I Can’t Not Do This: Naomi Dunford

(Photo by Leefotos)

Real people. Real business. Real advice.

I love this interview series because I myself learn so much ! There are three major venue of learning, and we need to do all three:

1. Learn from books and seminars – these professional teachers do have something valuable to offer.
2. Learn from peers. If you want to have a small business that is tightly tied to who you are, other small business owners who have built such businesses may have valuable advice that the big office business consultants may not know or have forgotten.
3. Learn from firsthand experiences. Apply what you learned from books, blogs, peers, to your real business, use all your wits to do even better, and learn from your failures and successes.

This interview series covers #2. I pick entrepreneurs who have built profitable businesses that resonate with who they are. If you are working for a corporate job, dreaming to have your own business, check them out. They are not that different from you – and they made it.

Today’s guest is Naomi Dunford of IttyBiz. IttyBiz is filled with practical and insightful marketing ideas that you don’t want to miss. I love how she describes complicated issues in her signature down-to-earth way.

1. Tell us a bit about your business and why you started it.

I’m a micro-business marketing coach. This means I play marketing and PR department for companies with fewer than five employees. In my business I wear two hats — I plan marketing campaigns for businesses
and blogs, and I do copywriting for people who know what they’re supposed to be doing but can’t sell their way out of a wet paper bag.

I started this business for two reasons. One, I can’t not do marketing and copy. It’s all I think about. It’s pathetic, really. Two, the service wasn’t being provided by anybody else. Most small business marketing firms charge at least a thousand bucks to start, and it takes a long time for a microbiz or a freelancer to recoup those costs. Iwanted to help the little guys who were being ignored by everyone else.

2. What were the three biggest challenges when you were starting off as a new entrepreneur?

One, growth came far, far faster than I was ready for. The small business books all tell you that 4 out of 5 businesses fail and to make contingency plans and blah blah blah. They don’t tell you that when you
succeed, it’ll probably happen overnight and you’ll drown. Plan for that.

Two, I didn’t have an office with a door and I couldn’t turn work off. I was working till three in the morning and then opening my laptop before I was even dressed again the next day. I didn’t separate and it caused
burnout.

Three, I didn’t segment my day. When you work online, there are so many things to do. Network. Fix your site. Respond to comments. Market yourself. Write guest posts. It was really overwhelming.

3. And how did you work through these challenges?

I fixed the first problem by convincing my husband to quit school and work for me. He was unhappy and in the wrong program, so it was the right time for him. He’s taken over administration, which has freed me
up tremendously.

I fixed the second problem by getting an offsite office. I don’t go much, but when I really need to knuckle down, it helps a lot. We live in a two-bedroom apartment, so this might not be an issue for people with houses and basements and doors, but for us, the office was a necessity.

I’m still working on the third problem. It’s a work in progress. I’m trying to prechunk my day into little pieces, but it’s taking time.

4. What is the best part of being an entrepreneur for you?

The time freedom. I get to play with my kid. I get to watch The Price Is Right every morning. I can have sex with my husband in the middle of the day. I can take naps whenever I want them.

5. Any advice for people who dream to have their own business and yet find it hard to make the leap?

Make the leap before you’re totally ready. I read in a magazine once that you should never be 100% ready to have kids. If you think you’re 100% ready, you’re missing something. I think the same thing applies to business. If you wait until you’re 100% ready, you’ll be dead before you launch. Be 80% ready. Do the best you can and just go for it.

If you wait too long, you lose your fire. If you lose your fire, your business will suck. If your business sucks, you’ll have to go back to your boring corporate job and prove your old boss right. You don’t want that, do you? Jump and the net will appear.

My Takeaway
First, I must tell you: Naomi is a real sweetheart. I swear! She started her business to help small guys. When I contacted her for this interview, I wasn’t sure if a busy person like her would do this for my three-month-old blog, and she was so graceful in accepting it.

Her growth problem is interesting. I’ve heard bigger companies face this – like an unknown company hits the market with great new product, and can’t fill the orders in time, forcing them to expand with little plan, which can be disastrous — but didn’t really think of its possibility for mini businesses. Be prepared!

Want to be on this interview series? Know someone who has an interesting business that is so Him or Her? Please let me know^_^

Thanks to Jeff for including this post in his review, to Patrick for including in Carnival of Careers.

Do You Know What I Do?

(Photo by tanja de Bie)

My fellow small business owners: How many people don’t know what you do?

Naomi Dunford of IttyBiz threw this question in her article Let’s Play A Game – What’s Your Home Business? because she found out not all her blog readers know what she does for a living. She says,

I got to thinking… how many of your readers don’t know about your IttyBiz? How many knew one time 8 months ago when they read your About page but have promptly forgotten? How many of them have room on their credit cards? How many of them know people who could use your products or services? How many of them would fall over their own feet to recommend you but don’t have a damn clue what you really do?

Hmm. If it can happen even to an A-list blogger like her, it can happen to me, I guess. This blog is still so young and I don’t always write about my services in blog posts. So I started writing my answers to her questions . . .

Do I know what I am doing? Do I at least know what I don’t know?

Writing I did. Definitely the worst writing I ever did. I slept over it, and finally admitted to myself: This is no good.

Not that I don’t know what I do. Not that I never thought about how to present my services to new people. Of course I know what I do and I’ve thought about marketing. It’s that the questions she presented for this writing project are the kind of pointed questions that digs deep into my marketing plan of my business. Like the USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Also, I have so much to say about my services (I love what I do, you know) that it’s hard for me to put it in short neat sentences.

So I did what I preach: I asked for help.

I call it Team Building in my e-workbook 7 Check Points For Aspiring Entrepreneurs. We don’t need to be everything and do everything. Seek the right help. It’s faster and easier to get things done. (By “Team” I mean everyone who can help an entrepreneur take her business off the ground and moving – CPA’s, attorneys, strategic partners, coaches, employees. . . and marketing specialists.)

So far, I have exchanged several emails with her and talked with her once. She is wonderful. Just bouncing ideas with her gets my creative juices flow. So here is my response to her “game” for now — I’m thinking of following up on this when she gets back to me with more great ideas.

And here is my update ^_^ now, three months after this writing, and two months after I started my second website Akashic Record Reading for my soul reading service, this soul reading service has grown faster than my coaching!! Naomi told us about fast growth in the interview she gave to Yes to Me — mine is not that killing bad, but it’s certainly surprising. So please take the following Q&A with the understanding that coaching is actually my side offering at this time. And if you think your situation takes something more than life coaching, go ahead and check out my soul reading service — my clients’ testimonials are proofs for how powerful this is!

What’s your game? What do you do?

I help people who is stuck and find it hard to get out of the rut. These are smart people who have high aspirations and know how to live better, but somehow can’t help doing things the old way. . . I just think it is such a shame that these good people try and try so hard without realizing a few critical points. As a professionally trained coach, I can often see what they are missing.

It’s one thing to have a generic understanding of how to live better – you can learn this by reading good self-help books and blogs. However, it’s quite another to implement the changes in your own life. I help my clients make their own action plans that are best for their own situations and personalities.

Logistically, I usually schedule one phone session per week. The length of time clients work with a coach varies, but typically two to six months.

Additionally, I will be offering soul reading and clearing soon. I’m very excited about this new service because I think it will give a new dimension of understanding to our life’s struggles.

Why do you do it? Do you love it, or do you just have one of those creepy knacks?

I love it. Also, I’d like to think I’m good at it. Just for fun, I recently took Gallup’s StrengthFinder test and the result confirms my talents to find the best qualities in people and help them utilize the strengths to the max.

Moreover, I’m very intuitive. I’ve always known this, and I’m glad I’ve found a way to train it systematically so that I can put it into practical use.

It’s like my whole life has been preparing me to do these services. I’ve re-invented myself and my life a few times. The major ones are when I came to this country and when I quit my nice corporate job. I know how to put ideas to action.

Who are your customers? What kind of people would need or want what you offer?

If you feel you can do so much better but somehow find it hard to actually do what you intend to do, talk to me. (That doesn’t make you a loser – real losers don’t have dreams nor goals. Or don’t see the benefits of getting assistance.)

This is where Naomi gave me an insight. In her email, she said my target clients were “anyone who read Oprah magazine.” What a brilliant way to put it! While I think men would also benefit from my services a great deal, it does describe my main client group.

I also work with aspiring entrepreneurs and new entrepreneurs. I guess people who take themselves serious enough to start their own businesses are open and willing to have coaches.

What’s your marketing USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? Why should I buy from you instead of the other losers?

This is the hardest question. For one thing, I don’t think other coaches are “losers” at all. I think if a business owner has to put down her competitors, she has a problem, not her competitors. I certainly would like to think of myself better than that. There are plenty of people who would benefit from having a coach, so all quality coaches can thrive.

However, I do understand the need to differentiate myself in the market. Again, this is a tough question because it’s hard to see myself in others’ eyes. So, until she gets back to me with more professional advise, here is my answer:

I can bring out the courage within you that you may not know you have. I’ve been through challenging times when my faith was pretty much all I could rely on. And I know how hard it is to take courage at face value especially for intelligent people – we tend to get analysis paralysis.

Also, when I say “faith” or when I talk about soul and spirituality, I am talking about open spirituality, not necessarily religious affiliations. So don’t worry about being recruited or lectured when you talk to me – I’m not that kind of a person. I guess this makes me uniquely attractive to certain clients.

Finally – well, not many coaches have cross-cultural perspectives, right? And not many know how to read soul records upon request. . .

What’s next for you? What’s the big plan?

As mentioned above, soul reading service is coming very soon. I’m creating a Squidoo lens for this. It is an optional service, but I think a lot of people who are interested in my coaching service would find it helpful.

Long term, I want to do inspirational speeches and publish books. Coaching is great for the clients because they get ongoing personal attention – I like it, too, and consider it as privilege. However, it does limit the number of people I can reach. By speaking publicly, I can reach out a lot more people.

If you have a small business, try this writing exercise. It’s very helpful to make sure you have an effective marketing plan, the kind of plan that helps people find you. And your readers get to know you better!

Coming up:

I interviewed Naomi for my Interview With Successful Entrepreneurs series. Will post it soon, so stay tuned! > It’s here.

Serial Entrepreneur Meets College Intern: Skip Shuda & Yasmine Mustafa

(Photo by Leefotos)

Opportunities are everywhere – can you see and grab one?

The challenge is that opportunities don’t always come in handsome package. In fact, most opportunities don’t look like opportunities at all, so many people dismiss them. Some, however, see the hidden sparkles and take actions. For example, Kim received home-made presents from her boyfriend Jason. She loved his sense of humor and together formed the message that adults can learn a lot from children to enjoy life more. Now they have multiply income sources. Or, Susanna started jewelry making as a hobby while she was on sabbatical. She loved it and built a business on it.

Or some opportunities come as plain job offer from a small start-up company. No big paycheck. Quite uninteresting, huh? Unless you see the learning opportunities in it. Or how about a college internship?

Today Interview With Successful Entrepreneurs have two guests, Skip Shuda and Yasmine Mustafa. They help aspiring entrepreneurs launch their internet businesses by offering marketing, technology and management consultation. Please check their website Team and a Dream. They also write an intriguing blog at The Cheap Revolution.

1. Tell us a bit about your business and why you started it.

Skip: Team and a Dream is a company for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs. We love the creativity and energy around entrepreneurs. We also believe in the importance of focus, so we focused on what we know … which is Internet Entrepreneurship.

It was formed in late 2002 after I wrapped up Destiny Websolutions. For the first few years, I mostly operated as a virtual management team member with startups. However, last year – after Yasmine joined, we really launched our “virtual team” business for startups. Yasmine started with us in 2006 as an intern through Temple University. When she graduated in December of 2006 at the top of her entrepreneurship class, I asked if she’d like to help grow Team and a Dream. Since then, she has taken on responsibility for marketing of Team and a Dream – especially our online marketing. I’ve been responsible for sales and deciding how to work with clients (the consulting end of the business). However, we both pitch in on just about everything. For example, I’ve been recruiting project managers and Yasmine has been recruiting interns to work in our “meshwork” of professionals that we draw upon to create virtual teams.

I’ve been a serial entrepreneur since 1983. It was then that I chose the lowest paying of seven job offers (including two from IBM) to work with a software startup as employee number 16. That company eventually went public and I’ve been part of the entrepreneurial world ever since. In the mid-90’s, I created a startup in my basement called “Destiny” – and we built one of the first online banking systems in the world for Bank of America on AOL. That company grew to 120 people and $17 million in annual revenues as “Destiny Websolutions” before the eCommerce consulting market evaporated in 2002. I learned many lessons as part of that venture and have been sharing them with our startup clients since late 2002.

2. What were the biggest challenges when you were starting off as a new entrepreneur? And how did you work through these challenges?

Skip: #1 – Sometimes vision is all you have to carry you forward. During a particularly dark period, I thought about my troubles starting a new venture and reflected on the “wealth” I had amassed. In response to that reflection, I wrote this piece that sits above my desk today.

“If you fear failure, rejection or conflict… you can avoid them OR you can accept them while keeping the faith that connections, Ki (or qi – universal energy) extension and a path with heart cannot be defeated for an entire journey.”

Sticking to this credo has served me well… and I always end up with a successful path eventually.

#2 – Understanding that letting go is sometimes the best way to grow. I have had key employees facing attractive opportunities, key clients that I MUST have to build my business lay down impossible terms on the table and challenges as a young executive that seemed insurmountable. Each time, I found that “letting go” with grace resulted in better situations. I invited the key employees to explore their options and they remained with me. I told the client that we’d have to stop the project and they changed the terms – and I stepped down as CEO to hire a person better able to move my dream forward.

#3 – Cash is king in a startup. Yet focusing on fund-raising has never been a favorite approach of mine. I’d rather “bootstrap”, demonstrate that I can get clients and build value without an investor – and then am much better positioned to raise money with an investor.

Yasmine: #4 – Be flexible. Don’t be tied to your idea completely. – adapt to the environment and eco-system. Understand your idea will continuously change and evolve. You can progress further by being aware and open to your surroundings as well as other people.

3. What is the best part of being an entrepreneur for you?

Skip: Helping others to realize their dreams and influencing those dreams so that entrepreneurs are approaching things with a socially conscious approach. It is my way of “giving back” to a world that has been very generous to me.

Yasmine: The best part (without a doubt) is not having to sit in traffic as often in the morning and late afternoon! It’s also working on things I love doing. Brainstorming strategies, formulating the concepts of an early stage company, observing the end results of a marketing project or another engagement – those are the most exciting parts of what I do.

4. Any advice for people who dream to have their own business and yet find it hard to make the leap?

Yasmine: Don’t wait for the perfect idea – it’ll never come. Find an experienced mentor who’s been-there and done-that. He/she can provide you with needed guidance and support. I would recommend starting with something you’re either passionate about or something you’re good at. One or the other (or both) will provide you with a jumpstart in your business. Once you take the leap, you’ll feel exhilarated. There is no better feeling than knowing you’re starting something on your own.

Also, listen to your gut instinct. Life is too short to live someone else’s dream – follow your own!

Skip: The web has made it very easy to start a new business. Get out there and make it happen. Test out your ideas with a close circle of friends first and then with people who understand the business side. Launch early and often. Provide feedback forums for your clients. Listen closely to the market. Participate in the market conversation. Iterate. Focus. And always ask, “How is this business helping others or helping this world to be a better place?”

If you choose a path with heart, you will have a much higher likelihood of attracting partners, vendors and clients who want to see you succeed. One of my favorite quotes on this is by William Jennings Bryan.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.’ – William Jennings Bryan (1860 – 1925)

My Takeaway
It seems to me that Skip and Yasmine each brings in their special strengths to make the team stronger. Skip, as a serial entrepreneur, has the experiences in internet business and great entrepreneurial mind. Yasmine, on the other hand, has the fresh perspectives that Skip trusts a lot. It’s a great way to avoid getting stuck, where 1+1 is more than 2.

I also like their resilience. Yasmine says, “Don’t wait for the perfect idea.” and “Don’t be tied to your idea completely.” Skip says, “. . . letting go is sometimes the best way to grow.” We can’t plan out everything upfront. But don’t let that stop you from taking the leap. With faith, and learning from both successes and failures, the results can be more than we initially expected.

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