Kim's BizBlog

It looks like this whole Twitter thing is going to stick around for a while, so I figure I'd better get serious about it. 

We're launching our new web show the first of August and I want to spread the word through Twitter.  I think it could be a great place to update people about what's going on behind the scenes and upcoming episodes.  The problem?  My Twitter followers are scarce.  Half of them, I'm afraid, are exotic dancers.  I'm scared to look because I don't want my "followers" number to decrease by deleting them.  Not that I have a lot of exotic dancer friends or that I have anything against exotic dancers.  The fact that a baby planning group attracts so many in the adult industry leads me to believe that this is some sort of spamming technique.  Though, with a name like "Peekaboo" I get a lot of interesting inquiries!

I've researched how to increase your followers and learned a lot from Holly at BurbMom.net.  The girls at BurbMom are social media wizards!  But, I've never really put any of these practices into play.  Better late than never, right?

So, today on this blog, I am going to set a goal for Peekaboo DG and based on what I've gleaned so far, set a path for reaching that goal. 

"Followers" Today =  81

"Followers" Goal = 1000 (at least!)

Time to Achieve = 3 weeks (8/7/2010)

Game Plan:

1.)  Tweet at least 3 times a day (phew!) hopefully, with useful info.

2.)  Start using Tweet Photo to share pics of us and our work.

3.)  Re-Tweet all the fun things I see posted.

4.)  Jump in on Twitter conversations

5.)  Increase my "following" number

6.)  Thank people for following me - can't believe I haven't been doing this...how rude!

I'll keep you updated on my progress.  

In the meantime, follow me on Twitter ! 

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

In my last post, I mentioned people from around the country contacting me because they too, wanted to start a baby planning business.  

Let me share the feelings I had the first time this happened.  It was Spring 2007.  I came back from lunch to find a voice mail from a woman on the West Coast.  She says that she and a friend want to start a baby planning business and want to learn more about Peekaboo.

I nervously call her back.  Nope.  No franchise.  She just wants me to tell her how I operate my business so that they can start their own.  She proceeds to tell me that she and her friend have been trying to figure out how to structure this thing and finally decided to call the only baby planner they could find. 

After a brief conversation of me not telling her exactly what she needed, I hung up the phone to a plethora of feelings.

First, I thought, “This is great!  Other people are recognizing the value in a baby planning business.”   That excited me.

Then a wave of fear hit me because I now had someone nipping at my heels.  How would they structure their business?  What services would they provide?  What if they had thought of something I didn’t and their processes were better than mine?

I learned really quickly that competition is WONDERFUL!!  Nothing keeps you on your toes more.  I’d been rolling along for so long with no one to compete with.  The phone book didn’t even have a category for my business.  Now, the game had changed.  I was no longer playing solitaire.  Someone had decided to sit at the table with me.

Several months later, I did my usual Google search looking for competition.  It’s kind of like being on a desert island and wondering if someone else is on the island with you.  Anyhow, up popped the new baby planning company I’d been waiting for.  My hands trembled as I clicked on the link.

I read through their mission statement.  Huh?  I clicked on the services they offered.  What?  I read their bios.  Son of a *$%#@!!!   Right there in black and white one of the girls called herself, “ the visionary behind this brand new concept.” 

Immediately, I ran to my number one cheerleader, my husband.  “Baby, take a look at this.”  I was calm so not to taint his point of view.

He read the mission statement.  “That’s your mission statement,” he said.

He read through their services.  “These are exactly your services.  Even the surprise nursery,” he said.  “The package names are almost the same as yours and look, this whole paragraph was taken directly from your website.”

Needless to say he lost it when he got to the "visionary's" bio page.  After all, he’s struggled through the start up of this business, too.  He sees the tireless hours of work that goes into it and is also living on less than we’re used to in the hopes of it taking off.

The next morning I met with my attorney.  After comparing their site to mine, he confirmed that I had a case and offered to send a cease and desist; though he advised against this.  He said that all it would do is force them to shut down temporarily until they corrected their website.  To boot, it may serve as a motivation for them to come after me in future.  He suggested that I use this energy to create the best baby planning company in the new field.

Turns out he was right.  I shouldn’t have been worried about someone who had to replicate someone else’s work and call it their own.  They’re now out of business. 

Six years later, the field of baby planning is starting to make a name for itself.  We have at least 3 others in the Dallas area now...all able to write their own mission statement!  So, to them, I wish the best of success!

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

It was the summer of 2004 when I began building my baby planning business. I couldn’t find another business like it anywhere. Every day, I would Google “Baby Planning” and “Baby Planner.” Nothing. I talked to baby boutique owners and all my friends with kids...they’d never heard of such a thing.

In the end, I was left no choice but to create a new mode of business transportation. To start, I listed all of the services I planned to offer. I then determined what my relationship with the client would look like. After a lot of time and a lot of re-working, I ended up combining bits and pieces of three different business models: A Contractor, An Event Planner and an Interior Designer/Decorator. From each, I took pricing models, employee structures and standard practices to create a brand new business model, Baby Planning.

It took about two years of trial and error to shake out all of the details and perfect the model. The funny thing is that in the spring of 2007, I received a phone call from a woman in another part of the country. She was calling to say that she and a friend were starting a business. She said that they thought that they had come up with an original idea until they Googled “baby planning” and found me. She went on to say, “I can't believe you’re the only baby planning company we could find.” I thought, ‘Tell me about it sister!’ I reflected back to when I first started researching baby planning and wondered what my business would look like today if I had followed someone else’s lead. I might have found myself further along in my venture. No matter because the lessons I’ve learned along the way are invaluable.

Since then I’ve received calls from a dozen people wanting to know the ins and outs of my business model. This excites me. It tells me that there might just be a market for the concept of baby planning!

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

Not long ago I got into a little tiff with the owner of a consulting firm about the difficulties of pricing.  I didn't initiate the conflict...just, kind of, fell into it.  In fact, I was trying to set him up with an interesting conversation piece because I assumed he ran into this problem often as he assisted new business owners.  It went a little something like this:

Casual conversation in a group of small business owners ensues...

Consultant Dude: [to the group]”What element did you all find most difficult in starting your own business?"

Kim:  "Without a doubt, pricing..."

Consultant Dude:  "Pricing?!!  That's generally the easiest part of starting a business.  How can you say 'pricing'?"

Now, understand that I didn't throw out the answer thinking anyone would be shocked.  In the dozens of business books and thousands of internet articles that I've read, pricing your products and services is ALWAYS listed as one of the most challenging areas in defining your business.  If I wasn't armed with this knowledge I probably would have crawled under the table and cried at his tone.

Kim:  [surprised] "Yea...when I came to market, no one in the world was doing what I was doing.  I had absolutely no path to follow for pricing...neither did my market."

Consultant Dude: "It doesn't matter.  You set an hourly rate, count the hours it's going to take, bammo...pricing."

Kim: [now irritated] "It's not just about what I think I'm worth, it's about what the market will bear and with a new concept that's hard to figure out."

Consultant Dude:  "And, you've been in business how long?"

Kim: [now done with the conversation] "I was referring more to when I first started, but I still struggle with it to some extent, especially now that competitors are surfacing."

At this point, the consultant dude is looking at me like I'm a monkey in the zoo who's eating his own crap.  That's when someone else chimes in to change the subject.

I don't pretend to be an expert.  I'm just here to share my personal experience in starting a business.  And, pricing, for me, was/is incredibly difficult.

My experience is validated by the fact that I've had a dozen women across the country contact me because they were starting their own baby planning business.  They didn't have to contact me.  I tell them everything they need to know on my website, but do you know why they did?  Why they most likely put their tail between their legs and picked up the phone? One reason and one reason only.  They were trying to figure out how to price it.  It's the one thing I don't list publicly because it took me so long to figure out.  I'm even cautious when someone calling themselves a potential client inquires about pricing.  I assume it's a competitor.

I have to say, those who have called, have real juevos.  To call the creator of a concept, chit-chat for a little bit and then ask to be given the golden goose...it amazes me and, at the same time, I tip my hat a little.  Needless to say, I don't give it up.  Not that I don't wish them success.  I sincerely want every business to succeed.  It's just business.  I didn't work this hard to give it all up for nothing.

New concept or not, I still contend, pricing is one of the hardest things to do in a business.  Take a simple item like a t-shirt.  A store prices it at $24.99 and sells 10 a day.  They mark it down to $19.99 and sell 15 a day.  $14.99 and they sell 20 a day.  Then the store has to decide, "Do we sell less for more?  or, more for less?"  What's going to be most profitable with the least amount of energy expended? Same store marks shirts down to $4.99 and the customer is saying, "Is there something wrong with this shirt? No one wants it?  Why's it so cheap?"  It's a balancing act.

My Dad often reminds me of a story about Arnold Swartzenager.  I assume it's true.  When Swartzenager first came to this country, he and some friends started a brick masonry company.  They were barely getting by charging what they thought was a fair fee.  Finally, they switched tactics.  They changed the name of their company to something fancy and raised their prices by six fold.  Suddenly, they were getting more work and making better money.  Sometimes, it's all about perception. 

There are so many moving factors in pricing.  Ask anyone who's struggling to make it in the current economy. I really don't have anything helpful to share about pricing because I'm still trying to figure it out myself.  All I know to do is give my clients the best possible experience so that they walk away saying, "It was worth it."  

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

The Red Hot Chili Peppers song, "Give it Away" could have been an anthem for my business when I first started.  Lately, the tune has made a re-entry into my brain & business.

I started laying the foundation for my baby planning business in 2004, during a pretty strong economy.  It was in 2006, during a really strong economy, that I finally made the full-time leap into baby planning.  Most of 2007 proved to be bang-up as well.

Something you should know is that I'm surrounded by economic & financial gurus.  All of whom told me, "You're starting a business in the worst possible time."  But did I listen?  What could they be talking about?  The market was booming.  The unemployment rate was super low (which, I quickly found out is not a plus for a new business).  As I walked away, I could faintly hear them say, "We're slated for a recession end of 2007."  Recession Shmession! Bring on the new biz. 

Here's what happened.  In order for a new concept to work, you have to prove out and perfect that concept.   To do this, I had to give quite a bit away and/or work for peanuts.  I hustled taking on any work I could get in order to perfect the Peekaboo process and build a strong portfolio.  It paid off!  Not only did I build a great portfolio and process, I received valuable feedback.

By the middle of 2007, I was able to establish my value and build a semi-appropriate pricing model.  After 3 years of building the business, I was finally starting to see the potential for a return on my investment. 

Now, I was leery of what was to come because the market in the fall of '07 was at the highest it had been in history.  Un-employment was at the lowest it had been in decades.  From my experience, what goes up must come down.  But, my calendar was booked through the spring of 2008 so, I decided to start looking for potential employees.  [Insert screeching brake noise here]. 

Almost immediately after I held a recruiting meeting for new talent, the talk of "Depression" was haphazardly thrown about.  I say haphazardly because my experience as a small business owner is that small business owners have a finger right on the pulse of the American consumer.  Every time a politician got up to talk about how dire our situation was, I received a cancellation.  I started talking to my other vendors and they were experiencing the same phenomenon.  This was before the market & employment really started to tank.  And, to say that I'm furious with politicians who create more of a crisis than exists for political gain, is an understatement.  But, let's move on.

The rest of 2008 was a volleying match.  I followed restaurant trends.  All of the middle priced restaurants were starting to go under.  Fast food and high end restaurants were still above water.  Because my services are too time extensive to cater to the lower wage earners, I focused high.  Suddenly, the more expensive restaurants started sinking.  I was still targeting the correct market; it just meant that the majority of my market's pocket books had closed!  If they weren't willing to shell out a descent amount for a nice dinner, they weren't about to hire me for an over-the-top baby experience.

2009 started different than any other year.  Most years, I'm optimistic and excited.  This year I was pissed and in defense mode.  I've worked hard to build a great concept and I wasn't going to let it slip through the market's fingers. 

When a market turns, the natural reaction in business is to re-evaluate your profit centers and try to create new ones.  Instead of selling convenient packages, I started piecing out my services, selling ala carte.  This meant working harder for less.

In addition, I realized it is a good time to build up my brand.  To do this, I decided to launch a revolutionary new marketing concept.  One that will be fully unveiled soon!  The kicker is...the combination of the weak economy and my new marketing has got me right back where I started,  "Giving it Away." 

Bottom Line: There are economists who spend their whole lives evaluating our economy and tracking, pretty accurately, when we will climb and when we will fall.  If I had listened to those around me, I would have started my business in an economy like the current one with low rent, available labor and a great idea.  Then, as the economy climbs back, I'm positioned for a longer period of success and will hopefully be stronger when the next dip occurs. As it is, I started in a sprint, got to cruise in good economy mode for a couple of months and then was forced right back into the sprint of survival.  A person fresh into the race could really give business owners like me a run for their money.

Best of luck!

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

Last week I had lunch with one of my vendors.  We spent the majority of our lunch complaining about the woes of owning a business in the current climate.

This is a trend that I've seen become more prevalent over the last couple of years.  It's as if small business owners have just gone 20 rounds in the ring and are now out walking blurry eyed through the streets.  There's no time to rest.  You know you have to keep moving forward, but it's a matter of having the energy to do so, all without knowing if another punch is coming around the next corner.

Customers are buying less and many are sacrificing quality for a lower cost.  This leaves business owners scrambling to find more customers and/or sell more services to make up for the deficits.  These additions equal more work for less.  And, more work for less equals very grumpy business owners. 

On top of it all, business owners are facing new regulations, fines and higher taxes.  When you start to weigh all of the work against all that's working against you, the question arises, "is this worth it?"

In general, small business in the United States is defined by the SBA as having 500 employees or less.  Small business is responsible for up to 75% of the jobs in the U.S.  

I urge you, fight for small business. If you know or are employed by a small business owner, encourage and support them.  Chances are they have to make some really tough decisions right now and they need that support.  Thank them for all that they're doing to keep the business afloat.

Don't stop there.  No matter the size of the company, all owners & managers right now are being confronted with many similar dilemmas.  Let them know you are aware of these challenges and support them as well.  This is a time of opportunity.  If you have an idea that could potentially bring more revenue to your company...share it!

We need to come together to support the private sector...not demonize it.  

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

Recently I caught an old Seinfeld episode that featured Babu, the struggling restaurateur.

The image that struck me was Babu standing in front of his restaurant with a little sign and a big smile...just hoping one person would come in and enjoy his cuisine.  His entire demeanor reeked of pitiful desperation.

I have to believe that this image has to strike a different feeling in a person who's started their own business than it does in someone who has not.  I have seen this episode probably 10 times in the past, but now, after struggling with my own business, it almost brought tears to my eyes.  I have been Babu.  Hell, I am Babu!! 

Could it be that no matter how successful your business becomes, there is always a little Babu in you?  Does Steve Jobs still feel like Babu, holding a little sign, smiling friendly and desperate for people to buy the new iPad? Given the time and money put into creating the thing...he probably does!  It's just at a different level.

If there's one thing I've learned, and am kind of still learning, it's that you always hope for the best and expect the worst.  I can't tell you how many times I've overbought inventory or over printed brochures because I just knew people would be lined up...beating down the doors to get what I had to offer.  It's never happened.  Not yet, anyhow. 

I've said it about a new concept, but it's probably true for any new business, sometimes marketing a business feels like being a mute person speaking to a blind crowd.  I just can't seem to get the point across.

Last year, I'd had it.  I saw other businesses like mine pop up and almost as quickly go under.  I knew exactly why and was determined not to follow suit. 

This year, I'm going all out with, what I think, is a revolutionary new marketing concept.  If I do say so myself.  The thing about revolutionary new marketing concepts is that I'm now finding myself marketing my ingenius new marketing!  Hello again, Babu.

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

That's right, I said it.  And, if someone had told me to fake it 'til you make it when I first started my business I would have said, "You're a cheeseball.  Back the hell off." 

But, guess what?  Everyone's doing it.  That guy with the full wrap on his truck that you saw at the stoplight today...fakin' it.  The guy with the awesome website that lists a full host of services...fakin' it.  Billboard on highway, printed work shirts, slick brochures...fake, fake and fake.

Obviously not all of these businesses can be total fakers.  But, I can guarantee you one thing.  If they are not faking it now...they were at one time.  No doubt.  

I think this is a great secret that business owners share only with each other.  It took me a long time to unravel that fact.  Finally, one day I was talking to one of my vendors who was adding a new service to her tool bag.  She had a grand portfolio on this service which prompted me to ask, "why haven't I seen this work before?"  She proceeded to tell me that it was all work she had done for family and friends, she's never sold these services to a client...her portfolio suggested a totally different story!

This was my first glimpse behind the curtain, as they say.  Since then, several of my vendors have shared with me the things they did/do to enhance their image.  One of my vendors and I laugh and always say, "pay no attention to what's going on behind the curtain!"  All that matters is what is presented and delivered in front of the curtain.

Even the guy with an awesome retail spot down the street is sweating every day.  He's not going to let that show.  He's going to fake it.  But, you can bet he's worried that someday, he won't be able to cover his overhead.

Why is the realization of this secret so valuable?  It was valuable to me because it made me feel more secure in my venture.  Those guys I strive to be like with their store fronts, fancy wrapped trucks and printed uniforms might be just like me...trying to make an idea work. 

I like to remind myself, things are rarely as they appear.  It's like the old phrase, "Grass is always greener..."  Sometimes it takes a little spray paint to get your grass green! 

See ya next time!

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment

My primary responsibility is to act as liaison between my clients and my vendors.  My success hinges on my ability to properly assess what a client needs and wants in one discussion.  

After I am certain that I know what the client wants, I then contact all my vendors for products/services & pricing.  Instead of my client having dozens of conversations with  numerous vendors, they have one conversation with me.

This leaves me talking to many business owners with different talents.  As I act as client on behalf of my clients, I've noticed a common habit among many professionals:  Treating the client as the professional.

Here's what I mean.  Let's say you want your family room painted.  A painter comes over to see the room and take measurements.  He then asks, "What kind of paint do you want me to use?" 

Perhaps you know a little about paint and know how to answer that question, but 95% of those calling a painter to paint for them, do not.  That's why they called the painter in the first place.  This response leaves the client overwhelmed because they suddenly have to learn about paint. 

A better response from the painter might be, "Since this is a family room, I would suggest a low VOC eggshell or satin that's easier to clean." 

This response puts a period on the project alleviating stress on not only the client, but the painter so that they both have a better experience.

That's a pretty straight forward example, but there are dozens that I hear every day that aren't so clear cut.  There's a definite trick to knowing exactly what questions you need answered from the client and what you can infer based on their needs and your experience.

I've found the client doesn't care about the minute details.  They just see the overall picture and want the professional to figure out the logistics.  It may take work on the part of the professional to perfect the way they get information from a client, but in the long run, it will save everyone a lot of headache!

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment.

Think you want to work at home?  I used to think that.  The commute is quick, the overhead is low and no one can complain about me wearing yoga pants to work.   

When I first started it was great.  The boundaries between work life and home life were easily established.  I would get up, maybe exercise, feed our dogs, have some breakfast and make sure I was locked in our home office by 8am. 

Then something happened.  I became busy.  Our upstairs turned into a staging/inventory area.  My dining room table turned into a conference table.  And, my kitchen table turned into a remote station for my laptop as I ate lunch and cooked dinner, as did our couch since I work on my laptop while watching TV. 

Suddenly the lines between home and work are blurred.

My father, one of the wisest men I know, has had an accounting firm for over 30 years.  Having had the same struggle when he first got started, he recognized this and offered up one of his empty offices to me in return for some marketing work.   

I figure if I have a different place to go according to the work I'm doing, I'll be more focused.  Day two and I've been incredibly productive.  Yesterday, I had an appointment in the morning, came to the office to work on paperwork, billing and return a few phone calls, and then went shopping for a client in the afternoon.   I didn't get a chance to work last night due to the Frog game, but maybe it's working. 

A friend told me once, "The key to working from home is to shower and get dressed every morning."  That's true.  And, sound advice just in general.  I think I would also add to that, build boundaries.  Tall boundaries.  With locks. 

You may not have a familiy member or friend with an office sitting empty, but you can still create a remote office space.  I used to go to coffee shops.  Actually, Panera is the best place that I've found to plug in and work.  They have outlets at almost every table and the wireless is free and easy to access.

Oh!  And, I figured out yet another way that you can get away with wearing yoga pants to work (short of being a yoga instructor)...being the boss' daughter. 

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment.