HOW TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS TODAY

One of my biggest passions in life is encouraging others to find theirs. You might be in the season of life where your kids are growing up and gaining more independence and you’re finding yourself with more time on your hands. You might be a happy stay-at-home mom, but you just want more for yourself. In my blog post FINDING YOUR PURPOSE IN YOUR PASSION, I talk about how to cultivate your purpose by defining what you’re passionate about. Let’s talk about how to start your own business TODAY!

Sometimes that’s going to manifest itself as a fun new hobby or volunteer experience. And sometimes, like in the case of the two moms were talking about today, Katie Davenport and Shae Lyrenmann, that’s going to become a very profitable business. I am so excited to tell you their story and more importantly, share their tips on how you can also start your own business later in your life.

What is Your Passion

Katie and Shae were like a lot of stay-at-home moms. They loved being home with their kids and the flexibility that offered but they were feeling a little unfulfilled. People were always been complimenting them on their detailed, unique, and personalized parties. It finally dawned on them that someone might not like to do this kind of planning. One morning over coffee, they hit the ground running. What if we could curate party boxes based on a theme someone chose, and we delivered it? It would have all the tiny details people love but don’t want to search store to store to find: those cute little chalkboards to write the names of food on, photo backdrops, themed silverware holders, and more. The possibilities were endless.

I threw these themed, personalized parties just because I liked doing it. Party planning was my love language.

Research the market

You can have the most amazing idea, but if it’s overpriced or there’s no need or audience for it, it isn’t much use. For a case study, Shae and Katie took to the best tool they had at their disposal: social media mom groups. They found out right away there was a market for a service like this. The response was overwhelmingly positive and that gave them the motivation they needed to start. They bought the domain, designed the logo, opened a business bank account, and purchased the copyright ON DAY ONE. The procrastinator in me needs to sit and down and take a breather.

Learn as you go

No background in business? No problem! Google, Pinterest, and Youtube are here to save the day! Shae and Katie fumbled their way through the start-up process, like anyone with no prior experience would. They figured out how to apply for a copyright and what kind of licensing they would need, all by typing in that exact question to their Google search bar. They do admit that that process could have been a lot smoother and time-efficient if they had known anything about business, but it certainly didn’t detract from the final product and it shouldn’t deter you either!

Invest in quality products for your business

This is the part that scares a lot of moms and turns them off from starting their dream business. It’s a lot of pressure to start a business with your own money. You worry about failure and moms already have enough worry and guilt as it is. Believe in your ideas and if you invest in quality, it will pay off! Some of the items in the specially designed Party Box will be disposable, like silverware and napkins. The items that you are renting, like backdrops, or banners, and the items you are purchasing like an “I’m One” onesie, are a great quality that people remember and take notice of.

Be flexible with your business plan

Be flexible and unafraid of branching out and adding more. Shae and Katie quickly realized that they didn’t have to stick to just birthday parties, and also added themes for bridal and baby showers. Just a month after launching, Covid hit and parties were a distant memory. Instead of panicking, they pivoted. There were some people who were still interested in the party boxes for small at-home parties looking to make it still special, but they knew to make a profit they were going to have to diversify. They invested in large balloons and signs for drive-by celebrations that became all the rage.

They also included other holidays and milestones like Kindergarten graduation and Mother’s day boxes. What started as an afterthought drove their profits for the year. If they had been so tunnel-visioned on birthdays and not expanding, they wouldn’t have been able to make a profit last year. Sometimes we think of it as “abandoning” our vision but it’s just diversifying. You are not quitting or “selling out” your dream by catering to the market.

When you have a business based on gatherings and gatherings become prohibited, it would have been easy to throw in the towel. Instead, they saw it as an opportunity to dig deeper and find out how their business could still be valuable to others. The lull of parties drove them to start making family shirts. You can add them to your box or just buy them separately.

What is stopping you from starting your own business?

When I asked Katie what she was the most proud of, or what she wants other mompreneurs to know, her answer surprised me.

“We work all day Mondays and Fridays and we do it without babysitters or nannies.”

We’re all guilty of feeling selfish putting our own needs ahead of our children. I shouldn’t be writing or researching, I should be working on letters or playing a board game with them. I should be taking them on a scavenger hunt that I printed off Pinterest and making sure everyone has clean pants.

Katie, Shae, and I are here to tell you that it is absolutely ok to leave your kids to their own devices for a while. Set up a craft and then walk away to Google copyright laws. Tell them to go and play while you write that blog post or set up your Cricut. Don’t let your kids inadvertently become your excuse when they should be your reason. Katie and Shae’s kids are involved in the process: becoming their models, their test audience, and sometimes their critics. Involve your kids in the process and in the success and it will alleviate your guilt.

How to order

Go to THE PARTY MARKET to support these hard-working mamas. Pick an already curated themed box or design your own with fun add-on’s like a donut board or yard signs.

All photos used with permission.

Comment below your small business link because we always want to support other mom-owned businesses. Self-promotion is OK! If you have any more questions or interesting stories, please feel free to comment and reach out. It takes a village and we’re so happy to be a part of yours!