This interview is with Merri Jill Finstrom, creator of HUTdogs - an easy-to-use website builder that is affordable and comes with excellent customer service - to which I can personally attest!

Q: What is your name? Merri Jill Finstrom

Q: Company name and website? HUTdogs, a division of Emjay Creative

Q: We launched in: 2004

Q: What is your business or what do you sell?
HUTdogs offers 3 products right now, QuickSite a web builder, QuickSqueeze, a squeeze page maker and BYOL (bring your own laptop) workshops.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company?
HUTdogs stems from a graphic design business, Emjay Creative, that I started about 11 years ago. With Emjay Creative, we provide strategic design solutions for a variety of clients, marketing collateral, newsletters, annual reports, sophisticated web sites and direct mail.  Over the years a lot of people have asked if we could create a web site or internet solution for under $500. So we came up with HUTdogs. Our main goal with HUTdogs is to provide affordable on-line tools and solutions that are easy for us to deliver (everything is in a system or group delivered) and provide the quality of service and tool that we use for our higher end web client but scaled down a bit to meet the demand for affordability (under $500).

Q: How did you get started?
I worked in the marketing department for the American Red Cross as their creative services manager for 10 years. During that time I did a bit of freelancing and got a taste for being my own boss. I then took a part time job and cut in pay for a hospital and asked if I could work from home 30 hours a week. They said yes! This allowed me the time and flexibility to take on a couple clients and build my business. Word of mouth spread fast and within 2 years, I went out on my own, keeping the hospital and the Red Cross as clients. They were valued networks as well and still give me referrals and work to this day!

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable? My income tripled once I took the risk to leave my job. I had enough clients lined up who like working with me so it was easy. I’ve never looked back. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I know that I have much more job security in my own business and can make more money than any job can offer.

Q: What significant obstacles (if any) have you faced & how did you overcome them? There are little obstacles everyday. But I know they come with the territory of having your own business and as you get seasoned you don’t take them personally, you just problem solve and move on.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going? I never feel like giving up because I really love what I do. I’m blessed to be able to make money in a creative way. The thought of working in a 9-5 job with a boss and the office culture absolutely gives me a panic attack.

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur? Where do I begin? I talk to a lot of people who want to start a business. From my point of view, you either have what it takes or you don’t. Sounds brutal, but I meet so many people who sit on their ideas and never do them. You have to have a good attitude and think in a powerful positive way about everything. You have to be able to put yourself out there, keep talking about your ideas, and not get wrapped up in perfection… just do it and see what happens. Then adjust along the way. Keep trying new things.  Take some advice but in the end be strong enough to trust your own instincts. Yes, time management is important but that’s secondary. The best entrepreneurs I know are people who make quick decisions and constantly move forward.  This skill creates time management.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success? Other positive entrepreneurs. I love to talk to them, brainstorm with them and spin with ideas.

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you? I can’t remember.

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year? I want everything in a solid automated system. We are building a club that I want to grow into something extraordinary. We find there is power in bringing people together to talk about modern concepts but in an old fashioned way.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? JUST DO IT! Trust your instincts, make sure it is something you really love doing then ask for what you need. When I started my business, I asked for a flexible work situation. I asked for customers. I keep asking for what I need.  Be flexible. Know that things unfold in business that you may not have expected. Have an attitude of “experience is what you get, when you don’t get what you want.”

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked?
Yes, How has motherhood made you a better entrepreneur?
Being a mom has made me more organized and a master at time management. Having my own business and a small child to care for is a balancing act but it has forced me to learn the art of being present in the moment….when I’m working, I focus, make faster decisions and move forward so that when I’m with my daughter, I can really focus on her and “be present” in our time together.  It also helps me stay creative in my work. Watching her discover new things that I’ve taken for granted gives me so much more perspective and this translates into everything I do in my business and creatively.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Interview with Kathie Papera, founder and creator of a unique collection of stylish, high quality reversible baby bibs, burp cloths, baby blankets, diaper covers and gift sets.

Q: What is your name? Kathie Papera

Q: Company name and website? Lily Pad Baby  http://www.lilypadbaby.com

Q: We launched in: 2000

Q: What is your business or what do you sell?
Lilypad Baby creates and manufactures a unique collection of stylish, high quality reversible baby bibs, burp cloths, baby blankets, diaper covers and gift sets. Made sweatshop-free in the USA, Lilypad Baby items are of keepsake quality, sized to grow, and constructed with non-synthetic fabrics. Lilypad Baby products are available online at LilypadBaby.com as well as over 350 boutique locations across the US, Canada, Australia and online at Amazon.com.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company?
I was always inspired by my mother’s creativity and ingenuity. Her infectiously positive attitude about life is the driving force behind my entrepreneurial spirit. My brother and I were raised to believe if you can dream it, you can do it — and you can always do it on your own. I took this to heart when I decided to launch Lilypad Baby. And though my mom will tell people I built this company on my own, she was truly instrumental in helping to build the foundation and continues to be a big reason for its success.

Q: How did you get started?
I was working in the advertising industry for many years and helping to build brand identity for my clients and a large portion of my workload included web development. As my friends started having children, I found myself spending a small fortune on baby gifts. I wanted to give a baby gift that was special, valuable, and unique – so I started making my own reversible baby bibs that I could embroider a name on. Eventually, my friends asked me to make more so they could give them out as gifts. I soon found myself in front of the sewing machine on my kitchen table more than on the computer at work. With a nudge from my mom and the enthusiastic support of my husband, I launched my business and started to work on my own branding.

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable?
The business was profitable by the third year when I decided to leave the ad agency and focus solely on the business. I expanded the product line to include matching burp cloths and blankets — and the company took off. We received quite a bit of press from various magazines and started to target wholesale customers and trade shows. We also upgraded to a full e-commerce package and started Google/Yahoo PPC advertising.

Q: What significant obstacles (if any) have you faced & how did you overcome them?
Sourcing has always been a huge hurdle for us on the production side. We spent a few years nailing down the right structure of vendors. When you grow out of the back office but you’re not big enough to source the major manufacturing system, you have to get creative. We’d search out fabrics that were unique and implement them into our product line only to find out that the manufacturer wasn’t going to reprint the fabric unless we ordered an amount that was ten times more than we needed. We have also struggled in the oversaturated baby gift market online. We’ve always tried to stay competitive with unique personalized items and superior customer service. Not to mention the competition to stay atop the search engine rankings is a constant challenge.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going?
All the time. Customer service can be tough to handle when customers forget they are talking to a human being on the other line. I try not to take everything personally, but I have to rely on several other people (vendors etc…) with my products. If we’ve made a mistake or the experience wasn’t positive, I take it very personally. It’s also a challenge when a mistake is made by a customer (or anyone for that matter) we are the ones that must fix it – and usually at our expense. Being in the gift business, we want everyone to be happy and overjoyed with every product we make or sell. What keeps me going is my family. I know that I am showing my children that a strong woman can persevere and provide for the family.

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur?
Having the right infrastructure is the key. Family support is also essential. Once you start trying to juggle it all without help, you end up running in circles and getting very little done during the day. You have to make time to be at “work” and be focused only on work. Working during naptime isn’t efficient.  Having the right childcare, office environment and support is the only way you can achieve the right energy it takes to start and build a company.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success?
I am not sure I can pinpoint just one thing. There are so many facets to a successfully run company. For SEO, I have been a long time reader of SiteProNews.  For PR, I subscribe to HARO and several other supportive women’s groups. We’ve also expanded our social networking with our new Fan Page on Facebook and our updates on Twitter .

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you?
A close advisor once told me I wouldn’t succeed unless Lilypad Baby was featured on network television or spotted on a celebrity. I don’t think it’s the only way to build brand awareness. Offering a good product and building a loyal customer based has proven over time that that sort of publicity is great, but shouldn’t be where you spend all of your money, time and energy.

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year?
My goals for this year are to creatively build more brand awareness. The current recession is hurting everyone, so if I can ride it out with a positive attitude and great customer service, we’ll be able to focus on continuing to grow the business.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship?
There are so many pitfalls to starting a business. Too often people just jump in thinking their product is the best and most unique. Test, test, test. If you’re making a product, give them to people who will give you honest feedback to see if it’s viable, not just to friends who don’t want to hurt your feelings. Exhausting yourself with homework on the product or service is the only way to know for sure it’s the direction that is right for you. Start with a basic business plan. You must sit down and answer all of the questions (mission statement, product development, target audience, distribution channels, marketing, competition, budgets, etc.) prior to spending any money or launching anything to an audience. It’s the best way to avoid costly mistakes down the road. I would also suggest finding mentoring or support group. I like StartUpNation.com and Inc.com.

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked? All great questions!

Popularity: 33% [?]

Interview with Amy Swift Crosby - founder of Smarty, a resource for women entrepreneurs to connect with other women to nurture and grow their business and community.

Q: What is your name? Amy Swift Crosby

Q: Company name and website? Smarty / smartyla.com

Q: We launched in: February 2009

Q: What is your business or what do you sell? We are a community and resource for entrepreneurial women. We provide information in the form of workshops and events that bring women together to share resources and to provide education on building a successful business.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company? I was a freelance writer who always struggled to find a community around being a free agent. There wasn’t much. I helped create many programs within Ladies Who Launch which inspired me to go deeper into serving entrepreneurial women.

Q: How did you get started? I co-wrote a book on women and launching and brought programs to LA from New York and got addicted to seeing peoples dreams come true.

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable? My business was profitable very quickly but my cash flow is always in question. The business requires human capital and venue costs - neither of which is inexpensive.

Q: What significant obstacles (if any) have you faced & how did you overcome them? There are always obstacles. One of them was trying to determine what I should be doing myself vs. what staff people should do and what I should hire. It’s always hard to give up control over your company, even though you know its what it needs to grow. You can’t do it all after a while. If you want your “baby” to grow big and strong, then it usually needs fuel from different areas and you can’t fill all those needs.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going? I think sometimes because I work in customer service essentially I get taxed by all the human contact. It’s also what I love. But, as i said, it can be trying. When I send out an email and people write me back asking the very question I just answered it can make me feel like “do they even read it?” and so there are small moments when I feel like it’s a big pain. But mostly, I work with amazing, truly inspiring women who are committed to their dreams and ideas and that is very motivating.

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur? Women do very well in communities. Without them, they don’t always have the support and shared resources that women naturally give to one another. You also need ongoing education. Your evolution as an entrepreneur never, ever ends. You have to constantly innovate, learn, keep your finger on the pulse, figure things out. This is why I started my company; to be that resource.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success? One person I always think of is this restaurant owner in New York City. He’s a cantankerous, opinionated ex-hippie with great taste in food and low tolerance for special requests. The way he runs his restaurant and the point of view he shares in his cook book “eat me” by Kenny Shopsin has been really inspiring to me. It sounds crazy because they guy isn’t a good business owner in the professional sense of the word, but he’s my muse because he’s doing what he loves exactly how he wants to do it. I love that.

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you? You have to have a business plan or you can’ t be successful and you don’t build businesses one person at a time. The truth is a business plan can be great but it isn’t always a must, and you do build business one person at a time at the beginning.

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year? I’d like to bring my membership to 800 and then 1,000 women in LA and Orange County in the next year.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? Get connected to a great, supportive, smart community and be a sponge for everything you can learn. Spend time with people who have businesses you admire. Ask them a ton of questions. Listen. Listen. Listen. Don’t talk. Listen. Then you can talk (:

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked? I think you covered it!

Popularity: 7% [?]

This interview is with Sally Sampson, cookbook writer, food critic, gardener, loyal friend, unbelievably wonderful mother and a darn good cook!

Q: What is your name? Sally Sampson

Q: Company name and website? sallysampson.com

Q: We launched the website in: August, 2008

Q: What is your business or what do you sell?
I am a cookbook and magazine writer and recipe consultant.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company?
When I was in my early 20’s I used to get very late night phone calls from a childhood friend who was deeply conflicted about the career and life choices he had made. Newly divorced, he had been a teacher and dreamed of going back to teaching but had succumbed to the external pressure and lure of being a Hollywood talent agent.  In the meantime I dreamed of owning my own business but figured I would do it later, whatever that meant. When he died a few years later, I decided there would never be any waiting for me: that if I wanted to pursue something I would. I opened a little take out shop which I owned for 10 years. My first cookbook was written at the end of those 10 years, when I realized I preferred writing cookbooks to running a business.

Q: How did you get started?
I had a small take out café where I became well known for my soups. I wrote a soup cookbook and found that I loved being at home, cooking and writing, rather than interacting with customers all day.

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable?
My shop was slightly profitable right away, in the sense that I was able to support myself. Same thing with cookbook writing. However, I live in line with the amount of money I make: when I am earning little, I live carefully and when I am making a lot, I spend and save more. Either way, I don’t sweat it too much.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going?
I often feel like there are too many cookbooks out there and that I never want to write another one. As soon as I say that, somehow someone comes to me with an idea or I have an idea and then I just write another one. Plus, it’s really fun.

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur? I think they are probably the same for men and women: focus, discipline, independence, resilience, a good idea (s), the support of family and friends.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success? Great parents.

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you?
I am sure I have been given lots of bad advice but I quickly blocked it out!

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year?
Have my 100 Calorie Snack Cookbook be really successful. Get my anti-obesity project up and running. Fall in love. Lose 10 pounds. Plant a lilac bush.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? Be really honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses.

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked? No, you’re brilliant!

Popularity: 13% [?]

How to find and prepare for a Tradeshow:
Interview with Owner Tracey Viera of Cute-ture

Your name: Tracey Vieira

Company Name and website: Cute-ture Inc

We launched in: Cute-ture was launched at the end of 2006 and started out as a small company with one product that came in six colors. I didn’t know anything about having a business at that stage, but I loved the product and jumped in before I had time to “think” myself out of it.

What do you sell: Cute-ture sells luxurious products for babies from around the world. We started as a wholesale company, selling to stores, but eventually we couldn’t ignore the friends and family that wanted to buy from us, and launched our online store as well.

What is the inspiration behind your company? Cute-ture was a concept I had dreamed about for many years particularly when I found myself unhappy in other jobs. I would go out and buy a journal and brainstorm my dream business. I would write down everything I wanted including the sort of boss I wanted to be (that is not the kind I was unhappy under), what my store would look like, and what mattered in my personal life that my business would support. The dream came alive, when I was working at the Australia trade office in Los Angeles and one of the export specialists walked into my office to show me a sheepskin teddy bear that he thought I could use as a gift for some of the celebrities I worked with as the Film Commissioner for Australia. Two weeks later I was in Sydney and met the two girls who designed the FLATOUTbear and a month later I was a business owner. It quickly became apparent that luxury children’s products from around the world were looking for a way into the USA and my company opened that door for them.

How many Tradeshows do you do in a year? At the moment, we are doing fours shows a year but I have done up to 12 shows in a year which is crazy but was necessary early on to get stores familiar with our products. As I was importing products that had no foundation in the USA, I was not only their importer but their marketing arm, the publicist and the wholesaler. I have been able to learn from each show and narrow down which one’s are best for our market. The interesting thing with Tradeshows in the USA is that there is a ridiculous amount of them, which leaves buyers thin on the ground at every show. In Australia for the gift market, there are TWO major shows a year - and that is it. That means, when you are exhibiting at the show, you get buyers from the whole country showing up in large numbers and your orders are extraordinary. I think there are too many shows and my advice would be to travel to the shows, before you spend your many taking a booth at one and really assess if the buyers are real buyers and spending money - and if so with who.

Where are they located? I have done shows everywhere - Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and New York but our best shows by far have been in New York. I am based in Los Angeles, but find I get more California buyers in New York then I do at a show in Los Angeles. As a result almost all our shows that we now participate in are in New York. For some reason, buyers feel like if it is coming out of NYC it has better value than if they buy anywhere else.

How do you find out about different Tradeshows? I started out sharing space with other vendors and then asked a lot of questions. I have tried shows based on receiving marketing materials from shows, but truly have found the best way to find out about shows is to ask other wholesalers about them and to look at what my competition (or the companies I aspire to be like) attend.

Is it hard to get into one? It can be hard to get into shows but in this market, it has gotten much easier. When I first started, it took more than a year to get off the wait list for the New York Gift Fair but most of the other shows we have done, we have applied early and gotten straight in. That said, its not just getting into the show that matters, but being in a great location! That is why I suggest visiting a show before signing up. Know where you need to be and then target that location - call and ask for it - beg for it and be clear. Tradeshow organizers need your money and you need to find buyers to return, so know ahead of applying where you need to be.

How do you prepare for a Tradeshow? Given we have done some many tradeshows now, I have learnt so much about preparing for each show. Not only, do we have to prepare our product and figure out the best way to ship it to the venue for minimal cost, we also need to prepare how the booth looks to make sure our product stands out. Our product is apparel and toys so we use UPS to ship and also take a suitcase each (for all staff) filled with product. In the past I have had a custom designed booth made to ship to each show, but the freight alone was over $1000 each direction so I ended up just using this for our showroom. We then rented through show suppliers but that was also very costly and while it seemed convenient, I often found myself at shows, waiting for the supplier to show up so that they could set up the infrastructure so that we could get our product up. The final straw for that method, was when I spent 8 hours waiting for them, only for the suppliers to set up the framework at 5.00pm meaning I was there all night setting up only to be exhausted on opening day of the show. We now go to places like Kmart, Home Depot and Ikea in the city we are showing and buy easy to install pieces and put them up ourselves and walk away from them at the end of the show. We set ridiculous budgets like $300 to design the booth and make it happen - and in fact have won awards for our booth design (we don’t usually admit how little we spend).

How do you get buyers to your booth? I always invest in tools that communicate to our target clientele. We ensure our existing customers that we will be at the shows through methods such as Constant Contact, postcard mail outs and direct calls, but also use the same methods to let our ‘potential’ clients know that we will be at the show. I advertise in the trade magazines leading up to the shows to communicate where we will be and how to find us.

How much money do you need to make to be worth participating? I don’t know if there is an easy answer about how much money you should be making before participating in a tradeshow. What I would say is that they are expensive but they are an investment. Don’t go to a show and expect to make money. The show is like advertising - it tells people who you are and that you have product, but until they are familiar with you or trust your product, they may be reluctant to buy. If you are ready to invest in a tradeshow, make sure you have done your research about what show is right for you and make sure you have been to the show and talked to other vendors about their experiences. When you do commit, take the time to contact buyers and your existing clients and let them know you are going to be at the show and how they can find you - even better - set appointments to show your product.

How much do the shows cost? Depending on how much space you take at a tradeshow, and the quality of the show and its reputation, a booth can cost you between $2500 and $30,000. On average I spend between $4500 and $6000 on my booth space per show. Then you need to add the costs of travel, accommodation, meals, transport, freight, marketing (mail outs, advertising) and your booth infrastructure. This quickly adds up and can mean that my $4500 booth is a real cost per show of $12000. This is why I say it’s an investment. For Cute-ture to make that much in profit at a show, we would need to sells $30,000 plus in product.

Is a Tradeshow a good place to get press for your company? I have been extremely fortunate that during tradeshows, I have met some incredible stylists that love my products and now call me monthly for samples for shoots. While they are not buyers, they are as integral to my business as a buyer and I give them as much love. Also, if I am in New York for a show, I make the time to catch up with the magazines and editors that are based there and take product to show them.

How do you know if you should be doing Tradeshows? Should you be doing tradeshows - maybe! If you have a product and you have found a show where buyers go looking for that product - then absolutely. If are still unsure, ask your buyers if they attend shows and if so what one’s. Don’t waste money at a show that potential buyers are not going on. Do your research!

What advice do you have for first time attendees? My advice for first time attendee’s is to have realistic expectations and do the work before you arrive at the show. There is nothing more frustrating that having a booth that no one stops at so make sure you have some appointments set up. Buyers are like all of us, if something looks busy and exciting they want to see what it is. If you have an empty booth and the world’s best product, it may still be hard to get anyone in. If you don’t have any appointments, make your friends stop buy and pretend to shop - practice writing orders with them as they select what they will have!! Don’t waste money on unnecessary items and set up - you are there to make money so don’t waste it on your first show over investing in setup and no matter what learn and enjoy the process. Finally - collect cards of ALL prospective buyers and follow up. The majority of my show business is done after the show - don’t wait for their call - FOLLOW UP.

Popularity: 34% [?]