Since it is getting close to the anniversary date of my first blog, I thought I would share with you How I started my first business and how it’s going now. My story actually has a lot of smaller stories that all merge into one larger story. It is interesting to see how all these paths have led me to where I am today and to look forward to where they will lead me in the future.
How I Turned My Hobby Into A Money-Making Venture
My first business venture was embroidering. I worked at an embroidery shop that put company logos on hats, shirts, banners, and almost anything else in high school. I loved embroidering, and the experience taught me a lot. Unfortunately, the owner passed away, and the shop was closed. It became my dream to own an embroidery machine one day. It was fifteen years later before I had a chance to embroider again. Someone brought me a small embroidery machine to see if I could “fix” it. I did some small designs, returned the machine, and purchased my own embroidery machine. I loved it. It was a lot of learning and trial and error, but I eventually mastered it. That year I made and sold enough items to buy Christmas for everyone.
Over the next few years, I made some great extra money. Looking back now, I could have done things a lot differently, made more money, and marketed my products better, but I took a different path.
My First Blog: “When In Rome, Georgia”
My husband, Wesley, and I grew up in the same church in Rome, Georgia. When he was 18, he joined the Navy. After twenty years, he retired from the Navy and moved back to Rome, Georgia. We connected and dated for a year and a half before we married. While on our honeymoon, we met a couple who said they had vacationed in Rome, Georgia. We were confused because we had never thought of our town as a vacation destination. That got us thinking about our town differently. There are a lot of things to do in Rome, Georgia. That thought stayed with us. At that time, blogging was a new concept, and I had no idea how to get started or what was involved in creating a blog.
A few years later, we were standing in line at Walt Disney World, and one of the cast members asked us where we were from and “what makes your town special.” That got us thinking that we needed to start a blog. When we got home, I found an online course Start A Blogging Business 5 Day Crash Course. I instantly knew that I wanted the blog’s name to be When In Rome, Georgia. My focus is on the history, small businesses, and things to do in and around my hometown of Rome, Georgia.
I took my previous experience embroidering and started selling Georgia-themed items. It was a perfect partnership between the two businesses. Since starting When In Rome, Georgia, I have met some fantastic people that live and work in my community. I have also had opportunities to do freelance writing and amateur photography.
The Next Step
After I was well established in Rome, Georgia, as a blog, I had people contact me asking for help with their small businesses. I helped people start their businesses, market on social media, and grow. That led me to the next step in my business. I enjoy helping people, so I created an online course to help people start their own businesses. I created the Launch Your Dream Business 5 Day online course. This course has connected me to hundreds of people that want to start their own businesses by taking their interests and hobbies and turning them into money-making ventures. It includes all the information I wished I had known when I started all those years ago.
Through online courses, I learned so much about starting my blog. I liked the step-by-step process and the ability to go at my own pace. I appreciated that I could reference back to the courses. When designing my online course, I took all of the trial and error, research, and experience and put it into an easy-to-follow format.
After launching my course, I wanted to take it further. I created a master class on how to market your business. I created the Make My Business Soar premium course to help people take their business to the next level.
The Future Of My Business
Currently, I have several projects in the works, and I am growing my business every day. I have networked with some amazing people and learned so much along the journey. I would love to help you start your own business and help you make your dreams come true.
Want to know if you are ready to turn your craft hobby into a craft business? I’ve created a free checklist of the 5 Things to Have Before Starting A Craft Business so you can turn your hobby into a craft business. I created this checklist because I often see DIY Crafter and Handmade Crafters struggling with knowing how to get started as a business. If you can relate to this, my 5 Things To Have Before Starting A Craft Business is explicitly designed to help you know exactly what it takes to start a handmade business and get to do what you love, crafting. So if you’d like to take advantage of this free download.
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- Be A Vendor Booth Rockstar – 5 strategies to help you be a prepared and confident seller at your next Craft Fair.
- 5 Things to Have Before Starting A Craft Business – Download my Free Cheat Sheet & Turn Your Hobby Into A Business!
- 100+ Small Business Ideas – A list of over 100 ideas for small businesses that you can start from your home. This helps you brainstorm and come up with the perfect business for your skills and personality.
- How To Use Instagram To Grow Your Local Business – This cheat sheet helps you use Instagram’s power and influence to reach your local audience and grow your business.
- Launch Your Dream Business – This 5-day course helps you set up your business correctly and gets you started building your dream business.
- Make Your Business Soar – A Premium online course that guides you on the step-by-step journey of how to market your business..
