Women in Business

the stories behind

women in business

the storefront Be inspired and informed by some local women and the businesses they’ve created!

by MaryRose Lovgren

www.growingupchico.com

I once owned a small bookstore under a staircase.

do-- getting accounts set up with suppliers, establishing service with PG&E and the telephone company, advertising, and of course learning about her products. “I had help from many people and support groups like the Small Business Administration, SCORE, It was a sole proprietorship with no other employees, and the entire and the National Association of Diaper Services,” she noted. “If it inventory consisted of items “borrowed” from my brothers, dad, takes a village to raise a child, it takes that and more to get a busiand mom. I made a brisk business reselling coveted volumes back ness set up.” to indulgent family members. It was a short-lived venture that Tam Le, owner of LeClark Web Design, which specializes didn’t last past the third grade, but it left me with a desire to own in “creating visually appealing but highly functional websites” for my own business again someday. small business, started by designing free websites for friends. After Apparently, I’m not alone. Over 40% of small businesses the referrals starting to come in, she contacted the Small Business are owned by women, and from taking a look around Butte County, Administration Office and took their “Starting A Business” course. many of them must reside here. Just leafing through the pages of “I also set up one-on-one counseling with one of the business counthis magazine opens up a treasure trove of woman-powered busiselors there. She was great in answering all my questions, big or nesses: there’s an online e-store for Norwegian products, a shop small,” described Le. “I still use her today whenever I hit a roaddedicated to exquisite dolls, and even a licensed center that will block or just need someone to look at my marketing techniques.” watch your little cuties while you keep your doctor’s appointment.

Then there are the businesses that you may encounter in Perhaps you have the next great idea simmering on the other cities, where you think to yourself, “we should have one of back burner. Or, maybe you have already faced the challenges of those in Chico!” Dionna Kawaoka was very impressed with the idea running a business. Either way, if you’re like me, you are fasciand organization of the franchise known as “KidsPark,” a licensed nated by the stories of how other women have been taking care of hourly childcare facility that provides care for children ages 2-12. business-- their own business.

“We were very impressed with the other centers and the organization of the franchise, so we decided to open a KidsPark in Chico.”

After meeting with a franchisor and deciding to take the leap, they had to start the licensing process. But starting up a franchise There are many ways to start a business-- from scratch, through business isn’t without its own challenges. “The application process a kind of apprenticeship, or by taking over a previously-existing takes several months, and it took us even longer because the conone. But no matter how you get your start, you’ve got to do a little cept of hourly childcare is still so new,” stated Kawaoka. planning. For Sarah Blakley, owner of HYPE Dance Studio, which For many women who are interested in working part-time offers dance instruction for ages 2 to adult, and is also home to the or around their family, being an independent consultant for an competitive dance company FUSION, you’ve got to start with a established company fits the bill. Discovery Toys consultant Jenni good business plan. “Researching the local market and competiMerrell was initially just a very happy customer. “I wanted to buy tion is key. You are able to see what is the consultant kit just because it currently offered, what is needed, and was such a great value-- about $300 “If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes how your business can stand out,” she worth of stuff for only $99. Then that and more to get a business set up.” explained. Being in the industry first my husband encouraged me to try Ruxy Walsh, Cotton Club Diaper Service was also key to Blakley. “As a student to have a few parties and see what I myself, I have learned the physical decould make of the business.” Parties, mands and techniques that I now teach my students... And having where friends of a consultant open up their home to a fun viewing worked for other dance companies has really helped me understand of products, are where such consultants sell their wares-- whether the business side of things.” they be toys, scrapbook supplies, or gourmet kitchen gear.

Cotton Club Diaper Service, owned by Ruxy Walsh, has been providing soft, sanitized cotton diapers to the doorsteps of cloth diaper-wearing babies (including mine) since 1988. She took over the business after reading an article about it in the paper, and Amy Evans, owner of Baby’s Boutique, which offers genbrought the business up to date with new products, services, and tly-used quality clothing, furniture, and other things “baby,” finds even a website. While her business was already an established one, her business’s biggest challenge is in managing, in her words, “the she had to deal with many of the technical aspects that start-ups piles.” Like many consignment stores, new merchandise is

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growing up chico magazine

Getting Started

Unique Challenges

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growing up chico magazine

www.growingupchico.com

women in business

Business and Networking Resources Butte College Small Business Development Center The Butte College SBDC offers one stop business management assistance through one-on-one counseling, entrepreneur training, referrals and a wide variety of information and guidance to small business owners and entrepreneurs in Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties. 895-9017. bcsbdc.org The Chico Chamber of Commerce The Chico Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization representing nearly 1,100 area businesses.

They provide networking opportunities, represent the needs of business to the government, and are politically active.

891-5556. chicochamber.com SCORE The SCORE Association (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. Telephone the Chico Chamber of Commerce at 891-5556 and ask the receptionist to have a SCORE counselor contact you. scorechico.org Women’s Business Exchange This group of professional, working Chico Women meet on an alternate month basis at Canyon Oaks Country Club.

There are no dues and you may attend the networking and speaker luncheons as often as you choose! It’s a great way to get acquainted, meet successful women in business-or learn more about how to grow your business from those in attendance. We SUPPORT each other. Cost is just $15 per meeting and that includes lunch! chicowbe.com

continuously coming through her doors. “After my first year, I had to come to the realization that the piles would never stop.” Her solution was to start accepting items only from the 1st to the 15th of the month, giving her the time to manage the flow of products.

For Valerie Wolfe, owner of Uniquely Nordic, an on-line Scandinavian gift store, the thought of “taking a big jump and investing tens of thousands of dollars into a physical store was daunting to say the least.”

She decided to instead turn to the Internet and set up an eBay marketplace.

However, Wolfe found that one of the challenges of being online is that the store never closes. This can be a benefit when selling internationally, though. “Somebody in Greece may be shopping in my store at 3 AM, and I only find out about it at 9AM after dropping off my oldest daughter at preschool!”

Wolfe also desires to stay home with her two youngsters, and that adds another dimension to her business. “My first commitment as a workat-home mom is taking care of my two little girls and my home, but as my business has grown, I have also made commitments to my customers and vendors.” This has forced Wolfe to make up for time lost late at night, and has increased her multitasking skills. As Wolfe explained, “sometimes I wonder what the importers would think if they could see me giving my four year-old the “just a minute” hand sign while discussing the availability of a specific item!”

Changing Your Focus

Sometimes a business needs to take a new turn to succeed. That was the case with Greenfeet.com, an “e-tailer” of natural, recycled, and sustainable home products. Valerie Reddemann founded Greenfeet in 1997 when inspired by an experience with an essential oil. “I discovered (the essential oil) vetivert’s ability to help me in calming stressed nerves and diminishing panic attacks I had been experiencing due to a high stress job,” said Reddemann. Her interest in essential oils propelled her desire to learn more and so began “the passionate journey of education and practical application that is now Greenfeet.”

Celebrating their 10th year in business, Greenfeet started on the Internet with a “very basic website and limited product line.” After a bad experience with a web design company, her husband became their lead web designer and is now responsible for its functionality. But there are more challenges to an e-business than just getting a website up and running. “The Internet changes constantly,” she explained, and “staying up on how search engines such as Google “rank” your products is a challenging and sometimes frustrating task that is an on-going and crucial part of our business.”

But Greenfeet did not start at entirely on-line. For the last four years, green-conscious Chicoans have delighted in the sights (and smells) of the physical store on Longfellow Avenue. The store closed in February of this year. “I learned a valuable lesson in that sometimes you have to let go of projects you love, no matter how hard you want them to work.” While the store was doing well, it only brought in 10% of their revenue while requiring an immense amount of their resources. “While I desperately miss the experience of having a tangible shop, I’m thrilled at the shift in our resources to focus on what we do best-- Internet sales.” And, Reddemann emphasized, local customers have the convenient “customer pick-up” option with same-day service in many cases.

Getting the Word Out

The final step in having a successful business is in letting people know about it. “I’ve learned that getting started is the easy part, but growing a business is the hard part,” Tam Le replied. “I like to network with other women, so I’ve joined the Women’s Business Exchange. I also tell other women in the Chico Mother’s Club what I do.”

Denise Van Patten, owner of Katherine’s Cottage, which sells collectible dolls, bears, plush, classic toys, and jewelry, concurs.

“Our biggest challenge is getting our local Chico customers to visit us and see what we are all about!” Christy Peterson, of Scrapbook

Wishes Embellishment Dreams, whose service creates custom photo scrapbooks for their clients, has an additional challenge. “Advertising is the most challenging because it’s hard to convey what exactly custom scrapbooking for others is.”

Despite the challenges and sometimes frustrations of being in business for yourself, these women and the women you see throughout these pages share one thing in common: a passion for what they are able to do. As Tam Le found, the greatest piece of advice she ever received is that “there are always going to be people who do what I’m doing, but there’s always room for what I’ve got to offer.”

MaryRose Lovgren would like to thank all the local businesses that participated in helping her research this article, as well as all the “Women in Business” seen featured in these pages that help to support this magazine.