Just Getting Started

I have thought about starting a blog for a long time. Now...it IS time.

Over the years I have accumulated a lot of business and marketing knowledge, and since I have created a new business of my own once again, (yeah, I've had a couple before) I want to share some of that knowledge. Hopefully, this blog might inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and create a burn inside of you to dip your foot into the vast ocean of possibility. Or you could be like me and jump in with both feet.

I am the proud owner of ggChambers designs, LLC, a growing business in which I design and hand craft wire jewelry and other wire wrapped and woven items. I have a website, https://ggchambers.com, am on Etsy and Artfire, and also have pages on the social media sites of Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. Oh, and I am on LinkedIn, as well. Yes, all of those keep me pretty busy, but in the end I believe it will be worth it.

These are hard times in our country, so while starting a business may be one of the last things on your mind, it may still be a nagging desire that rears its head and swims around your brain from time to time. Don't worry. I'm not going to convince you that you "need" to start your own business. What I want to do is give you enough pertinent information so you can make a decision for yourself as to whether or not you're ready or even willing.

One of the saddest things I hear over and over is that people have tried to do what I do, but they just couldn't make any money at it, so they quit. Not only did some of them quit, the experience made them bitter about trying at all. It isn't always about the money, honey!

I consider myself lucky that I, too, have failed at business more than once. If I told you how many times I started a business and failed, you would probably wonder why you were even reading this! Okay, I will tell you anyway. I have had at least three Sole Proprietorships (I really have lost count), one S-Corporation, and now an LLC. To be honest with you, I am not really sure why I persist, except I can't seem to quit trying. The experiences have, however, provided me with so much information that I truly believe this is my time. It could be yours, too.

Another reason I keep at it is that I really really enjoy it. I enjoy talking to people. I enjoy the creativity aspect. And I enjoy the responsibility that comes with having a business. Being honest again, a business of your own can be a real pain in the butt at times. Ask anyone that has one. You put in tons of hours ( I sometimes work 12 to 14 hours a day or more.), you usually work alone (this can be good for you or make you crazy), and you lose some friends cause you just don't have time for them like you used to. Other than that, it's a piece of cake.

Oh, and you have control. You get to decide how you do business, how big or small it is, if you have employees or not, a storefront or not, network with others or not...You get the picture. For those of us that have control issues, having a business can be just the outlet for your addiction that you need.

Next post I will start at the beginning and ask you to ask yourself a few questions that will help you decide if you should be in business with your craft or keep it at the  hobby level. I am most definitely not a know-it-all, so if you have some input on a subject or a question, please feel free to post a comment. I will read them all.

Thanks for reading! Stay wired up! Gail