My startup began as a simple way to solve a problem that threatened to spoil my son’s dream birthday party.
In 2006, Owen wanted a superhero-themed party. But there were no cool superhero capes out there aside from the standard Spiderman and Batman capes.
So I took to my sewing machine and made my own superhero capes as party favors for the kids. A friend of mine suggested I start selling them, too. After a few successful craft shows and some online marketplaces, I started to see a potential business.
The business quickly grew and although the growth was exciting, I was becoming overwhelmed with the business side of my growing company.
Now, I have a marketing genius who manages the business details (marketing, bookkeeping, payroll, shipping, customer service), leaving me to focus on the creative and production of my company. With our combined efforts, we have been able to grow my little hobby-turned-startup in ways I wouldn’t have been able to on my own.
Here’s what I learned along the way that I wish I knew back then:
1. Give up Control Sooner Rather Than Later
I went into this business from a hobby point of view. I had planned on returning to my “real job” once all my children were attending full days of school.
Had I truly thought that this would business would be as big as it is today, I would have taken the beginnings a little more seriously. I stumbled at the start when I tried to do everything myself. I was in charge of creative, buying materials, processing orders and bookkeeping. I had to quickly adapt and create an assembly line to keep up with production.
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