More Than WE Know

One key to being a succesful entrepreneur is the ability to take intelligent risks.  To do that, it is important to have confidence in yourself.  Some people seem born with self-confidence, while others build it more slowly.

According to Arianna Everitt, founder of Hockwear, home of Roller Coaster handmade stone coasters, sometimes the best way to increase self-confidence is by being willing to make mistakes.  Once you realize that mistakes are just lessons to learn from, you become much more willing to risk making more of them! 

 Here is Arianna’s story.

Arianna, tell me about your business.

I run hockwear on etsy where I create stone coaster sets. I am also a freelance graphic designer which led me to ETSY and decorating items with my designs.

What inspired or motivated you to start your business?

My husband was a Naval Officer. We moved every 1.5 years. That in itself makes it hard to work. Also, with a young child, I did not want him to be raised at home without me..not with different sitters every year and a half.

What keeps you motivated?

Myself and the artwork…it is fun as every customer is a new design and a new beginning.

How did you fund your business?

Credit cards and a small savings. Graphic design is great…if you have a computer that can do the work there is very little overhead.

Who is your target market?

Any and all!                                         

What percentage of your business is online? What is your ideal percentage?

50%-I get a lot of business from ETSY and word of mouth.

Where do you get most of your customers?

ETSY, family and friends.

What is the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?

The nerve to talk to people and believe that I had something worthwhile to offer. 

I just went out and did it…crashed and burned a few times by saying the wrong thing or not marketing myself well.  I really think you need at least a year or two to iron out all the bugs and gain confidence.

What was the best unexpected thing that happened to you?

I have a large order of custom coasters going to a resort in Missouri.

How did you get the order?

Hmmm…well, for the resort they actually contacted me. Found me via ETSY and sent me an email. I followed up with them and sent them a sample and just kept up contact with the individual.

I tried from the beginning to get it off the internet…meaning I requested a phone number and picked up the phone and dealt person to person giving them “real attention”.

I learned what they wanted and needed also keeping in mind my limitations with the medium.

What challenges did you encounter with doing a large custom order and how did you handle them?

Lessons learned? Putting together a big order all at once is challenging.

My workspace alone was not equipped to handle this quantity at once. I just plugged away at it and kept the customer in the loop as far as what is going on and when they would ship.

It has given me the confidence I needed to go and approach other businesses such as wineries and coffee shops to make them custom orders.

What do you wish you had known when you started?

That it is ok to fail…just keep trying and working away at it.

Do you have kids? Do you work at home?

One child who is 4 and yes I work from home.

What is the biggest challenge of being a work-at-home mom?

Balance. Sometimes I am trying to get a design done or a web site designed…I will have a four year old on my lap wanting lucnch and the dryer buzzer going off signaling the end of the cycle…then drop him off to preschool, meet with a client then pick him up and be a mommy again…lots and lots of different hats and juggling!

How has your son helped you be a better entrepreneur?

You have to balance and become really good at working when you can…plus crisis management!

How has being an entrepreneur helped you be a better mom?

Balance again! 

What advice do you have for other Women Entrepreneurs, or Entrepreneur-wannabe’s? 

Give it time.  Slow and steady wins the race.

To see more of Arianna’s  unique stone coasters, visit her shop Hockwear.

To get my special report on 7 Steps to Sustainable Success for Women Entrepreneurs -> Click Here.

If you would like your business profiled on More Than WE Know  please contact me at Liz (at) Morethanweknow (dot) com.  

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