Small Business and Taking the Leap

I like to fill most of my posts with beautiful flowers and work that I'm proud of but in the midst of all the prettiness I'm in fact running a small business. There is constant conversation about small business and truth be told I wonder what most people consider a "small business". Is it made up of 100 employees, less than 50 or can it be just one person? 

For me it's the latter. I'm a solo entrepreneur, individual business owner, founder, creative director or one of the many other titles you can assume when you start your own business. I welcome them all and change my title throughout the course of my day depending on the task at hand. It's something to keep in mind when considering "taking the leap" into the business of small business. Forging out on your own to make your way. It takes courage, careful planning and perseverance. Some days will be better than others and as Paper & Stitch put it "Rough days will make the good ones even better." {This is just one of many great points in their series, Secrets to Success, check out all 10 tips here.}

I've come across some other great posts/series over the last few days about starting and/or running your own business whether it be something you started as a hobby or a brand new idea that is sure to change the world. One consistent theme I've found throughout them all is that you must be prepared to fail, to be disappointed and something I feel like is so important to remember, you can't compare yourself to others. 

You should know your competition, have a thorough understanding of your industry and particular market. But you shouldn't live and die by it, it doesn't matter what everyone else is doing...it matters what YOU are doing. And the reality is (which I often count on friends and colleagues to remind me) is that you don't truly know what someone else is doing, you only know what they say they are doing. Liene Stevens put it best in her post regarding "Fame" and Success.

Find your own success, your own balance. Figure out what is most important for your life and your business. Create the business that you want and be less concerned with what you think it is supposed to be because you are judging yourself by standards set by someone else. Lauren Grove from Every Last Detail rid herself of these concerns in her recent post.

I'm the first person to encourage someone to take the leap. So if you are thinking about going out on your own, do your research, make your plans and JUMP!

 Orange poppy flower, photo courtesy of me.

Small Business: Making Room for Baby

Proud to be a part of the "Making Room for Baby" series by Adelaide Lancaster of In Good Company on Forbes.com. Check out the full article here.

There has been a lot of focus on the idea of Mompreneurs, moms who have created a business after becoming a mother. I'm a huge supporter of these moms who have often started a business in response to something they have found lacking in their new world of motherhood and child care. They have created so many amazing products and services to make our lives as mothers easier and sometimes just a little more fun.

There is not quite as much discussion about those of us who may have recently started a business and in the midst of growing and nurturing our first "baby" have found that we are expecting. It creates turns and twists that you may not have planned for and you will to adjust to stay on course.

Adelaide posed some questions that I hadn't given much thought to as one often fails to do while they are trying to stay the course and "make it happen". It was interesting to look back over the last 5 1/2 years I've been in business and the nearly 3 years that I've been a mother.

Be sure to check out the other installments on "Making Room for Baby" on Forbes.com or on In Good Company's blog.