The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported final summer time that female-owned small companies had been “disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic and corresponding financial disaster.” The prediction for development and income seemed miserable. But these three women, throughout 50, bucked the statistics by embracing digital expertise and pivoting their companies.
During the pandemic, they didn’t simply survive, they thrived — as you’ll see in our interviews with them, beneath. The entrepreneurs are: Kathy Goughenour, an entrepreneur in the St. Louis space, who grew her 13-year-old Expert VA Training digital assistant enterprise to 1 bringing in over $1 million. Sandra Guibord, a former mannequin and actress on daytime soaps, who expanded her Sandra’s Wine Life enterprise (based mostly out of New York City and Ridgefield, Conn.) with digital seminars, attracting shoppers from personal wealth companies and monetary establishments. Previously, she based the worldwide tech even platform HMG Strategy, along with her ex-husband. Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Phoenix-based, Latina founding father of the Crafty Chica life-style model, who turned a good greater influencer. Her firm — which sells “Mexi-style” wall artwork, block prints, T-shirts, candles, earrings, pins, mugs and books — not too long ago celebrated 1,000,000 views on TikTok.Tell me about what motivated you to start out your corporation. Kathy Goughenour: After 18 years working at a Fortune 500 [telecommunications] firm, I finished getting promoted. I used to be instructed I laughed and smiled approach an excessive amount of. I needed to be much less joyful to succeed? Life was too quick. I began a enterprise of my very own and now I put on tiaras at conferences. With my VA (digital assistant) enterprise, I quickly earned twice my advertising and marketing supervisor revenue. As of 2020, I earned 20 instances that revenue. I’m laughing all the solution to the financial institution now. Sandra Guibord: In 2000, I began a wine schooling and consulting enterprise, Sandra’s Wine Life. I noticed a big market of wine customers underserved by the wine trade: each the on a regular basis wine fanatic who favored entertaining household and mates, and the company government. Related: ‘Labor scarcity is holding again development for small companies throughout the nation,’ NFIB says I wrote on wine, turned the meals and beverage editor of {a magazine} and created a women’s wine membership. I then offered my half of a multimillion-dollar tech occasion firm and targeted solely on Sandra’s Wine Life to assist folks believe and enjoyable exploring wines. Kathy Cano-Murillo: I began my [craft] enterprise as a facet hustle in 2001 when crafts had a resurgence amongst youthful folks. I’ve all the time been a maker, and wished to create an area for the Latino neighborhood. I had labored as a newspaper reporter for The Arizona Republic and syndicated craft columnist; In 2007, I targeted full time on my enterprise. My content material crammed a distinct segment — and this was even earlier than influencer advertising and marketing. I’ve been busy ever since.Can you share your greatest problem and largest success working your corporation? Kathy Goughenour: My greatest problem was studying to take dangers. I want I had risked spending more cash earlier on advertising and marketing and on skilled growth — particularly enterprise teaching. My enterprise grew the quickest it’s ever grown after I invested in a superb enterprise coach. The greatest success? That’s serving to tons of of women develop into assured in their skills and obtain success on their very own phrases. They’ve realized easy methods to create worthwhile VA companies. They’ve traveled the world, purchased dream homes and paid for faculty educations for his or her youngsters. Sandra Guibord: My huge problem has been coping with numerous state legal guidelines about wine transport. While internet hosting occasions round the nation, I’ve needed to supply my wines from a number of suppliers. But that has additionally grown my community extensively. My greatest success: the Turkish authorities and Wine Alliance employed my firm completely to introduce Turkish wines to America. Kathy Cano-Murillo: It’s difficult to maintain arising with new concepts which are contemporary and related, but I like challenges! My greatest success is my profession general — the reality it has grown steadily for 20 years. How did you fare in the pandemic? Kathy Goughenour: The VA trade skyrocketed throughout COVID. The women in my program shared that they earned a mean of 100 and 30% extra in 2020 than in 2019. My VA coaching and training enterprise additionally grew to 1,000,000 {dollars} from seven hundred thousand {dollars} in 2019. Based on my analysis, I consider this trade will flourish and having a web-based presence is now essential to that development. Sandra Guibord: Virtual Wine Seminars have been an exquisite success throughout the pandemic. I’ve grown my enterprise 100% conducting digital displays. I pivoted from my conventional in-person format to on-line displays rapidly. Also see: Small companies needed to adapt in the pandemic: some improvements that we’ll proceed to see Without golf or theater, digital wine tastings turned a helpful approach for monetary establishments to succeed in out to their prospects. I work with huge monetary corporations and nonprofits like TD Bank, Citicorp and The Red Cross. The intimate and interactive experiences are extremely rewarding. Kathy Cano-Murillo: My model fared effectively. It was about studying the room and contributing throughout the pandemic. I paid consideration to what folks had been in and the way I may serve. That meant producing DIY content material for them to do with household or with mates, just about. Projects like face masks for starting sewers, Day of the Dead Barbies and scrapbook paper mini-journals. I’ve all the time made social media an enormous a part of my marketing strategy. During the pandemic, I organized a web-based craft evening on Instagram that united all types of personalities. We now have eighty thousand Facebook
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followers. And I’ve had just a few viral TikToks.Any recommendation for different women entrepreneurs? Kathy Goughenour: Be positive that potential shoppers have the funds to pay; see the worth in hiring them and have an ongoing want. Women must also undertake a extra constructive mind-set. No extra bumping your head up in opposition to the glass ceiling and being handed over for promotions or higher pay. No extra cheerleading for everybody round you to maneuver forward when you cling again and refill the chip bowl. Sandra Guibord: Don’t be shy about partnering and growing your community. An enormous occasion and catering firm supplied meals to match my wine pairings. ‘Why aren’t we working collectively?’ I requested. The proprietor was instantly on board. We’re teaming up on my Wine and Opera and Wine and Cinema occasions. Now I kick myself for not reaching out years in the past. Also, lean into increasing your model. As a single businesswoman, I targeted on my demographic. As I had youngsters, my model broadened. It turned about how wine matches into household holidays, residence leisure, enterprise dinners, and worldwide and large-scale entertaining. Kathy Cano-Murillo: Write down clear, particular targets; an motion listing and a timeline of the duties — and work on it every day. Related: TikTok saved my enterprise: Candy retailer finds web fame as COVID-19 forces a pivot I begin with an enormous finish aim and visualize it. It’s led to many successes, like a greeting card line, two cloth collections, books, an artwork studio and a craft product line for HSN the place I additionally seem. Last yr, I used to be a keynote speaker for Michaels Stores, the largest arts and crafts specialty retailer in North America! Barbara Field previously was on employees at CBS, Harcourt Brace, UC San Diego, Pace University and The OpEd Project. She writes usually for VeryWell Mind and has been revealed in Shape, The Independent, Salon, Newsday, Writer’s Digest, Columbia Review and elsewhere. Her novel received a Writer’s Digest fiction award. She based Writing Life Stories, a memoir-writing enterprise for non-writers. This article is a part of America’s Entrepreneurs, a Next Avenue initiative made doable by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and EIX, the (*3*) Innovation Exchange. This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org, © 2021 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved. More from Next Avenue:
