is as social media has become this bigger beast, our kids are the experts. Jason: It’s something that we’re actually hoping we can market out there to our clients. We actually have started, in our video studio, doing square videos for Instagram. Dave: Instagram, yeah. Jason: And just getting the word out there and being cutting edge. Using that young, contemporary youth voice that we have here, the early adopters, to help our clients achieve their goals. Jason: Well, everything we do is about building community. So the more that we can get the word out there, the more that we can bring people together, the more that people know what’s going on at Artists for Humanity the better. And so we’re willing to go . . . If we had a messenger pigeon that would come back we’d send it that way, we’d send the message. But email is a great way to do it. We’ve got a huge contact list of interested parties and so being able to be consistently reaching out to those people, reminding them of this awesome thing, letting them know we have an idea or we’re gonna throw an event. Dave:  Being able to easily communicate with their audience has also helped the organization overcome its biggest challenge: fundraising. Jason: Well, one of our earliest challenges was the fact that Arts for Humanity was six boys. And so it was a small program and sometimes for funders it was tough for them to see the impact there. What’s the point of funding an organization with four guys in it? And so we struggled with that. But that struggle, I’ve gotta say it was a blessing, because what funding we couldn’t find in foundations we decided, “Well, okay, let’s go earn it. Let’s go earn some money. Let’s go earn some money to pay the rent so we can keep the doors open.” And that’s really what helped us develop this model where we’re working for clients, providing services. It was literally to keep the doors open in the beginning. So that was a blessing and a curse. It helped shape us. If you couldn’t ask for it, if you couldn’t get it through philanthropy then we were willing to earn that money. And that earned revenue has always been the thing that has helped us get through those tough times with the economy or the stock market or funding shifts and changes. It’s a fickle market and so as long as we’re able to say, “Hey, let’s go. There’s somebody over there that needs something done.” And if we can rally the troops and go make that happen and earn some money, then we can keep doing what we love to do. Dave: With so many areas of focus, I was curious how Artists for Humanity gauges their success, and how they’ve kept going strong for almost 25 years. Jason: What is success? I guess it’s just when our city is a better place. When kids who need opportunities, when kids who want to participate, if they’re included and in Boston. And we wanna make opportunities here in our organization but we also wanna make sure that there are places, that there are companies, that there are other organizations that will accept and hire our participants after the fact. And that our participants are there in leadership roles, doing their best to make Boston a better place. Dave: Yeah. So looking forward, right? Looking forward and really thinking back on the lessons you’ve learned through the years. What would you say is the most important thing that keeps both you personally going and the organization moving forward? Jason: What keeps me going is making things. I like to make stuff. It’s just, yeah I can go to the mall and I can buy stuff. But I like making things. That is so much fun when you just take a pile of crap and then you turn it around and it’s a sculpture or it’s a beautiful bust or it’s a little pouch for my knick-knacks. I do a lot of origami so even I have this flat sheet of paper and then a couple minutes later it’s a horse or a gorilla. That to me is just . . . It’s what makes us humans. I think that is so empowering, is so much fun, it’s just so great. Or driving down the street I see a mural I painted. That’s like, “That’s it.” And so then, when you can gather a group of 10 or 15 awesome people and rather than just hang out or rather than just going to dinner or something, make something. Make something bigger than I can make by myself. Make something that’s important, make something that changes peoples’ lives, that inspires people. Dave: Part of the organization’s success comes from their view on mistakes. The artist mindset is so central to the organization that challenges are seen as part of the creative process, rather than a stumbling block. Jason: Well, I guess mistakes are good. I think as artists, and maybe there’s a philosophy or something, but when I started painting or with our kids, it’s all about mistakes. It’s all about just get something going. Make something happen. Put something down. And then fix it up a lot. You know what I mean? Then add some details and then put some focus in some areas and then it’ll be awesome. “Hey, guys, you’ve got cameras. Just shoot, shoot, shoot.” We’ll edit out the bad ones later. We’ll chop that maybe into something that’s interesting, that’s digestible later. But just go at it. I think the mistake is inaction. The mistake is fear. Be loose, be brave, make things happen, and leave yourself some time to fix it up. Dave: What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through your experience so far? Jason: It’s tough, because my initial reaction to that question is to say that hard work pays off. It seems so inherent but it’s not. Because for our kids the message is “Play the lottery and get rich quick.” Or sing a song and you’ll be a billionaire.” Or “Play that sport really good.” It’s not about hard work. Our kids, our role models aren’t doing that, that part of the story isn’t being told. And then in school it’s like work real hard and here is . . . The difference between hard working and not hard working, it’s a B and a C. And it’s like so arbitrary, but I think in the studios you gotta do some hard stuff. This work isn’t easy. To make a really great product for your client on budget, on time, is extremely difficult. It can be stressful. It can be an uphill battle sometimes. But if you work through it, if you’re focused, disciplined, then some amazing things can happen. I don’t think that lesson took for me until I was in these studios and I saw that. Dave: These are the lessons Artists for Humanity instills in their students every day. While Jason would never say that success comes easy, he and his organization are showing students the impact of hard work, focus, and discipline. These are the same values that can positively impact your own business and community. In closing, I asked Jason about the future of Artists for Humanity — his expectations are higher than ever. Jason: Wow. Well, right now we’re really working to expand our facility. We wanna triple our square footage and build beyond LEED platinum. We’re going for energy positive this time with the new expansion of our facility. So I mean I wanna just continue to innovate. I wanna continue . . . I want this place to be that place where new ideas are coming from. Where people with great ideas are going to to flesh them out. I just wanna continue to be a resource and a model for how we all can get together, work together, and make things happen. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Artists for Humanity, Small Biz Stories Episode 4 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.

Join us for episode 3, where we share the story of Marie Mouradian, owner of Window Designs Etc. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Marie: How I determine success? Jeez, I don’t know. To leave everything more beautiful than it started with. And everything is different; each job has a little different twist on it. Dave: What is it about success that makes it so hard for us to pin down?  Maybe the biggest reason is that success looks and feels different for each person. For Marie Mouradian, owner of Window Designs Etc., success is not something to be accomplished, but something to constantly strive for. As her own boss for over 33 years, Marie has pushed herself to stay at the top of her craft within a changing industry. Today she’ll share where she gets her inspiration, her biggest challenges, and advice you can apply to your business. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Stepping into our office, it’s clear that Marie’s passion for design and aesthetic are not only part of her business, but something she lives and breathes each day. There’s an attention to detail in the way that she presents herself. I started our interview by asking Marie where her love of fashion and design comes from and how it translated to starting her own business. Marie:  Ever since I was really small my mother and my grandmother taught me how to sew. And so I started sewing clothing when I was probably about seven. And that’s what I have my degree in, is clothing and textiles. And then I went into fashion merchandising, into the retail end. And that was when stores started opening on Sunday, and I was working way too much for schlepping all kinds of clothing all over a store. And so I started doing things on the side. And it was through encouragement of my family, my friends, my then-fiancé who said, “You really just need to start a business.” And so at the ripe old age of 22 I went into business. Did I have a business plan? No. Was I crazy? Yes. But I was very fortunate that I had people who believed in me. Dave: For Marie, the doubts and uncertainties of starting a business were overpowered by a desire to pursue something personal and meaningful. Marie: Fabric makes my heart sing, and color and texture and all the types of style and design. Dave: Tell me a bit more about that. What about it makes you so excited? Marie: That you can take something flat, a flat bolt of fabric, and you can create anything, anything. Anything that gives you a feeling. And, of course, as it transfers onto windows, it absorbs sound, it creates all other functions. Whether you’re going to block out light or add some style, hide some architectural faults that many clients don’t seem to realize that their house has until you point them out. And it just creates magic. Dave: This magic is what attracts clients to work with Marie. They’re comfortable inviting her into their home because of the passion and energy she brings as she walks through the space. So tell me a bit about your customers then, and your clients. Why do they come to Window Designs? Marie: Because they want to feel special at home. They take value in their home, whether it is a 7,000 square foot house or it’s a little 600 square foot condo. They work hard all day, they’re uncertain in the world, and they want a place to call their sanctuary and welcome guests into their house. Dave: So what’s it like when you meet with a client then? How does that process go? Marie: When I initially do a consultation, I have the client walk me through the whole property because I want to know what the other rooms are like; I want to know what’s important to them. And also, it’s very important to ask what they dislike. They might tell me that they strongly dislike this lamp, but they have to keep it because it’s their great aunt’s or their husband’s great-aunt’s that was handed down, but they really dislike it. So we’ll work with that. And what I really like is when the client will show me a piece of artwork and then she’ll start telling me about her and her husband’s trip to Sedona when they picked it out. And they can remember the little gallery, and then they went out to lunch after. And those are the things that are important to have in your house. So maybe we’ll use that as a jumping off point as to what the feeling is for the room, and that’s a good thing. And then I ask them lots of questions, lots of questions, “Who uses the room? How do you want it to feel? Are you in here during the day or in the evening?” I observe which direction the sun comes in, is it a north-facing room or is it saturated with sunshine at 9 o’clock in the morning. And yeah, I get to know them. Dave: All of Marie’s enthusiasm makes it easy to forget the hard work that has gone into building her business. It’s not until she starts to explain the challenges of balancing her business and family, that you start to realize the huge commitment and dedication her business has required over the years. Marie: I had people tell me, “Don’t worry, honey. You’ll get a real job someday,” which made me laugh. And yeah, people wondered what I did all day as I was developing my business. And even as I was well into business, one of the best things about being in business for yourself is flexibility. And I should say I work from home, I do not have retail space. Dave: Okay. Marie: So my flexibility. And so I have two children and when they were young, I would work after they went to bed. And then I’d get up really early in the morning and work before they got up for the day. And a couple of people, friends, our children’s friends’ parents would say, “Oh, so what do you do? Work 10, 12 hours a week?” And I said, “No, I really work about 60.” But the facade was there, I was always there. I was always the mom, and so that what it looked like. And so people really didn’t realize what I did. Dave: Yeah. How did that fuel any of the things that you did? Did that do anything for you? Marie: Oh gosh, determination. Yes, determination. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And then with the onset of the Internet, I’m a very early adopter. And so it was a very easy way to set myself up on the Internet as an expert. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And so I think it wasn’t until after that that people really saw what I could do. Dave:  Looking back to the early years of her business, before the Internet came into play, Marie remembers struggling to find information related to her industry. Dave: What did you find was most challenging for you in those beginning years? Marie: Information, getting information, getting vendors and all to trust in me. And yeah, lots of information as to how to do things, what the industry standards were. Dave: Okay. Marie: And what I quickly learned was the industry standards were not my standards. I wanted something more. Dave: Where did you go for that information? Where did you go for advice, just either within the industry or just in running your business in general? Marie: Within the industry, magazines that were initially coming out. And, of course, I giggle at them now because they were so archaic. And again, some of my fabric vendors would have things. There was very little information out there. I did, obviously, go to the library, study some history of different things, but there wasn’t much how-to. So it was a lot of trial and error and learn my way. Dave: Right, right. Was there ever a time where you felt like, “All right, maybe this isn’t going to work”? Marie: Yeah. I still think I feel that way. I still think I feel, “Well, maybe I should go work for somebody else,” for about 15 seconds, and then I say, “No way, I’m not doing that. That would be awful, that would be awful.” Yeah, I don’t think there was really a down, down time. Of course the economy has taken some peaks and dips, but in the dips that’s when I learn. That’s when I try to invest in myself and figure some other things out, or just grow my business or grow my marketing. And that’s when I have a little bit of time to do some other things. But did I ever think that I wasn’t going to succeed? No. Because it’s up to me, not anybody else. Dave:  With more information now readily available online, Marie relies on a combination of traditional advertising methods, as well as new marketing channels, to stand out and reach her audience. Marie: I live in a small town and there is a local newspaper, weekly newspaper — which you may think newspapers are dead, they are not. This local newspaper goes to five, six towns. And I do advertise every week and I always get clients, always. People will cut my ad out, place it on the refrigerator. And because I’m a sole proprietor, I do have the advantage of asking every phone call, every new potential client that I get, “Jeez, how did you hear about me?” And they will say, “Oh, I’ve had your ad on the refrigerator for such and such amount of time.” I would say probably a good 60% of my clients come from that. Yeah. Dave: Okay. So yeah, let’s talk a little bit more about that. So how do you go about just marketing your business in general? Marie: I’m very big on social media. I think that’s where people go, people pick up their phone and they Google it. And I want to be found. I do have a blog. I’m very big into SEO. And I’m on Facebook, I’m on Pinterest, I’m on Twitter a little bit. But we’re real visual, so Instagram is one of my favorites. Because everyone wants to look at a pretty picture of a room that’s finished or color or something fun. Dave: Yeah. So you talked a bit about, obviously, the newspaper ads. Aside from word of mouth, let’s say, would you say that that is your best channel that works best for you or? Marie: It’s a very good channel, everything supports one another. Dave: Okay. Marie: Because on my newspaper ad my website is there. And so everything really interacts with one another. I do make a conscious decision if I’m going to put a photo into my newspaper ad, that photo will show up on social media the next day. Just so clients have recognition. Another thing I did probably about 10, 15 years ago is in all of my print and social media is I use a photo of myself. Dave: Okay. Marie: Because people easily recognize me and they want to know. People are inviting me into their home, they want to know who this person is. “Is she a crazed lady or is she nice and sweet?” And so by adding my photo in there, that really has done well. Dave: So what’s your view on the social media aspect of it? Marie: It’s not going away, it’s not going away. It can control you, but you have to be on there, you have to have a presence, you have to have a large footprint on the Internet. It’s one thing to show up when someone Googles you, and then it’s another thing to show up the first 20 spaces, with different articles that you’ve written. If I’ve written for my blog or that have been published in some of the trade magazines or things like that, you can’t ignore it, you have to be on there. Dave: At this point, I have to be honest, Marie is speaking my language. As a huge proponent of online marketing and how it can help small businesses, I loved hearing her talk about its value. I asked her a couple more questions about how using these marketing channels translates into real business results. How do you make that connection or the move, let’s say, from social media to someone becoming a client or bringing them closer to you? How do you do that? Marie:  Well, all of my social media stems back to my website, back to my blog. And that the ultimate is for them to, say if someone clicks on a pin from Pinterest that I have on there, if they click on that, that will drive them back to the article that I’ve written or the portfolio post or whatever onto my blog. And all URLs stem back to where I have my email sign-up. And that really is ultimately the goal, is to have them give me their email so that I can market directly to them. And I reward them because I don’t make my email newsletter public. It is specifically for those who have given me their email address. So those people get a little extra special deal, or they get some extra information. So I keep it exclusively to them. Marie: Because I think that by getting into their inbox, it’s just a soft little tap on their door, “Hi. Remember me? I’m still here.” Dave: Yeah. Marie: And I’m not looking for anything major from them, it’s just a reminder that I’m thinking of them. Dave: And what types of things do you send in that newsletter? Marie: Trends, some of the new products. Before and afters are very popular. Everyone likes to see how “ugly” something looked before I completed the job. And it’s funny because I’ll go in and photograph a room, and sometimes I won’t because I don’t feel as though we’re completely finished. And the client will ask, “Well, when am I going to be in the newsletter?” or, “When are you going to write a blog post on?” And I’ll say, “Well, when we replace that area rug and when we do some more pillows, and then it will be finished.” And so that kind of encourages them to get to that point. But clients are very, very honored when I use their room in any type of media. Dave: As Marie gains more marketing knowledge, she knows it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Staying in business for 33 years requires confidence in her talent, and also a drive to learn new skills and make improvements. What’s the thing that keeps you going and your business successful? Marie: Always changing. Always, always changing. The trends change, styles change, and you never know when that next client is going to call or email, or some clients text. And you don’t know what that next project is going to be. It’s always new and exciting. Right now motorization is hot, automated window treatments. Marie: Everything is automated now, and it can all be integrated into the home. So on an app you can put your shades up before you arrive home. And so all these things are changing really fast, and so it’s all new and exciting. And who knows where it’s going? Dave: Yeah. How does that impact just your process really? Marie: Well, I have to know a lot about electrical things, which I literally was thrown into it back in, gosh, 1999. Dave: Yeah. Marie: That was the first time I ever did a motorized, actually I did a board room for a large corporation. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And I had no idea what I was doing, but I said, “Oh, sure, I can do that.” Dave: Yeah. Marie: And I made it my business to learn. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And so yeah, you just have to keep up. Dave: Yeah. Marie: Product knowledge. And clients love it when you tell them, “Well, jeez. Yes, you can have this shade, but did you know that we could motorize it? And then when the sun comes at a certain angle and it heats up to a certain temperature, then the shade can come down to keep it a little cooler in here.” And clients appreciate the new information. Dave: Of course, part developing new skills involves making mistakes along the way. I asked Marie if anything stuck out as her biggest business mistake. Marie: Gosh, there definitely are mistakes. Maybe I should have said “no”. I try to please everybody. And just because a client calls me and tells me that they need me, sometimes you get the vibe that they’re just not your client, and you shouldn’t work with everybody. You don’t have to be a people pleaser all the time, it’s better to work with fewer clients that are of good quality than to work with many clients who just have you doing crazy things. Because sometimes clients think that you can create something out of nothing. And if you’re not giving me anything to start with, it’s not going to happen. I won’t do bad design, I won’t compromise. And say if someone says, “Well, let’s save money by not lining this drape.” No, I’m sorry, I will not do that because that’s my name, those are my drapes. Even though you’re paying for them, that’s my work. Dave: Marie presents a great deal of pride and confidence Marie in her work. This isn’t something that develops overnight, but comes from experience. Here’s her best piece of advice for business owners just getting started: Marie: Make a commitment to education, to learning as much as you can, an ongoing education. Just because you learned something once at the beginning of your business doesn’t mean you’re done. Just stay up, keep going. Get involved. Get involved with the community, help somebody else. I’m very involved in my Chamber of Commerce, I sit on the board, and there’s always new businesses coming out. And so even though they’re not my exact business, but you can still offer them advice. And yeah, just get yourself out there and get a strong presence on the Internet. Dave: No matter what success looks like for you and your business, Marie offers a few lessons to keep in mind. The first is to listen to your customers and get to know them as well as possible. Secondly, let them get to know you by sharing what you know in the local and online community. The last, and maybe most important lesson, is to deliver an experience they’ll never forget. Here’s Marie with one last quote on the power this kind of interaction: Marie: So many times I finish with a project and the client will say, sometimes with tears in her eyes, “This is better than anything I ever could have imagined.” And they have a photo, they have a drawing of it, they know what they’re getting. But then to make that into a reality, they just think that’s wonderful. So I set them up, that they’re getting something good, but then to create and make something even better than they thought. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Window Designs, Etc. – Small Biz Stories, Episode 3 appeared first on Constant Contact.

Join us for episode 3, where we share the story of Marie Mouradian, owner of Window Designs Etc. Small Biz Stories tells the story of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet — small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Marie: How I determine success? Jeez, I don’t know. To leave everything more beautiful than it started with. And everything is different; each job has a little different twist on it. Dave: What is it about success that makes it so hard for us to pin down?  Maybe the biggest reason is that success looks and feels different for each person. For Marie Mouradian, owner of Window Designs Etc., success is not something to be accomplished, but something to constantly strive for. As her own boss for over 33 years, Marie has pushed herself to stay at the top of her craft within a changing industry. Today she’ll share where she gets her inspiration, her biggest challenges, and advice you can apply to your business. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I’ll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet, small business owners. You’ll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Stepping into our office, it’s clear that Marie’s passion for design and aesthetic are not only part of her business, but something she lives and breathes each day. There’s an attention to detail in the way that she presents herself. I started our interview by asking Marie where her love of fashion and design comes from and how it translated to starting her own business. Marie:  Ever since I was really small my mother and my grandmother taught me how to sew. And so I started sewing clothing when I was probably about seven. And that’s what I have my degree in, is clothing and textiles. And then I went into fashion merchandising, into the retail end. And that was when stores started opening on Sunday, and I was working way too much for schlepping all kinds of clothing all over a store. And so I started doing things on the side. And it was through encouragement of my family, my friends, my then-fiancé who said, “You really just need to start a business.” And so at the ripe old age of 22 I went into business. Did I have a business plan? No. Was I crazy? Yes. But I was very fortunate that I had people who believed in me. Dave: For Marie, the doubts and uncertainties of starting a business were overpowered by a desire to pursue something personal and meaningful. Marie: Fabric makes my heart sing, and color and texture and all the types of style and design. Dave: Tell me a bit more about that. What about it makes you so excited? Marie: That you can take something flat, a flat bolt of fabric, and you can create anything, anything. Anything that gives you a feeling. And, of course, as it transfers onto windows, it absorbs sound, it creates all other functions. Whether you’re going to block out light or add some style, hide some architectural faults that many clients don’t seem to realize that their house has until you point them out. And it just creates magic. Dave: This magic is what attracts clients to work with Marie. They’re comfortable inviting her into their home because of the passion and energy she brings as she walks through the space. So tell me a bit about your customers then, and your clients. Why do they come to Window Designs? Marie: Because they want to feel special at home. They take value in their home, whether it is a 7,000 square foot house or it’s a little 600 square foot condo. They work hard all day, they’re uncertain in the world, and they want a place to call their sanctuary and welcome guests into their house. Dave: So what’s it like when you meet with a client then? How does that process go? Marie: When I initially do a consultation, I have the client walk me through the whole property because I want to know what the other rooms are like; I want to know what’s important to them. And also, it’s very important to ask what they dislike. They might tell me that they strongly dislike this lamp, but they have to keep it because it’s their great aunt’s or their husband’s great-aunt’s that was handed down, but they really dislike it. So we’ll work with that. And what I really like is when the client will show me a piece of artwork and then she’ll start telling me about her and her husband’s trip to Sedona when they picked it out. And they can remember the little gallery, and then they went out to lunch after. And those are the things that are important to have in your house. So maybe we’ll use that as a jumping off point as to what the feeling is for the room, and that’s a good thing. And then I ask them lots of questions, lots of questions, “Who uses the room? How do you want it to feel? Are you in here during the day or in the evening?” I observe which direction the sun comes in, is it a north-facing room or is it saturated with sunshine at 9 o’clock in the morning. And yeah, I get to know them. Dave: All of Marie’s enthusiasm makes it easy to forget the hard work that has gone into building her business. It’s not until she starts to explain the challenges of balancing her business and family, that you start to realize the huge commitment and dedication her business has required over the years. Marie: I had people tell me, “Don’t worry, honey. You’ll get a real job someday,” which made me laugh. And yeah, people wondered what I did all day as I was developing my business. And even as I was well into business, one of the best things about being in business for yourself is flexibility. And I should say I work from home, I do not have retail space. Dave: Okay. Marie: So my flexibility. And so I have two children and when they were young, I would work after they went to bed. And then I’d get up really early in the morning and work before they got up for the day. And a couple of people, friends, our children’s friends’ parents would say, “Oh, so what do you do? Work 10, 12 hours a week?” And I said, “No, I really work about 60.” But the facade was there, I was always there. I was always the mom, and so that what it looked like. And so people really didn’t realize what I did. Dave: Yeah. How did that fuel any of the things that you did? Did that do anything for you? Marie: Oh gosh, determination. Yes, determination. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And then with the onset of the Internet, I’m a very early adopter. And so it was a very easy way to set myself up on the Internet as an expert. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And so I think it wasn’t until after that that people really saw what I could do. Dave:  Looking back to the early years of her business, before the Internet came into play, Marie remembers struggling to find information related to her industry. Dave: What did you find was most challenging for you in those beginning years? Marie: Information, getting information, getting vendors and all to trust in me. And yeah, lots of information as to how to do things, what the industry standards were. Dave: Okay. Marie: And what I quickly learned was the industry standards were not my standards. I wanted something more. Dave: Where did you go for that information? Where did you go for advice, just either within the industry or just in running your business in general? Marie: Within the industry, magazines that were initially coming out. And, of course, I giggle at them now because they were so archaic. And again, some of my fabric vendors would have things. There was very little information out there. I did, obviously, go to the library, study some history of different things, but there wasn’t much how-to. So it was a lot of trial and error and learn my way. Dave: Right, right. Was there ever a time where you felt like, “All right, maybe this isn’t going to work”? Marie: Yeah. I still think I feel that way. I still think I feel, “Well, maybe I should go work for somebody else,” for about 15 seconds, and then I say, “No way, I’m not doing that. That would be awful, that would be awful.” Yeah, I don’t think there was really a down, down time. Of course the economy has taken some peaks and dips, but in the dips that’s when I learn. That’s when I try to invest in myself and figure some other things out, or just grow my business or grow my marketing. And that’s when I have a little bit of time to do some other things. But did I ever think that I wasn’t going to succeed? No. Because it’s up to me, not anybody else. Dave:  With more information now readily available online, Marie relies on a combination of traditional advertising methods, as well as new marketing channels, to stand out and reach her audience. Marie: I live in a small town and there is a local newspaper, weekly newspaper — which you may think newspapers are dead, they are not. This local newspaper goes to five, six towns. And I do advertise every week and I always get clients, always. People will cut my ad out, place it on the refrigerator. And because I’m a sole proprietor, I do have the advantage of asking every phone call, every new potential client that I get, “Jeez, how did you hear about me?” And they will say, “Oh, I’ve had your ad on the refrigerator for such and such amount of time.” I would say probably a good 60% of my clients come from that. Yeah. Dave: Okay. So yeah, let’s talk a little bit more about that. So how do you go about just marketing your business in general? Marie: I’m very big on social media. I think that’s where people go, people pick up their phone and they Google it. And I want to be found. I do have a blog. I’m very big into SEO. And I’m on Facebook, I’m on Pinterest, I’m on Twitter a little bit. But we’re real visual, so Instagram is one of my favorites. Because everyone wants to look at a pretty picture of a room that’s finished or color or something fun. Dave: Yeah. So you talked a bit about, obviously, the newspaper ads. Aside from word of mouth, let’s say, would you say that that is your best channel that works best for you or? Marie: It’s a very good channel, everything supports one another. Dave: Okay. Marie: Because on my newspaper ad my website is there. And so everything really interacts with one another. I do make a conscious decision if I’m going to put a photo into my newspaper ad, that photo will show up on social media the next day. Just so clients have recognition. Another thing I did probably about 10, 15 years ago is in all of my print and social media is I use a photo of myself. Dave: Okay. Marie: Because people easily recognize me and they want to know. People are inviting me into their home, they want to know who this person is. “Is she a crazed lady or is she nice and sweet?” And so by adding my photo in there, that really has done well. Dave: So what’s your view on the social media aspect of it? Marie: It’s not going away, it’s not going away. It can control you, but you have to be on there, you have to have a presence, you have to have a large footprint on the Internet. It’s one thing to show up when someone Googles you, and then it’s another thing to show up the first 20 spaces, with different articles that you’ve written. If I’ve written for my blog or that have been published in some of the trade magazines or things like that, you can’t ignore it, you have to be on there. Dave: At this point, I have to be honest, Marie is speaking my language. As a huge proponent of online marketing and how it can help small businesses, I loved hearing her talk about its value. I asked her a couple more questions about how using these marketing channels translates into real business results. How do you make that connection or the move, let’s say, from social media to someone becoming a client or bringing them closer to you? How do you do that? Marie:  Well, all of my social media stems back to my website, back to my blog. And that the ultimate is for them to, say if someone clicks on a pin from Pinterest that I have on there, if they click on that, that will drive them back to the article that I’ve written or the portfolio post or whatever onto my blog. And all URLs stem back to where I have my email sign-up. And that really is ultimately the goal, is to have them give me their email so that I can market directly to them. And I reward them because I don’t make my email newsletter public. It is specifically for those who have given me their email address. So those people get a little extra special deal, or they get some extra information. So I keep it exclusively to them. Marie: Because I think that by getting into their inbox, it’s just a soft little tap on their door, “Hi. Remember me? I’m still here.” Dave: Yeah. Marie: And I’m not looking for anything major from them, it’s just a reminder that I’m thinking of them. Dave: And what types of things do you send in that newsletter? Marie: Trends, some of the new products. Before and afters are very popular. Everyone likes to see how “ugly” something looked before I completed the job. And it’s funny because I’ll go in and photograph a room, and sometimes I won’t because I don’t feel as though we’re completely finished. And the client will ask, “Well, when am I going to be in the newsletter?” or, “When are you going to write a blog post on?” And I’ll say, “Well, when we replace that area rug and when we do some more pillows, and then it will be finished.” And so that kind of encourages them to get to that point. But clients are very, very honored when I use their room in any type of media. Dave: As Marie gains more marketing knowledge, she knows it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Staying in business for 33 years requires confidence in her talent, and also a drive to learn new skills and make improvements. What’s the thing that keeps you going and your business successful? Marie: Always changing. Always, always changing. The trends change, styles change, and you never know when that next client is going to call or email, or some clients text. And you don’t know what that next project is going to be. It’s always new and exciting. Right now motorization is hot, automated window treatments. Marie: Everything is automated now, and it can all be integrated into the home. So on an app you can put your shades up before you arrive home. And so all these things are changing really fast, and so it’s all new and exciting. And who knows where it’s going? Dave: Yeah. How does that impact just your process really? Marie: Well, I have to know a lot about electrical things, which I literally was thrown into it back in, gosh, 1999. Dave: Yeah. Marie: That was the first time I ever did a motorized, actually I did a board room for a large corporation. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And I had no idea what I was doing, but I said, “Oh, sure, I can do that.” Dave: Yeah. Marie: And I made it my business to learn. Dave: Yeah. Marie: And so yeah, you just have to keep up. Dave: Yeah. Marie: Product knowledge. And clients love it when you tell them, “Well, jeez. Yes, you can have this shade, but did you know that we could motorize it? And then when the sun comes at a certain angle and it heats up to a certain temperature, then the shade can come down to keep it a little cooler in here.” And clients appreciate the new information. Dave: Of course, part developing new skills involves making mistakes along the way. I asked Marie if anything stuck out as her biggest business mistake. Marie: Gosh, there definitely are mistakes. Maybe I should have said “no”. I try to please everybody. And just because a client calls me and tells me that they need me, sometimes you get the vibe that they’re just not your client, and you shouldn’t work with everybody. You don’t have to be a people pleaser all the time, it’s better to work with fewer clients that are of good quality than to work with many clients who just have you doing crazy things. Because sometimes clients think that you can create something out of nothing. And if you’re not giving me anything to start with, it’s not going to happen. I won’t do bad design, I won’t compromise. And say if someone says, “Well, let’s save money by not lining this drape.” No, I’m sorry, I will not do that because that’s my name, those are my drapes. Even though you’re paying for them, that’s my work. Dave: Marie presents a great deal of pride and confidence Marie in her work. This isn’t something that develops overnight, but comes from experience. Here’s her best piece of advice for business owners just getting started: Marie: Make a commitment to education, to learning as much as you can, an ongoing education. Just because you learned something once at the beginning of your business doesn’t mean you’re done. Just stay up, keep going. Get involved. Get involved with the community, help somebody else. I’m very involved in my Chamber of Commerce, I sit on the board, and there’s always new businesses coming out. And so even though they’re not my exact business, but you can still offer them advice. And yeah, just get yourself out there and get a strong presence on the Internet. Dave: No matter what success looks like for you and your business, Marie offers a few lessons to keep in mind. The first is to listen to your customers and get to know them as well as possible. Secondly, let them get to know you by sharing what you know in the local and online community. The last, and maybe most important lesson, is to deliver an experience they’ll never forget. Here’s Marie with one last quote on the power this kind of interaction: Marie: So many times I finish with a project and the client will say, sometimes with tears in her eyes, “This is better than anything I ever could have imagined.” And they have a photo, they have a drawing of it, they know what they’re getting. But then to make that into a reality, they just think that’s wonderful. So I set them up, that they’re getting something good, but then to create and make something even better than they thought. Dave: We appreciate you listening and would love to hear what you think of the show. Your feedback is important to us, so please go to iTunes or Stitcher right now and leave us a review. Small Biz Stories is produced by myself, Dave Charest Shaun Cronin and Miranda Paquet. You can contact us at podcast@constantcontact.com Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. The post Window Designs, Etc. Small Biz Stories Episode 3 appeared first on Constant Contact Blogs.