by Donna Johnson on March 31, 2008
10 Tips to Finding Help For Your Family and Your Business
Before my husband joined the business, I was home by myself a lot with our children. At the time, his work hours as a cameraman for ABC’s Nightline were horrendous, keeping him away from home from the dinner hour until well after midnight every night. During those times, it would have been nearly impossible to run a business and be up half the night with babies without our family helpers.
I am often asked by other parents, mainly mothers, for my tips on running a profitable home-based business with young children in tow. It’s a challenge, and sometimes, it’s just not fun at all, honestly. It can be done, but the first step to making it work is to get yourself a family helper or two (or more …).
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by Donna Johnson on March 31, 2008
- Title: Are "Satisfied Customers" Killing Your Business?
- Description: Robert Gordman, author of "The Must-Have Customer: 7 Steps to Winning the Customer You Haven’t Got" joins dM to talk about why having "satisfied" customers could kill your business.
by Donna Johnson on March 30, 2008
Relationships Form the Center of a Successful Business
Yesterday’s post about husbands and wives running family businesses reminded me about the value of strong relationships when it comes to success in business. Strong businesses require strong relationships. Strong relationships require strong people. My husband and I maintain a strong relationship not only with each other, but also with other people. These relationships can be compared to two pieces of iron which, when rubbed together, serve to strengthen one another.
My prayer this week is that small business owners everywhere will understand that creating and maintaining strong relationships is necessary in order to create and maintain strong businesses. These relationships are not always easy.
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by Donna Johnson on March 29, 2008
8 Questions To Ask Before Taking The Plunge
With all its blessings and benefits, marriage is a challenge. Taking the plunge for the first time at the altar is one thing. But taking the plunge again, as business partners, is quite another.
I’ve been working with my husband, Darryl, off and on ever since my business started in 2000. But a few years ago, we decided to merge our talents and gifts in a more formal sense so we could grow in new and exciting ways. The road has not always been smooth, but it is filled with enough joys and high points to keep us energized and excited.
While there’s plenty of pre-marital counseling available, there’s not much help when it comes to pre-spousal business counseling! We’re no therapists, but based on our experience, we have concluded that these are among the most important questions to ask and answer before going into business as a married couple.
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by Donna Johnson on March 27, 2008
Don’t Accept Anything Less
I recently received an email message from Charlon Bobo, a Seed Member of the Indie Beauty Network and a longtime friend and business colleague. Charlon owns edit copy proof, a copy writing service. She’s very insightful and quite good at what she does. She also has several years of past experience in the beauty business as a soap maker and packaging supplier. Charlon’s copy writing services include preparing copy for brochures, websites and other marketing materials.
The Proposal
Last month, Charlon quoted $350 to create copy for a soap maker’s brochure and her Indie Beauty Network Member Directory description. To perform this service, Charlon agreed to review the soap maker’s website, products and any other materials to familiarize herself with the company’s mission, products and overall business focus.
Charlon’s proposal included two rounds of client revisions, and the delivery time was approximately 60 days from the start.
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by Donna Johnson on March 26, 2008
Congratulations to "Sisters Are From Heaven" Authors
I feel strongly that family members make the best business partners. My husband and I manage both our home and our business together. It’s a lifestyle choice that comes with its own special breed of challenges and yet, we wouldn’t have it any other way. But family businesses don’t have to be of the spousal variety.
Take Onjeinika Brooks and Tamika Jackson, two sisters whom I met through my work as the Work at Home Network Director for Mocha Moms, the non-profit organization that supports mothers of color who choose to exit the traditional work force while their children are young. Tamika, a photographer, and Onjeinika, a writer, combined their talents and gifts to create and publish Sisters Are From Heaven, a heartwarming children’s book that showcases the enduring relationship of sisterhood.
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