What I Learned About Link Building

Hello again friends! Today I'm going to talk about link building. This is important when it comes to your Google ranking, because it shows Google that your website is reputable. So, to start off I want to explain what link building is. When you hear the term, "backlink" or "link building," all this means is that a link to your website exists on another website. You may be wondering, "Why would Google care if a link to my website is on another website?" The reason why they care is because every link to your website is kind of like a letter of recommendation. When Google see's that your link is on a well known website, they view your website as more reputable and popular. So, if your wondering how to get your website at a higher rank, start reaching out to popular bloggers in your market and ask them to do a piece on your website, or have people share your website on social media. Everything you do should lead to your websites name getting out to as many people as possible.

Social Media Marketing Tips

Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to learn about some basic social media marketing tips. As I have been reading into social media marketing, it seems as though there are some common tips throughout most blogs and websites out there.

The first tip is to set a goal for your social media. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to improve? Do you see anything frustrating that you'd like to change? By asking yourself these questions, you can start deciding on an end goal. Maybe you would like to get more likes on your posts. Maybe you would like to increase your followers by a certain amount. The point is to choose a goal you want to set and then plan how you will accomplish that goal.

The second tip is to create content that is visual. Yes, it's important to have a well constructed message, but the truth is that the brain processes images and video much faster than text. Social media platforms are giving priority to visual posts rather than text. So if your looking to grab a potential customers attention, you need to start taking photos and videos.

Basic SEO Tips

Hello again, today I plan on talking a little bit about SEO with tips to improve it. For those of you who are new to SEO, it stands for search engine optimization. In other words, it is the way you set up your website in order to have it appear on the first page of a search engine. For a lot of small businesses, it may not be in their price range to hire a professional marketer to monitor their website. That is why I hope to shed some light on a few important tips that may help with improving your websites ranking. Tip #1, the more social media shares the better. A lot of people may think that SEO is just a matter of proper keyword placement, but that's only a small part of the equation. Google looks at how many social media shares your website gets and will value that over the keyword placement. Even though keywords do play a role in the ranking of your website, an even bigger part is making your website appealing enough to be shared via social media. Tip #2, make your website mobile friendly. The truth is that many Americans own a smartphone and use it browse the internet more than ever before. If your website isn't mobile friendly, you have the potential to lose valuable customers who may have liked your product or service. Google also favors websites that are mobile friendly, so if you want a higher ranking, you might want to consider optimizing your website for mobile use. So there you have it, two great tips for improving your SEO.

The Basics of ROI

Hi there! Today I wanted to talk a little bit about the basics of ROI. To start things off, ROI stands for return on investment. When I talk about ROI, I'm referring to your investment in AdWords. A lot of businesses struggle to invest in advertising, because it is hard to tell how much money those advertisements actually bring in. AdWords has done a great job of tracking how many customers come to your website because of the ads you put out there. They even allow you to track how many clicks lead to sales, so you can easily determine your return on investment. The formula to calculate this is ((revenue - cost of goods sold)/ cost of goods sold). By tracking how much you made in sales and subtracting how much you paid for AdWords, you can divide that by your AdWord cost to find out how much money you're actually making per click. Just another handy way to improve your AdWords.

Tips for Good Ads

Hello again friends! Today I'll be talking a little bit more about AdWords. When it comes to creating an effective ad, I've learned a few really important tips that I hope will benefit you. To start things off, the first tip for an effective ad campaign is to create an effective headline. The headline is the first thing that people will read about your company. The headline should give customers an idea of what it is your selling and what sets you apart from the competition. Sometimes, it may be helpful to include promotional information such as, a discount, BOGO, etc. in the headline. The second tip is to set up a call to action. A call to action is an invitation for customers to do something after reading your ad. An example would be, "Save up to 20% off your first order today!" By inviting customers to do something you're more likely bring them to your site and make a purchase. However, you are limited to a certain amount of characters, so be sure to make short and powerful statements. So that's it, two tips for effective ads.

Basics of AdWords

Hi friends! Today's topic is Google AdWords. For those of you just starting to get involved in marketing, Google AdWords may be your next best friend. The purpose of AdWords is to help businesses target specific people looking for products or services they have to offer. The way it works is by targeting specific keywords customers search for. For example, a company that sells running shoes is essentially saying, "Hey Google, if anyone searches for running shoes, be sure to put our link at the top of the page, because we sell those." Because people are more likely to click on the top few links, Google AdWords places your website at the top of the page. Having said all that, I now want to talk about two general principles to follow when choosing which keywords to use. Principle #1, be specific. The last thing you want is for someone to click on the link to your business and then exit because it's not what they were looking for. To avoid this, you need to use specific words that describe your product or service. Broad words can come off misleading. For example, if I sell running shoes and the keyword I use is shoes, that could come off as women's, men's, kids, babies, business, casual, hiking, or even bowling shoes. Do you see the point I'm trying to make? Principle #2, use negative keywords. Negative means words you don't want associated with your business. For example, if I sell running shoes, I would want to use negative keywords such as business, casual, hiking, and bowling. This way a person searching for any of those words won't be lead to my site. So there you have it, a quick overview of Google AdWords and how to use them.

Setting Up a Sole Proprietorship in Idaho

Hi friends, if you're just joining us on this adventure of starting your own business, I'd recommend reading my previous blogs, "Fundamentals of Starting an Online Business", "How to Create a Website", and "Tips and Tricks for Good Website Design". There are many types of legal structures to choose from when you're deciding on starting your own business, but the one I'll focus on today is a sole proprietorship. Simply put, a sole proprietorship is a one man or woman show. You and your business are considered one and the same. You are the only employee (a spouse could be included, but not considered a separate employee) for your business, and everything you make or lose will be included on your personal taxes. Setting up a sole proprietorship is one of the easiest and cheapest businesses to set up. However, one of the downsides is that you will be personally liable, and your business assets are at risk since the business is not considered separate from you. The first step to setting up a sole proprietorship is to register your business with the Secretary of State. Typically, this is done by registering an assumed business name (ABN) or doing business as (DBA). All that means is that your registering your businesses name as something other than your personal name. Next, depending on what you're selling (service or product) you may have to apply for an Idaho Sales Tax Permit. To do this you simply apply online using form IBR-1. For most businesses the registration and permit are all you need to start, but depending on what you're selling and the type of legal structure, there may be more you need to do. If that is not the case then congratulations, you now know how to start your own business.

Tips and Tricks for Good Website Design

Hello again, by this time you have probably read my previous blog titled, "How to Create a Website." Today, I thought it would be fun to get into the good stuff, which is designing the layout of your website. To start things off, I have a few tips and tricks for good website design. Tip #1, you don't need to be an art major to create a good website. When I first began thinking of designing a website, I thought it would be extremely difficult because I'm no art major. However, websites are not meant to be artistic and expressive. Websites are geared towards purpose and meaning. If a customer were to access your site and find scattered links with cool photos floating around, they would be confused and leave the site. Customers typically have a purpose when they go to a site, and the sooner they can fulfill that purpose the more likely they will come back. Trick #1, use real and legitimate numbers to create validity for your website. One thing I love to see on a website is numbers. Numbers that tell a customer how many people a company has served, how many jobs they have completed, or how long a company has been in business. This helps develop trust for potential customers. It's easier to trust a company that has served 154 customers then a company that claims to have served over a hundred. Tip and trick #2, less is more. Have you ever been to a website that has a ton of navigation links at the top of the page? Or a website that has a ton of pages that seem impossible to navigate through? This is probably the most frustrating part about a website. When you are trying to decide on the number of pages and navigation links you should consider this question, "Do I really need it?" Trying to condense your information to the bare minimum is really useful for potential customers. No one likes to read more than they have to. Keeping it to the essential information is better. This same principle goes for the navigation links. You don't need one for every product or service you have, instead you could generalize the link and then have it drop down to more options. This just helps to keep the confusion down to a minimum for customers. A good rule of thumb is no more than 7 navigation links. So there you have it, a few good tips and tricks for good website design.

How to Create a Website

If you are following my blog, you probably read my last post, "Fundamentals of Starting an Online Business." Today I thought it would make sense to continue this train of thought by sharing some great tips for creating a website. For me, I easily get overwhelmed when it comes to figuring out the first steps that need to be taken when doing something like this. So I hope I can break this down simple enough for others who, like me, get easily frustrated. Tip #1, a website is made up of two major components: a host and website builder. A host is a company that provides the place and service needed for a website to be viewed on the internet. A web builder is the company or service that you use to create the look and feel of the website. The way they work together is the website builder is typically downloaded through the host company. You need both of these to create a website. Tip #2, compare apples to apples. Some companies offer only hosting services and others may offer hosting and website building services. So, when you're searching for a company to use, don't compare a company that only offers one service to another that offers both. Most of the time a company that offers both services is one that is meant for beginners. They make things really simple by offering a host, website name, and website builder all in one. The website builder in these companies are usually easy to use with drag and drop capabilities. People looking at these companies need very little to no coding experience. On the other hand, companies that offer only hosting services are typically looking to attract people with a moderate to expert coding knowledge. They require you to find a website builder that can be used through them. Some independent website builders may offer drag and drop capabilities, but typically the people using the separate host and website builder want more customization for their websites. So there you have it, two tips that I hope help those who are starting a website.

Fundamentals of Starting an Online Business

I'm taking a class that teaches you how to create an online business. My husband and I had already started our own online business called Patches Co., but in order for me to complete my degree I needed to take this class. What is interesting to me is how much I didn't know! So, in an effort to help all my entrepreneur friends out there, here are a few basic tips that I've learned so far. Tip #1, do your research. A good exercise to perform when your in the brainstorming phase is to decide on a target market (group of people) you want to work with. Examples of a target market are college students, pregnant women, bloggers, etc. Once you know your target market it's time to date them. I say date them because that's the process of getting to know them. What do they like? What don't they like? What problems do a lot of them have in common? Once you understand who you're working with it's easier to come up with a product or service that could really benefit that group of people. Tip #2, brainstorm multiple ideas. If you're like me, the first idea that comes to my mind is always the best idea....WRONG! It's good practice to come up with 10-20 different ideas for products or services you could offer to your target market. Most often, your brain needs time to become creative enough to develop really good ideas. Writing down 10-20 ideas can really help those brain juices flow. Then, it's just a matter of whittling those ideas down to the best one. So there you have it; a couple of tips that can really benefit any entrepreneur.

www.patchesco.com

Honing In

 

Before

After

This week I had a realization. Throughout the semester I have felt very under qualified and inadequate to be a successful entrepreneur. I started to become discouraged. But even through the discouragement I still loved learning about creating a small business and becoming an entrepreneur.

There are many skills and traits of a successful entrepreneur that we have read or learned about. Until I read "Work on your business, not just in your business" I felt like maybe this wasn't the path for me.

As I read about how easy it is to get stuck in the everyday tasks and forget to improve and expand the fire within me began to grow again. This past week my husband and I had a real conversation about what I'm doing now in our business and what I would really like to do. It was eye opening and refreshing. We then started to make great plans with how we want to change it and where we see it going. There is still so much to do to get there, but taking the skills and knowledge I am learning in the Small Business Creation class and applying them to my present life and business is helping so much.

I know now that as soon as I can get out of this rut of doing every single task myself and getting lost in the everyday work, I can then begin to oversee and take a place from a more "outside looking in" perspective and begin to expand the business and grow it into something greater.

Today was the last lesson of my last student during this $100 Challenge. She and her mother are planning to enroll her again this fall in some more sewing classes. I could not be more excited and grateful for how well this went and how empowered I feel now as a seamstress.

Learning to Overcome

This week I tried to implement some of the things I have been learning over the course of this Small Business Creation Class. I have gotten pretty discouraged along the way at times. Those discouraging moments came when I realized I didn't have a skill or drive I needed. But I'm learning that just because I don't have them now doesn't mean I can't have them later. Later, after learning and applying.

I inherited a trait from my father where I get frustrated and exasperated quite easily, especially when it comes to explaining my thoughts and others aren't understanding me. My husband and I were talking about the business and what we would like to have happen in the future. We talking about what we want to focus on and how to build the website to fit it. This was a very good exercise for me to explain my thoughts and vision. It was hard. I had a couple moments. But after pushing through them we were able to make great strides on our way to a business plan and expansion.

My $100 Challenge students are doing fabulously! I have two left. One of my students has a mother that stays during the whole lessons whereas all other moms run errands during the lesson. At first I didn't like that she stayed, but last week she said that I am teaching her daughter way better and more in depth than her last teacher. They really boosted my confidence in my ability to do this and to do it well.

To Franchise? Or not to Franchise?

This week was franchise week and it was very educational. I have learned some valuable lessons and had my eyes open to new opportunities.

No matter what business you start, even if you don't plan on franchising, you should set it up like a franchise. I can't remember if I said that in my last post but even if I did, it is very important and should be reiterated!

I had the opportunity to interview a franchise owner of a Little Ceasars Pizza in California. I got in contact with him through my aunt who was in his same church congregation. He is very successful and, from the sounds of it, seems like he knows exactly what he's doing to be successful and he wishes others would just stay out of his way and be just that.

I am learning that no matter what business you want to start or franchise will take a tremendous amount of work. It is imperative that you put in the extra time and sacrifice things. You won't be successful if you don't.

In my $100 challenge I have earned $240 total. I put $4.84 into it. So my net income total is $235.16. I am pretty impressed with what i've been able to earn from this. Granted every second hasn't been easy. If I continue with sewing lessons I am going to put an age cap on how young my students can be. I have a 7 and a 9 year old and they just don't grasp it all. They have a hard time even running the machine at a decent speed. So I have come away during this "trial" period with a better idea of how to make it better!

Beneficial Interviews

This week I was able to interview Louis Adams who is an entrepreneur. I had another company owner in mind but when things weren't working out I looked to those around me and asked who they know that are entrepreneurs. I landed on interviewing Louis. It was a very beneficial and eye opening experience. I won't go into too much detail, as I did in my paper, but I did want to say that as an overall consensus I would like to find more entrepreneurs to interview. I learned so much from Louis and I feel like there is so much more knowledge out there for me to learn from and grow with! I would definitely encourage all aspiring entrepreneurs to find a few entrepreneurs to interview and actually take there advice! Their time is worth so much and it would be a waste to them and to you if you didn't learn from their mistakes and successes.

I have also been working very hard in my own business of alterations and gotten a lot of clothing off the racks and back to my customers. It feels good to finish a job well done and see the customer happy with the results.

I have also continued my sewing lessons for my $100 Challenge. I finished one student and gained a new one this week My new student is on the higher end of being an intermediate student. She has had quite a bit of experience and is a bit older than most of my other students. She is 15 and catches on very quickly. We will be making part of an outfit/costume she has designed for the opening of Star Wars Land at Disneyland!

Picture from: http://www.pinsdaddy.com/star-wars-clone-cartoon-character_VuTGbSyIhVLb5COQkSG47kd9XEkOjExf6E9H2YU8tlaut*mExeVN62Y1GCG6rTFx%7CUuGKrcMOuP9fBw6j1WMpw/

A Clear Vision

This week was really good. I now have 5 students for my $100 Challenge teaching sewing lessons! This week I will finish on of those and add a new one. It has been a very fun and eye opening experience.

I am really learning that I like teaching and enjoy it, maybe more than I enjoy doing alterations. But then I do an alterations job and the client is so happy and then I love alterations more again.

After all we learned this week what stood out to me the most what the fact that I need to establish a clear vision of where I want my business to end up. It is such an important part of creating a business that if you don't have a clear vision you could end up closing down or regressing back to an earlier stage of work. So by next week I hope to report back with a clear vision of where I want to end up!

Reading the E Myth taught me that I can't do it all. I need to employ the help of others. Currently I am a "technician". I need add an entrepreneur and a manager if I want to truly succeed. But not only that, I also need to take the time and energy to learn new skills and prioritize my time better to further the company along.

Be a Leader, not a Manager

I learned a lot this week about the type of leader I am on track to be and the type of leader I want to become.

We took a quiz that gave us scores. These scores told us what type of leader we are or have a tendency to be. The leadership options were: Autocratic, Democratic and Free Reign. My highest scoring type was the Democratic. This is the participative type of leader. I was happily surprised for these results! I would like to continue to culture that type of leadership and make it stronger. 

Earlier in the week we read an article that lowered my hope of being a successful entrepreneur. I was becoming aware of all the weaknesses I have where they should be strengths to be successful. But my husband helped me see that I am already on the right track to becoming successful. I have started my own business and started a small job teaching sewing lessons on the side. So as long as I continue to learn and grow, I have great potential.

These were some of the quotes from the article Leaders and Managers by Hugh Nibley:

"Leaders are movers and shakers, original, inventive, unpredictable, imaginative, full of surprises that discomfit the enemy in war and the main office in peace."

"For managers are safe, conservative, predictable, conforming organization men and team players, dedicated to the establishment."

"In short, while management shuns equality, it feeds on mediocrity."

“A ship in port is safe,” says Captain Hopper, speaking of management; “but that is not what ships were built for,”

Confidence is Key

In my growing up years I was a very strange mix of shy and outgoing. I cared a lot about what people thought of me or how I was acting. Even so to this day I still feel this way. But because of this strange mixture of personality I adopted a key phrase that helped me get through each day:

CONFIDENCE IS KEY.

This allowed me to believe that no matter what I did, as long as I had confidence in that thing, I could do it and still be happy and not care so much about what others thought of it. 

I was reminded of this as I watched the Acton Hero Bud Brigham. He talked about figuring out what our core values are and letting them drive us in all we do. My core values comes from my religion. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was baptized a member when I turned 8 years old and it was THE best decision I ever made. Because of that decision I was able to form an wonderful friend group that shared my same values and helped me become a better person. Because of the decision to be baptized I served an 18 month mission for my church. My mission changed my life forever and deepened my testimony and rooted my core values. Because I chose to be baptized I found a wonderful and amazing man at my church and we were married in the Ogden Temple where we were sealed and married not only for time on earth, but for eternity in the heavens.

These same concepts apply to the business world. One decision can shape the way to do business for the rest of our life. Who we surround ourselves with makes a difference in the integrity of our business ethic. 

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I had my first student come for sewing lessons this week. I was so nervous at first because I had never tried teaching someone how to sew. It can be difficult to teach someone how to do something that has become second nature to you. As the lesson went on I became more comfortable in teaching and I began to learn my teaching style and ways that are effective in teaching others. I remembered my motto... Confidence is key, and I was able to have a successful lesson. I am very excited to start my other lessons next week with new students and discover more about how to effectively teach sewing lesson that cater to each student individually.

One Foot in Front of the Other

It can get pretty discouraging when results don't come in the time and in the way you want. You work so hard and so long on a project that takes your whole heart and soul and it produces little to no results.

This is only the beginning.

Starting a business is hard! It takes up all your time and energy. All of your creativity goes to a single project. You have such an incredible vision for how you want it to end up, but getting there can be a long process. In this moment it is easy to forget to push forward and remind yourself "Don't give up!" "You keep going!" I love this quote:

This is something we all need to remind ourselves. It might even be a good idea to post this quote or another motivating one like it some where you will see everyday. It is also important to build a creative space in your home or go somewhere that enables creativity. That may be at the park, in a secluded area, or in a busy mall. Wherever get your creative juices flowing, GO THERE. Make sure it is away from your daily routine or you will get distracted.

This week we created our elevator pitch for our $100 Challenge. At first I was pretty intimidated by the task but once I go started it all just started coming to me. The passion I have for sewing enabled me to create an elevator pitch that expresses that passion and invites others to participate in it!

Progress

This week we were asked to read a talk by James E. Faust. There were so many things that stood out to me that I wanted to put here so I could reflect back on them:

 “Will a man rob God? … But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8
Tithing is not a sacrifice, it is a privilege.

 “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17). When we do this we become poor temporally and spiritually.
 I have learned that the three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it.”

When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, “We can’t afford it, even though we want it!” or “We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it!”

“Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted” (2 Nephi 9:51).

I know that there have been, are and will be many things that I want but do not need. Being able to make a decision based on wants and needs is far greater than only making a decision based on if you can afford it or not.

We also watched a video of Guy Kawasaki who spoke words of advice. His comment, "Too much money is worse than too little," really hit home. Sometimes as poor college students we worry so much about the money we don't have and feel like our whole world revolves around our little bank account. But I have seen and continue to hear that having too much money can be even more detrimental to a relationship and value of life.

Peter Diamndis said that "Fundraising is just a transfer of energy." If we have the right motivation, we have ample energy to use and that energy can be harnessed in the way we fundraise. But you'll never know if anyone was willing to donate if you don't ask!

I am really excited about where this $100 challenge is going and where it could take me. There are a lot of people who teach piano lessons out of their home, but I have decided to teach sewing lessons out of my home. I have the plan and I have the budget, now I just need to advertise and get some students!

Business Plan

This week was awesome! We had the opportunity to create a business plan for our BIG IDEA and our $100 challenge. My Big Idea is my Alterations and Boutique business and my $100 challenge is to teach sewing classes.

Here are the Business Plans:

Big Idea Business Plan

Vision: Within the next 5 years grow Patches Co. into a successful brick-and-mortar Alterations and Boutique providing women and children’s clothing and accessories and alteration services to Girls and Women ages 15-45.

Mission: Patches provides alterations and clothing that leaves customers feeling comfortable and confident through the way they dress.

Objectives: Within 5 years Patches will be bringing in sales of $50,000 a year with a 80% gross profit percentage after cost of goods of $40,000 a year. Annually we will see 5,000+ customers come through our store with an average of $10 per sale. As time goes on and sales go up we will hire between 5-10 employees. Within 3 years we will hire a manufacturer to make the clothing we design.

Strategies: Revenues will be generated via the website and social media. Our target markets will be based in the mid-west and in the coastal regions of the United States. Growth will happen overtime but at an accelerated rate as we utilize the social media sites and algorithms to our benefit. Customers will be retained through incentives and the quality of products and services we provide.

My personal role in the company will be to first create and provide all the products and services, then train employees and manufacturers to create and provide the products and services so I can better manage and oversee the overall welfare and growth of the company.

Our starting budget is $5,000 which has been personally saved.

Plans and Projects:

Project 1: To create a cohesive and trendy website.

Project 2: Design a maternity/nursing clothing line and hire a manufacturer to create it.

Project 3: Donate products and services to a well known non-profit organization.

 

$100 Challenge Business Plan

Vision: Within the next year grow Patches Sewing School into a successful home-based business providing beginning and intermediate sewing classes to both children and adults in my community of Rexburg, Idaho.

Mission: Our mission is to provide a creative space where customers can learn to be more self reliant by learning how to sew.

Objectives: Within the first 10 weeks we will earn $250 by gaining 5 students. Within the first year we will earn $1500. After the first year, as we gain more experience, we will raise the price of the beginner classes from $50 for a 4 week class to $75. The Intermediate class will be $100 for a 4 week class. This is meant to be a small operation so students will be capped at a certain amount but if demand becomes greater we will expand to a separate location and hire employees to teach the lessons as well.

Strategies: Revenue and client base will be generated through referrals, word of mouth, social media, and local ads. Our target markets include any and all who want to learn how to sew, but we will collaborate with local businesses and craft stores.

Our starting budget is $20 generated by donation.

Plans and Projects:

Project 1: Create a 4 week curriculum for beginner and intermediate students.

Project 2: Design, Print and handout fliers advertising sewing classes.

Project 3: Donate revenue from the first 10 weeks to a charity.

I am really excited to move forward with our business plans and see where it all takes us!

Hard Work

This week was a really fun brainstorming which $100 Challenge I wanted to pursue.

I really tossed around the idea of starting a Mommy and Me DIY Craft class. I really feel like that would thrive here in Rexburg, Idaho because there are so many mothers at home with their kids all week everyday and are looking for a reason to get out of the house. These mothers want a place away from electronics. A place where their child(ren) can interact with other children. A place where they can also get adult interaction. 

But in the end I decided I was going to start teaching sewing lessons!

I decided to teach sewing classes because the startup costs would be a lot less and it is something I feel very proficient in. Sewing is my strong suit and something I can be confident in teaching others how to do. When I tell people I sew or do alterations, the replies I get are those like "My grandma sews!" or "My mom used to sew my clothes when I was a kid!" But I never get people my age, in their 20s-30s, who know how to sew. It truly is a lost art that I feel people are wanting to learn how to do. 

In my personal business, Patches, I have gotten a lot of success in alterations! I have loved all the projects that have been coming in and I never want to stop, but I am realizing that I would like to be doing more of the designing and selling my own handmade clothes. A dream I have is to design and sell my own maternity/nursing line. When I'm not in school I will have SO much more time to devote to my business and growing it.

Photo Credit: http://ohyoucraftygal.blogspot.com/2012/01/sewing-school-lesson-1-welcome-and.html

New Class New Posts!

Well it is a new semester and a new class! We have been asked to create a blog as our Entrepreneurial Journal, but I would like to keep writing on the same blog throughout my entrepreneurial journey.

Since you last heard from me I have [somewhat] launched my business! It is called Patches. :) I love the name and I love our logo! It took us sooo long and we went through so many sketches to come up with our final logo. Check it out!

We [somewhat] launched by purchasing a booth at an expo called The Ultimate Show for Women and Girls in Idaho Falls. It was an alright success. We were just shy $20 of breaking even on the cost of the booth, but the most important thing was that we got our name out there. I do alterations and that is my main focus of the business. With alterations you don't quite see the return on investment right off the bat. Just yesterday I posted a simple ad on the local garage sale page on Facebook and got the biggest response record yet! I have almost 200 people that liked the post and I already have 10 appointment made. This is huge. 

One thing I do want to mention is that we have received so many confirmations from the Lord that this is what He wants us to be doing right now, and having that response just added to the list of confirmations.

But let me tell you, it has not been easy even getting to where we are now. My husband and I are the ones who are trying to work together to make this work and we are wired oh so differently. But we both bring such great and different things to the table that we can't not work together.

Last thing I want to mention is from a sweet video about Corey Bell. He is a very successful entrepreneur and he made a statement that is changing the way I think. He said that the word "can't" does not exist. If you want something bad enough you will make it happen no matter what. I want to move forward in creating this business with the mentality that "can't" does not exist and that I can do anything!