Type of Products/Services Offered:
Smart Blonde Apparel
Start Up Cost: $20K
What did start up
costs go for?: Apparel purchasing, screen
printing, trademark registration, new computer,
software, phone line, dsl line, office supplies,
packing supplies, apparel tags, advertising fees,
etc...
Earning Potential: $20k/mnth
Skills Needed: Positive Attitude, Motivation,
Follow-thru, Discipline, willingness to learn,
willingness to seek assistance when necessary,
willingness to learn about doing business on the
web, Willingness to work hard.
Special Equipment
Needed: Computer with dsl, business phone line,
fax line, color printer, scanner.
Best Customers/Target
Market: WOMEN, Teens, Girls, but in particular
women. I have found that those of us who have heard
the dumb blonde jokes the longest, have the biggest
interest. But the teen and girls market is very good
too because they need assistance with self-esteem
and Smart Blonde provides that for them as well as
just sassiness.
Resources & Organizations
that help: I read 4 business books prior to starting.
But the "Complete Idiots guide to starting a Home Based
business" lent me the realization that I could do this more
than another book I had read!
Any Tips?: Funny you should ask this...I am asked
this question very often. For my complete story, please
visit my "about us" page. I have placed it there at the
many, many requests of customers. It's just such a special
story really because the inspiration behind my business was
and is my 11 year old, daughter, Jesi.
I tell others that the most crucial thing with getting
started is not to get overwhelmed. There is much to do - Yes
- but if you take it all in baby steps, you can accomplish
everything that needs to get done. Lay out your business in
a type of flowchart or even just as a list of items that
need to be done. Just use logic to get this written down.
Numerically list them in order of priority and then tackle
them one at a time. Example: #1 - Trademark name, #2 Get
Business License, #3 Create designs, #4 Find Apparel
Company, #5 Screenprinter/Embroidery and who to use, #6 What
will webpage look like, #7 Packaging/Shipping - fees and
purchasing supplies, #8 Software/Computer Upgrades, etc.. If
there is something you don't know how to do (and there will
be), then seek a source that can help. I learned to surf a
lot for the information I needed to get me from one step to
the next. I basically would just put the information I was
seeking into search engines and voila', I would find it
eventually. Follow-thru is very, very key here.
Keep a positive attitude throughout your journey and be
proud of yourself every day. Look how much you are learning
and growing. And finally - DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!! You will
never get there if you give up. Press on till you find your
answers and solutions. You WILL find them!
Owner's
Name: Debra Carroll