‘Ah ha’ moment that led to launching this business: My niece was a premature baby and three friends also had preemies in two years. Then, my daughter was in intensive care for the first eight days of her life.

Ideal customer: Parents of at risk or preemie babies.

First customer: They found me on my web-site.

Measuring Success: I measure success by the feedback from parents about how my site is making a huge difference in their lives.  How moms who can’t hold their babies feel more “normal” by filling out the baby book/scrapbook pages on my site.

Biggest Struggle: Expenses.  I applied and got the 2011 Huggies MomInspired Grant of $15,000. That was huge.

Surprise!: How wonderful it feels to make something thrive — from scratch.

Promoting Business:  My website has done it all. All of my sales from 2008 to this January, when we started taking on retail stores, have been through my web-site and word of mouth from parents of preemies to other parents.

Two things I wish I would’ve known: How to work one step at a time, while thinking 10 steps ahead.

What keeps you up at night (business-wise!)?:  Babies struggling, babies going home, the miracles who in 20 years will read their Dreemie Preemie pages.

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job?: Yes, it’s hard being stay at home mom and a business owner when you’re starting from the ground up.

Pricing: Calculate how best to make your cost low, without sacrificing quality.

The absolute best part of owning my business is: the freedom to do it right.

If I had to start over again, I would: have learned to write web-site code myself.

I never imagined: time management would be so difficult.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would shout: “You will never succeed if you don’t first try.”

1) What “tools” do you love that others would welcome in starting a small business?

2) What “tools” do you wish you had right now to start or boost your small business?

Think about stuff like amazing business cards, a rockin’ website, strong email marketing tools and more.

Post your answers below.

Don’t pay a “web designer” to give you a template website.  If you’re paying less that $1,000 for a website, it’s almost certainly a do-it-yourself template, and the “web designer” is merely taking your content and plugging it into the template.  Save your money and do it yourself.  Dozens of reputable companies exist online where you can choose a template and fill it with your content for free, or for a very small monthly fee.  This can be less than $10, in many cases.  You don’t need to be a computer geek to figure it out.

Spend just a few hours with a web marketing consultant.  A good consultant can teach you a lot about SEO and social media marketing so you don’t waste time or money on the wrong things.  If you’re on a shoestring budget, you’ll likely be doing a lot of the web marketing yourself.  Investing a few hundred bucks to learn the ropes can save you thousands, and get you better, quicker results than just diving in blind.

Never hire any web designer, consultant, SEO or social media marketer without checking his references.  Seems obvious right, but there are a lot of scams and rip-offs in this industry, and doing your homework before you invest is absolutely critical.

Don’t pour your whole budget into the website itself.  Save the bulk of your budget for getting it found.  This is smart no matter how much money you have to spend on web marketing.  A consultant can help you determine where to spend your budget so you get the best bang for your buck, and so you don’t squander any of it unwisely.

Hope this helps you with your web marketing efforts!

Marianne Carlson is a woman of purpose, with a passion for the American Entrepreneur.  Fondly known as Granny Geek, Marianne is a web designer by trade, has a fascinating history and a captivating communication style.  She is the founder of Emcie Media a communications and marketing firm, an author and speaker.  Whether she’s talking about Internet marketing or the leadership lesson she learned in Iraq, Marianne engages her audience, and leaves them with powerful information that they can put to work right away.  Marianne’s first book, Websites for Small Business, was written to help small business owner avoid the website disasters that befall so many entrepreneurs.

‘Ah ha’ moment that led to launching this business?  I was working for corporate America on behalf of small businesses and getting jealous, trying to raise my two-year old. I came up with a marketing idea while taking a graduate program at Southern Methodist University. I knew deep down that some day I would bottle my great Aunt Gladys’ mix, but when the line “Have a Bloody Mary Christmas™” hit me, I quit and went full force on the idea.

Ideal customer: Southern women who entertain and gift often.

First customer: My first sale was to a small grocery store in New Orleans.  I stopped in, asked who to meet with, set an appointment and sold my first case.  With my first distributor, I called and told them they needed to add a mix to their wine and spirits line up. When we met I sold them immediately.

Measuring Success: Did I follow the vision through? Am I gaining ground? Are my sales long term gains? Is the idea starting to spread? Am I sticking to my principles? Am I fitting my son in? Am I environmentally responsible? Am I having fun? Yes to all. Oh, am I making money? Not quite yet, but I will in the next year.

Biggest Struggle: Bottling. I knew marketing, but had no clue about food production. Finding and convincing vendors to work with me was tough, but converting the kitchen recipe to a manufacturing one nearly killed me.

Surprise!: The people willing to help once they see my passion.

Promoting Business: I documented my journey on Facebook. People wanted me to succeed after they knew all that I had gone through to get there.

What I wish I would’ve known: If I knew what I know now, I wouldn’t have begun. It was my naivety that kept me going. And after a while, I was committed and couldn’t back down.  I wish that I had known a certain company was going to take my money and run– but these same people led me to formulate my recipe.  I wish I had waited to make sales until I actually had produced the product — but I learned a great deal in the process.

What keeps you up at night (business-wise!)?: Operations, shipping, production and paperwork.  It drowns me at times, and I have so little knowledge to pull from.  I’m really not even sure how to go about finding help. That is how little I know.

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job?: Yes. But I decided that even if I had to work the rest of my life at a job paying off the debt I was incurring, it would be worth it if I could just see the vision through.

Biggest business goal in next year: Become profitable. I’m going to be scrappy, lean and do whatever it takes to sell this mix. The taste is so good, it resells itself.  I just need people to have a chance to taste.

Pricing: My mix is expensive but I’m giving value. The mix itself is premium with no preservatives, and it comes in a reusable carafe with gift tags that makes it worth it. I’m positioning my brand not with other mixes, but with other gifts.

Funding/advice on pursuing it?: I had some money set aside.  And we took a home equity loan out for the rest. I was determined to not take on a partner who might stand in the way of my vision.  So far, retaining full ownership is something I would still recommend.

A Few Good Tips: Sell vendors on your business idea and make them true partners, rather than companies that just do things for you. Help them solve problems.

The absolute best part of owning my business is: seeing my vision through.

If I had to start over again, I would: not have quit my job before my recipe was finished.

I never imagined: finding a bottle would be so difficult.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would shout: ”Seeing your vision come to life is worth whatever it takes. That is the essence of what life is about.”

If this describes people you know, then we’d love for you to join the Spark & Hustle Host Committee and become one of Tory’s Top 20 at the event in your area.

It’s pretty simple: register yourself for at least one event and then refer registrants by reaching out to the people you know and believe would benefit from attending.  (We’ll gladly send you tips on how to easily accomplish this.)

As a token of our appreciation, we’ve created a sensational benefits package to honor your support.

If you’re interested and ready to rock, please send an email to host@sparkandhustle.com and include your name, email, phone, location, a bit about you personally and professionally, and tell us why you’re an ideal Spark & Hustle host.   You’ll hear back within 24 hours tops.

The Julie and Jack Nadel Scholarship Fund for Young Entrepreneurs will enable 20 students per event to participate in our 2012 Spark & Hustle national tour.

Founder of Jack Nadel International, a worldwide promotional products leader, Jack Nadel is a small business champion. After discharge as a decorated combat veteran of World War II, he started his business career in a tiny office with no money, education, or experience and over the following sixty-five successful years, Jack created thousands of new jobs and hundreds of products. At age 87, he has distilled a lifetime of experience into Use What You Have to Get What You Want: 100 Basic Ideas that Mean Business.

If you are a full-time student of a four-year college, university or community college, apply today to attend the Spark & Hustle conference of your choice. Regularly $97, the student rate is just $25 when accepted to the scholarship program.

To apply, please email your responses to the following questions to alex@sparkandhustle.com. All scholarship applications must be received via your valid .edu address provided by your college or university. There’s a limit of 20 student scholarships available per city and they’re issued on a first come basis to qualified applicants only.

Please include responses to the following in your scholarship inquiry email:

First and last name:
Email address:
Phone number:
College or university:
Major:
Year:
Hometown and state:
Spark & Hustle location you would like to attend:

Have you already started a business?
If yes, what is the name and what does your business do?
If no, what kind of business would you like to start?
Why are you an ideal recipient of this scholarship assistance?

One way to ensure you can turn those dreams to reality is to make every goal a SMART goal, says our friend Jen Bilik, founder of Knock Knock, which produces the best line of humorous paper products.  SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timed—are easier to execute than pie-in-the-sky dreams.  Execution will determine your success.

“All big goals can be broken down into SMART goals that will lead you to achieve the big goal,” says Jen. “Goals that aren’t SMART tend not to get done.”

So true.  Good intentions don’t always lead to solid accomplishments.  Instead of hoping you make things happen, use this simple strategy to ensure you make things happen.

For example, “Increase sales” isn’t a SMART goal, but “Through online business development, identify 50 new sales prospects by [date]“; “Develop three targeted sales pitches by [date]“; ”Make 50 sales calls by [date]“; and “Analyze results of calls to assess best route to customer conversion by [date]” are.

Use this formula to get SMART now.

Specific: “Make more money” is not specific.  “Increase revenue by $50,000 in six months” is very specific.  “Get media coverage” is not specific.  “Secure a biweekly column in my local newspapers” is very specific.  Get specific.  Focus on something tangible not aspirational.

Measurable: How will you measure your progress on the path toward fulfilling your goal?  If you want to double your annual revenue, what kind of results must you achieve each month to meet your target?

Actionable: What specific steps must you take to realize your goal?  How many calls and to whom? How many events and which ones? How many blog posts and what content?  If you don’t know quite clearly the actions you must take, then you’ll never have a fighting chance to fulfill your goals.

Realistic: The SMARTest goals are realistic for you to achieve and they’re very closely related to your short and long term vision for your business.  These aren’t the pie-in-the-sky goals, which, by the way, are fine to pursue, but that’s outside this SMART strategy.  If your goal is to debut your first book as a New York Times bestseller this year, but you don’t have a topic, an outline, a manuscript, or even a clue about the publishing process, then it’s not realistic right now.  Writing the book or securing a publishing contract are probably more reasonable goals to pursue at this time.

Timed: Let’s face it: no deadline usually means no action.  We’re conditioned to put off what we don’t have to tackle right now.  So if you really want to realize the SMART goals you’re setting, then assign deadlines for each action step and stick to them—or else.

Go ahead, SMARTie pants: Tell us one of your 2012 goals.  Declare it here so can help hold you to it.

Three of the most widely shared comments heard from Tony to Oprah:

“We are defined by the stories we tell ourselves.”
“See it as it is, but not worse than it is.”
“The only thing that will make you happy long term is progress.”

Which resonates greatest with you — and why? Tell us below.

So, why not apply this idea in business.  Are there ways you can accessorize your brand and branding? When is the last time you updated your web visuals, images, testimonials and content? If you put social media icons on your business cards, blogs and websites, make sure they are active. Outdated pictures, logos and web styling are all things that greatly impact the public’s impression and image of you and your business.

Here are 8 ways to accessorize your branding to woo and wow people anytime, anywhere.

1. Use real stories about you or others to explain or demonstrate an idea.

2. Use interesting images that support the themes on your website or in your blog posts.

3. Celebrate your recommendations and professional affiliations on your sites.

4. Incorporate info-graphics to substantiate your angle or position. They are a hot “visual info trend.”

5. Lead with and use testimonials on the pages of your website.  And use them in your marketing materials.

6. Use FREE public relations sites and send out local press releases for new programs, client successes and where you are speaking or featured. PRLOG.com is an example of great FREE public relations site.

7. Use more color! What’s your COLOR and what does it say about you?

8. Integrate short, concise videos to demonstrate your personality and to engage people.

Wear your branding proudly and accessorize, accessorize, accessorize so that it screams your style and uniqueness. What do you do to accessorize your brand and branding?

Deborah Shane is a career author, branding strategist/consultant and nationally published writer and speaker. She hosts a weekly blog, a weekly business radio show and writes for several national blogs and websites including SmallBizTrends.com, Careerealism.com, American Express Open and Personalbrandingblog.com. Deborah delivers smart ideas and solutions, which make her a popular go-to resource for clients and national media including CNN, CBS, HLN and Fox. Visit her on the web at DeborahShane.com, DeborahShaneToolbox.com and @deborahshane.

‘Ah ha’ moment that led to launching the business: I broke out in a rash for the third time in one month and I got news that I needed to develop a new service line without additional resources — while doing my current project.

Ideal customer: Professional men and women between the ages of 35-57 who have a clear understanding of the value of outward appearance.

First customer: A friend in Chicago. I had been telling her I could help and with time now on my side, I scheduled a session with her.

Measuring Success: Seeing a more confident person. Early successes are the three women who came up to me at a conference we were all attending. They each spun around and said “Look, I dressed myself!” They looked great, polished and pulled together — and they were smiling and confident.

Biggest Struggle: Lack of funds for PR/marketing. I have been on the grustle (grind + hustle) to think creatively about connections with every person I meet to ask how I can help them!

Surprise!: The lack of vision from people who are “employed.”

Promoting Business: I have strategically offered giveaways to certain organizations that are within my target demographic and conducted free seminars and talks, which generated business. If I can get in front of someone and talk, I can seal the deal: I’m fabulous in-person.

What I wish I would’ve known: (1) People are drawn to polish and to popularity, so sometimes you have to sell what you don’t have yet and then build/find it! (2) Create a formal advisory committee because when you’re looking for insight/direction, they can then be on-the-hook to help. Otherwise, everyone gets stuck doing their own thing and can’t make time for you.

What keeps you up at night (business-wise!)?: Ways to get more PR and how to replicate myself so I can do more with the same amount of money.

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job?: Every two months I’m tempted and then my sister reminds me that it’s not supposed to be easy and that I actually inspire people including her. That keeps me going.

Moving Forward: To get three to five new, higher-profile clients. I’m putting together marketing material and chasing down every connection I have to set up conversations with the right folks across the next six months.

Pricing: Create pricing that leaves you a little uncomfortable when you look at it: if you wouldn’t think twice about paying the price, then you’re pricing it too low.

A Few Good Tips: 1) As you build your business, you don’t have time for ‘down days’ so dress the part because you are a walking billboard for your services. 2) Associate with business associates who are interested in growing like you because you each provide energy and inspiration for each other.

The absolute best part of owning my own business is: making my own coffee in the morning and drinking it from a coffee mug rather than a travel mug.

If I had to start over again, I would have: saved up a little more money or applied for every credit card I could find while I had great credit.

I never imagined: that convincing people that ‘image is everything’ would be so difficult.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would say: “Get your grustle on, and allow yourself space to break down on occasion — because there’s more room on the outside.”

‘Ah ha’ moment that led to launching the business: I spent 20 plus years in the health insurance business, finally becoming a sales and underwriting vice-president. Huge title, responsibility and salary and long days, weekends and endless travel. But I felt like I’d lost myself, my dreams and who I was along the way. I had always wanted to do something creative/artistic, and more so, something I could feel proud about at the end of the day. My ‘ah ha’ moment came when I was looking to purchase my dream home with the 180 degree ocean view I’d always wanted: I realized that if I purchased that home, I would forever be financially tied to my corporate career. Within a couple of months, I quit my job, sold my current home, enrolled in college and started my business. Best thing I ever did and I’ve never looked back.

Ideal customer: People who want to enjoy their homes – ideally in Coastal Orange County, Calif. – but I’ll work anywhere (have gone as far as Kauai). I believe that our homes are our most important place for renewing ourselves and spending quality time with loved ones. I love to help people achieve a home that is beautiful, functional and comfortable – to them.

First customer: A friend was talking me up to an acquaintance of hers. Love those referrals.

Measuring Success: Client appreciation. One client recently said to me that she doesn’t want to shop for anything anymore without me.

Biggest Struggle: Doubting myself before facing a new client or potential client. But once I get there and begin to see what I can do for them and what value I can add to their lives, my confidence returns and I get to work.

Surprise!: There is a ton of paperwork and follow-up, but I actually enjoy it. Of course I would much rather do the creative part of my business, but all those years in the insurance world have helped me see the value in documentation and follow-up.

Promoting Business: 1) I work easily with clients, contractors and vendors, which makes them want to work with me and tell others. I enlist other opinions and think collaboration makes a better end product. 2) I have a professional website, business cards and marketing materials, earned my degree in interior design, and keep up my accreditations so clients feel comfortable that I am an experienced professional. 3) I am not afraid to talk up my business and not only tell people what I do, but what value I can bring to them and how it can change their lives.

What I wish I would’ve known: 1) It takes a village and a lot of effort to make sure new clients know about me and want to work with me. 2) here is a lot of paperwork, driving and follow-up to this business.

What keeps you up at night (business-wise!)?: Second-guessing whether or not a client will like my selections and vision and hoping they will be sincerely happy. (Also tossing around ideas for my next big move – I want to do ‘something bigger’ and am trying to find my path in this regard).

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job?: No. I’ve already been there and done the corporate world. I will make this work (and then some) no matter what! I have never felt more genuine than I do as an entrepreneur.

Moving Forward: Increasing sales exponentially, becoming a sought-after expert, and making my next ‘big move’. I just finished a vision board that really reflects the lifestyle I am working toward and the ‘feeling’ I want to achieve in my life. I am now working backward to figure out how to get there in dollars and cents. Written goals (short term and long term) are next.

Pricing: Going over past projects to look for “lost money” is a good place to start. Asking myself where I worked for free and how I can avoid that and build it into the pricing in the future. Also looking for lost opportunities (what sales I should have asked for or up-sold?). I always try to show people more than they ask to see, because sometimes they don’t know what to ask for….it’s my job to show them the possibilities they may not realize are there.

Funding: I used my savings to get started. Luckily, I can work out of my home office/studio and don’t need to rent space. I also don’t have to have a lot of materials samples here — I have a lot of information and brochures from various vendors, which I pre-shop in the office and then get tear sheets and specific samples sent to me or go see them. I did buy a new computer, some software, had my website, business cards and marketing materials professionally done, and spent some money having professional photos done of my work and did a professional video shoot. I also had my contract reviewed by an attorney who specializes in my field and hired a CPA who has other clients in my field. I think it is very important to lay the groundwork while you are small so you have the flexibility and systems already set up so you can act when opportunities present themselves (or when you make the opportunities happen.)

A Few Good Tips: Interior Design is very visual, so I have to be careful not to just show one style of design on my website so people understand I can do any style. It is also important that my logo and materials accurately reflect me and my personal brand – that if I tout myself as a high-end, professional designer that all of my materials have that look and feel. It is also important that my paperwork and follow-up reflect professionalism and that the way I look, dress and present myself shows people that I am an artistic, creative individual, without going over-the-top to make them feel they can’t relate to me. Everything I do and say must reflect what I offer to them in my business.

The absolute best part of owning my own business is: the flexibility in my schedule and being able to make as much money as I want.

If I had to start over again, I would have: done it much earlier in my life.

I never imagined: finding balance in my life would be so difficult.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would say: Believe in you. Believe in your dreams. And yes, you can.

January 31st was the end of the 2011 Fiscal year for retailers. You know what that means- all the fun stuff…NOT! Reports, number crunching, revising plans, evaluations, etc. This is when you tie up all the loose ends and get ready for a fresh start. Our new fiscal year official began February 1 2012. Here are three tips to help you get headed in the right direction.

1. Review your reports and know your numbers. It is important to know where you are so you can revise your current plan for bigger results. How much did you make? What months were strong? Which ones were not? Why not? Asking these questions and researching the answers increases your chances for bigger results.

2. Revise your current plan to add more “yes” products. Expand the areas in which the customer voted “yes” with their wallets. What were their favorites last year? Favorite colors? Favorite scents? Favorite models?

3.) Respond and engage with your loyal and potential customers. Did you know that your marketing strategy has a direct impact on your sales performance? Yet a recent study determined that 74% of small businesses do not have a written plan or strategy. Most people are intimidated by the idea of a marketing plan and think it must be something fancy and 20 pages long. It doesn’t have to be.

You can begin by simply listing all of the avenues for reaching and engaging with your customers such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, direct mail (postcards), e-mail newsletters, mobile apps, banners, signs and more. Make sure you know where your customers are and the best way to reach them. For instance, if they are tech savvy then mobile apps and social media are definitely elements to consider. In a recent Zoomerang survey, 51% of small businesses cited posts on Facebook as an effective marketing tactic. And a majority said they spend absolutely nothing to market on social media. Just be sure to include content that will actually help your customers and give them a reason to connect and share with someone else. Last, always, always, always close your marketing efforts with a call to action. Invite customers to visit your site or add a direct link to make purchases easy.

Tierra Destiny Reid, Owner of www.stylishconsignments.com and TDR Brands www.tierradestinyreid.com, is a proud military wife and mother of two young children.

‘Ah ha’ moment that led to launching the business: As a family physician, I’ve learned that most children’s health issues are radically affected by parenting. My “Ah ha” moment came when I saw an 11-year-old boy with a chronic cough. His cough was caused by his ¾ pack cigarette/day habit. His mother did not want to be buying him cigarettes, but felt she had no choice. In the course of one visit I was able to give her the tools and the confidence to help her son quit smoking, rather than continue to support his deadly habit.

Ideal customer: Large groups of parents who come together for any shared purpose on a regular basis.

First customer: My first check for a parenting seminar came from Ft. Jackson, an Army base in South Carolina. I ignored my own rule about refusing unpaid speaking engagements that required travel and volunteered to speak at a social media summit at Harrisburg University. Though I wasn’t sure how it would be useful to my platform, I believed strongly in the purpose of the panel to which I was invited — “The Power of Unplugging” — about putting boundaries around social media use for individuals and families. The developer of this summit remembered my name and mission, and when he was contacted by Ft. Jackson to see if he knew a speaker who could talk to parents about responsible use of technology, he recommended me. This opportunity not only paid very well, it has led to an ongoing relationship and several referrals.

Measuring Success: I do it in reach and income. By “reach” I refer to the number of parents, and others interested in the raising of children, following me on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, as well as subscribers to my website and readers of my Parenting Q&A blog. In addition to landing a military speaking engagement, I’m writing this on the plane on my way home from my first paid corporate seminar, at Sears Holdings, Parent Hard at Work. Over 50 parents who work at Sears in Chicago attended, and I was livestreamed to the Parent Worksite Education groups in their New York and LA offices as well. Another early success is my position as a regular contributor to Huffington Post Parents. Further, I have responded daily to HARO queries which has led to quotes listing my name and website in publications and internet periodicals including Parents, Parenting, USA Today Kids Health, MSNBC and Yahoo.

Biggest Struggle: To create a website that is professional, yet accessible. I need the credibility of a professional looking site so that human resource leaders and military commanders will understand the “expert” value I can bring to their employees. And yet, parents need to feel that they have come to a warm, safe place where their concerns will be met with empathy as well as resources. I have worked closely with my site designer, and do monthly focus groups with parents to make sure they feel welcome and supported. I’ve created videos on YouTube to be helpful to parents but also to show that I’m a real person. I use social media to show my more personal side and to give parents who feel intimidated by the site other points of connection with my business.

Surprise!: The difficulty of communicating with contractors. When I have a vision of something that I want for the business, it is so clear to me that I’m certain it must be clear to the person working with me as well. Whether it is a logo designer or photographer, website designer or PR person, I have had to learn to be more patient and clearly express what I need to bring my message to parents.

Promoting Business: My “store” is clearly my website. I put out a large chunk of capital completely overhauling the site. Since the launch of the new site in December, I have doubled the number of paid speaking engagements on the calendar, as well as increasing the number of periodicals that want to interview me for articles, which boosts my credibility and visibility.

What I wish I would’ve known: If I could go back in time and caution my business-self a year ago, I would say: “Move slowly when committing to ongoing relationships as a brand, as it’s hard to know what that entity may want from you or what your company will need” and “This will cost more than you think.”

What keeps you up at night (business-wise!)?: I spend that can’t-sleep-for-worrying time thinking about the money that I am spending on ongoing expenses and wondering what else I could be doing to raise my income to match and exceed it, as well as whether I should be leaner in my expenses or if that would be cutting off my business nose to spite my face!

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job?: I’ve actually reduced my clinical hours so that I can give this my best shot. In the moments when I wonder if I am squandering our money on this venture, my husband reminds me that each parent I talk to becomes strengthened in their goals to raise kids they can respect and admire.

Moving Forward: To average one paid speaking engagement per month. To meet this goal I am creating and improving a leads list, hiring a PR intern from a local university marketing program, and creating videos to showcase my topics and skills. I am networking at live events and submitting to at least 3 “Calls for Speakers” each month. I’ve improved my marketing materials and added information about my seminars to every bio I submit when I guest post or write for another site.

Pricing: I suggest women do three things. Research comparable services and keep track of their pricing. Aim a little higher than you think you’re worth (as women tend to undervalue their work) and leave room for flexibility in your quote. If you do end up giving a discount, mark it as a discount on your invoice.

A Few Good Tips: 1) Advice is more easily heard when it comes paired with admiration. So find something you truly admire about your listener and express it. 2) It is possible to share both expertise and humility. 3) Own your knowledge. Deprecating your own expertise leads your audience to feel frustrated and misled.

‘Ah ha’ moment that led to launching the business: At Spark & Hustle’s Los Angeles conference in 2011. I was invited to the event as a panelist to speak about my buying experience. I met amazing entrepreneurs and forged great friendships. As I helped these new friends develop their retail strategies and felt the joy of watching my tips turn to results, I realized I could turn this passion into a business.

Ideal customer: Mompreneurs or those who market products to moms. Specifically those who aspire to be in the food, drug and mass channels.

First customer: I met my first two clients at Spark & Hustle – Romy Taormina, co-founder of PsiBands, and Sari Crevin, founder of Booginhead. I was very fortunate to meet and launch my business with two very smart clients and supporters.

Measuring Success: As a business owner and financial stakeholder, my metrics of success are my company sales and profitability, as well as the sales I’ve driven for clients. But the coach and mentor in me measures success by the enthusiasm of my clients. Every “a-ha” moment, breakthrough and recognition achieved by my clients in turn fulfills me with a sense of accomplishment – and that is more sacred than anything on my balance sheets.

Biggest Struggle: For most of my career, I lived and thrived in the corporate world and environments where you constantly knew how you compared to competition. As a business owner in a fragmented industry that doesn’t report financials or market share, it is hard to measure how I stack up. But when clients win a new account or tell me they feel empowered by what I’ve taught them, I realize that is all the feedback I need to keep me going.

Surprise!: I never expected to meet so many amazing entrepreneurs; the women entrepreneur community in particular. Their support and generosity is unparalleled.

Promoting Business: The best way to showcase one’s value is to share it first. Sure, some people take advantage of it and you try to minimize that, but I’d like to think every bit of goodwill builds my brand and credibility. And it has worked. Word of mouth is strong and most of my new clients come through referrals – including referrals from non-clients. Sharing my knowledge is the best marketing lever for my business.

What I wish I would’ve known: When I first started, I wish I pushed myself harder to “test and learn” and go to market more quickly. It’s OK to put out a half-baked idea – granted, it should be a well-thought out one. Your best market research is to put your idea out there to see what you learn. Then refine on the fly (aka “Continuous Innovation”). Noodle an idea too long and you’ve missed out on potential sales, sunk more time/money in and delayed getting through your learning curve. The law of diminishing returns definitely applies here. Secondly, I wish I took more breaks and better care of myself. As entrepreneurs, we work very hard and around the clock. You eat cereal for meals at odd hours, your gym membership goes unused and you make fewer plans with friends or for yourself. Don’t do it! It’s not sustainable.

What keeps you up at night (business-wise!)?: That I’ve let another week go by that I didn’t keep good notes on my business expenses and receipts. Especially as we approach tax time. I’m notoriously awful at this stuff. And my accountant doesn’t let me live it down.

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job?: Yes. Unlike most, I love the rat race of corporate America. But I love being my own boss more.

Moving Forward: For me, 2012 is the year of passive income. To this end, my business goal is to launch my passive income stream, Buyerly, in the next couple months. Buyerly is a web app that allows inventors and product companies to get early-stage feedback from retail buyers – everything from product ideas, packaging design to margins and retail price. It’s automated and scale-able – two necessities for passive income.

A Few Good Tips: Get paid for your ideas — and not for your time. Don’t give into pressure to lower your prices if you firmly believe they reflect your value. Instead, innovate and diversify your services, offer new revenue streams or break apart your more expensive service packages into lower price-point mini-packages.

The absolute best part of owning my business is: being able to try things that may not fly in a larger organization_.

If I had to start over again, I would: have trusted my gut from the beginning.

I never imagined: finding and hiring good resources would be so difficult.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would shout: “Be confident in what you know. And if you don’t know, be confident you will be able to figure it out. Run towards ambiguity; it’s the greatest life lesson.”