Starting a small business

[Alyssa Silva]

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend. Columbus Day weekend has always been my favorite weekend of the year because the weather in New England is still comfortable enough to be outside and fall really starts to peak around now. (Do you have a favorite weekend of the year or are you normal?)

So, last night I finally accomplished a childhood dream of selling my artwork and launched an online shop! It was definitely a pinch-me moment.

I’ve been drawing since the age of 2 and have found it to be so therapeutic for me. When quarantine started back in the spring, I picked it up again to keep my mind distracted and at ease. I forgot how much I loved it, and as time went on, I started to have all these pieces of art in a folder with nothing to do with them. So, I did my research and launched a little side gig shop on my blog.

Of course, I am more excited over anything else. But there are hesitations due to SMA. Questions of will I be able to keep up if I get sick or have busy weeks with my other jobs loom over my head. At the same time, this shop was my way of simply creating a passive income stream, so I don’t plan on making it my full-time job.

Have you started an online business? If so, do you have any tips or tricks for managing your business and SMA?

[DeAnn R]

Congratulations! I found the link and checked it out. Awesome work! Love your style. It’s great when you can turn a passion into a business. Takes a lot of ambition.

[Kip Troendle]

Happy Monday, Alyssa!  So is it Columbus Day, or Indigenous Peoples’ Day?  🙂  Don’t get me started on that one!  My favorite holiday weekend has always been Thanksgiving Day weekend.  Four days of eating too much and watching loads of football.  Fun!

Congratulations on your new start-up!  Exciting!  I understand your concerns.  In 1997 I started my own Web design business.  It kept me MORE than busy for almost 20 years.  What I learned late in the process, was subcontracting.  I didn’t have to do it all.  I hired a graphics person, for example.  Now, when new customers come to me, I provide more of a “consultation service”, which I enjoy.  Not so many hours and less stress.

Businesses are all different, but delegating duties of your business are important for sanity and physical reasons.  🙂

[Alyssa Silva]

Haha don’t get me started either, Kip! I almost didn’t even write Columbus Day because it has less to do with the holiday and more to do with the timing of the season lol.

That’s a great tip. I have a really hard time delegating duties for my nonprofit and my team always playfully yells at me that I need to hand over the reins every once in a while. They’re usually right. Maybe someday I’ll have to do the same for my small business! I love that you have a web design business. I geek out on that sort of stuff and am always redoing my website ha.

[Alyssa Silva]

Thank you DeAnn!! I’m honored that you checked it out.

[Pamela Muhammad]

Hi that’s  awesome and congratulates!  I would to a start a business  can you give any tips or experiences, was it very difficult to start your businesses ?

[Alyssa Silva]

Thank you Pamela! I just started a little online shop from my home. My best advice would be to find something that you would love doing every single day and take steps to turn that into a job. Also, Google is your friend! I learned how to start a shop by researching the internet.

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