Lightroom

Being an entrepreneur is a lonely place to be.  It’s so lonely that you don’t realize it’s even lonely.  That’s just the way it is. You’re just alone. And you’re not sad to be alone.  That’s just your business structure. And you did that on purpose. And maybe one day you’ll have a team, but for now, it’s just you.  And that’s great! You’re living the dream. But you’re very much alone.

I left that networking event feeling more hopeful and more connected than I’ve felt in a long time.  I didn’t snag a new client, but I made some connections, shared favorite business podcasts, and found out about more networking opportunities.  And most importantly, I realized that even though I spend my days alone (also, yes, often in my pajamas and very often in my house), I’m not the only one doing this.

The beauty of handmade products is that you can create literally anything. 

I'm a big believer in saying yes to opportunities and seeing what shows up.  And what has shown up involves small businesses that know they need a better sales system but don't have time to do it, or just don't want to do it.

These are businesses that are successful but have owners who know they need an upgrade.  They also know that it takes time to research the different technologies, compare prices and features, pick the best program, learn how to set it up and implement it, launch it, train employees, and troubleshoot it, all while continuing to run their businesses.  

And this is where Lightbox shines the light on that dark corner of business.  Where we go into your basement, brush away the cobwebs, and say, "Oh shit, you have a dusty 3-ring binder and a moldy excel file back here.  Let's clean that up."

It's not just a shiny new Shopify site (although you will LOVE your new Shopify site).  It's a personal consultation about what your business needs.  About what's holding you back from taking two weeks off, or wintering in Arizona, or opening a second location for your retail store.  And then, a collaborative design process, complete with customization, app integration to suit your needs, and training for you and your employees so you aren't left in the dark once we go live.  

Confession time.  I'm a grammar nerd.

My favorite subject in school was English.  Not just literature, but grammar.

The day I learned to diagram a sentence was a total game changer, and I probably judge you for incorrectly using "your" when you really meant "you're."

But when I started learning to write for business, I had to put my grammar elitism behind.  

Sure, I still aim for perfection in spelling and grammar (notice I aim, but I also make mistakes.  oopsie), but I've learned a few tricks for writing in business that do not exist in writing for academia.

If I wasn't in the store every day, what would I do?  I have no children and I like to work, so not working wasn't an option.  And I had this desire to help people and to empower other small business owners to understand how to make the business side of things work.  And here we are.

But in Paris, the little stores reminded me of my own little store, and my heart missed Hattie.  I daydreamed about the display upgrades I would put in, about expanding the blog, about our window displays and sandwich boards.  And I knew that I wasn't done with Hattie.  Nor was she done with me.