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| My guest today is Erin Seabold. Erin Seabold is the founder of Boutique for the Soul, which is an organization that connects and supports women in business. Read and be Inspired by her business success story!!!! | ||
| Tell us a bit about your business (about The Seed and Boutique for the Soul)? | ||
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Boutique for the Soul was launched in May of 2007 and is an organization that supports and connects women in business. We do this through producing events or partnering with other events or organizations to allow for women business owners to meet their potential customers face to face and build their businesses through building their relationships first. We educate women on promoting themselves as their best asset so the consumer builds a relationship with the person and not just the product or service. Since its inception, BFTS has produced over 300 events and has assisted thousands of women business owners in getting the support they need to build a sustainable business.
The Seed is an “off-shoot” of the BFTS concept. We saw the need for women to have everything they need to manage their business in one place, virtually. Creating a virtual space where women and women in business can be connected with the resources that they need at the time they need them AND the way they need it (social profiling) has never been done before. Just think Facebook meets Match.com, meets Monster…and then add classified ads, events (post or register), non-profit collaboration (donate, volunteer, event postings), managing your other social accounts from one place…and much more! | |
| What were you doing for a living prior to starting your own business? | ||
| I have been en entrepreneur for over 10 years now and in the workforce for 20+ years. My background consists of home sales, lending, marketing, sales, fundraising and strategy execution. Prior to BFTS, I had a consultancy that worked with some of the major US banks in creating and executing sales & marketing strategies for their high-end sales representatives. | ||
| In your business you meet many business owners. Based on your observations, what are some of the characteristics of successful business owners (what separates them from the others)? | ||
| You have to treat what you are doing like a business and NOT a hobby. If you do not have a plan, budget or strategy, you are in a hobby, not a business. A great quality in a successful business owner is that they know to surround themselves with the resources and experts that manage the tasks that they themselves are not good at managing. You need experts in your business to assist you in making the right decisions. It is hard to admit that you may not know it all…but once you do admit it, you will be so grateful to have experts in your life and business to do the things you do not like or have the knowledge to accomplish correctly. | ||
| What has been your biggest hurdle so far and how did you overcome it? | ||
| Teaching business owners that they are the ones responsible for their success has been the largest hurdle to climb. Business owners need to be accountable for the actions that they take to be successful and they need to do everything that they can to make each and every task that they do valuable. Learning from mistakes and growing from every experience will assist you in growing personally and professionally. Business is not just going to come to you. You will need to work hard at everything you do to earn it! | ||
| How can business owners benefit from becoming a member of one of your businesses? | ||
| Just getting out and meeting or connecting with people is a benefit in itself. If you add to that the instruction, education and guidance given by our organizations along with the opportunities that are presented (which you most likely would have not received otherwise), you will be that much farther ahead than your competitors. Both BFTS and The Seed accomplish these goals. | ||
| What is the best advice you have ever received about running a business? | ||
| The best advice I have received is to find a mentor early on in your business. It is free and experienced advice. Creating in a bubble is dangerous to the success of your business. A mentor or team of advisors will assist you in bouncing ideas and concepts off those who have the past experience and knowledge to lead you in the right direction. | ||
| Finally, your five keys to success? | ||
| 1. Love what you do…wake up every morning with a smile.
2. Put others first…karma does exist for those who give more than get 3.Be honest with others and yourself…learn from your experiences even if they are not all positive. 4. Work hard…nothing comes for free. 5. Balance your work and life so you can reap the rewards of both! | ||
| To read more stories about women in the service based industry click Idea Home Based Service Business | ||