A Few Mistakes

At the age of 47 I decided to start my own business.  I had an idea.  Everybody loved it.  I applied for a Platinum Visa card with a $10,000 limit.  I figured this would be enough to get my idea off the ground.

I If I dedicated my blog to just the mistakes I made, I would never want for writing material. 

Mistake #1.  I ordered all of the product before it was sold.  I did take a random sampling of what were the favorites, so I didn’t go in completely blind.  But I found out soon enough that loving something and actually wearing it are two very different things.

Mistake #2.  Not fully understanding “profit margin”.  I thought it was a simple as selling for more than you bought it.  I got the profit part.  It was the margin that I didn’t understand.

Mistake #3.  Donating to a worthwhile cause is wonderful, but it is better to do this after you become profitable.  I committed to donate $2 per item sold and did this regardless of whether we were making money or not.

Mistake #4.  Giving stuff away is great for PR, and it sure does feel good, but you can give too much away.

Mistake #5.  Failing to attend Business School.  It would have been helpful beyond measure.

I can say that I have learned.  I have now entrusted the business to someone who just finished his MBA.

It’s like a fresh start!  And I’m feeling good!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was
compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

somuchmore

When we are young we talk about things we are going to do one day.  Everyone has dreams.  I was going to have a candy store, just like Willy Wonka.  I was going to be an ice cream sampler, or tester.  I was going to make people laugh.  I must be very hard headed, but it wasn’t until my third cancer, breast cancer, that I finally got it into my thick head that I better get working on one of my dreams.

With a bilateral mastectomy, and my choice to not reconstruct, my daughters pointed out that if I were to date again, I would definitely need a butt and thigh man.  And a shirt was born.  “LOOKING FOR AN ASSMAN”  And a new business was born.  I found a good friend who lent her expertise to building our company website, somuchmoreonline.com.  An enormous project in my eyes, but very “do-able” in her eyes.

And the phrases just kept coming… My two rather well endowed daughters frequently would ask me why boys don’t know that they can see their eyes move up and down from eyes to chest as they try to hold a conversation.  This inspired:  “I lost both breasts but men look me in the eye now.”

My daughters and I are forever trying clothes on and asking the age old question: “Does this make me look fat?”  Which inspired my favorite:  “Does this shirt make my boobs look small?”

And then… our #1 seller:  “Of course they’re fake.  The real ones tried to kill me!”

The name of our company, somuchmore came from my telling an acquaintance that I had lost both breasts to cancer.  They were completely shocked, and honestly, more upset than I was about it.  I simply pointed out that “it was all right” and that “I am somuchmore than a breast.”  Aren’t we all.

I am participating in a campaign for Bucks2Blog for an ecommerce solution company and was compensated.  However, the views and opinions are my own.