Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Katie Allphin, co-owner of Little Laser Love, located in Pleasant Grove, UT, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We sell laser-cut and engraved acrylic organizational boards, jewelry, and kid's activities. Our customers are moms like us who are busy running a household and taking care of kids. Our organizational boards (calendars, lists, chore charts, and schedules) help moms keep all of the many details of life organized in a beautiful way. The jewelry we sell is for fun because, as moms, it's nice to accessorize and have a little excitement when we get ready to tackle the day. The acrylic kid's activities make our lives easier on the go or at home. We love how durable they are and that our kids spend lots of time playing with them screen-free!
Tell us about yourself
We are both busy moms and best friends! Our friendship came first, and one day we decided to start a business together when we saw another friend who owned a business with a laser machine. We loved the idea of combining our different strengths to run a business, and we especially loved the countless ideas of what we could create with a laser machine.
Our motivation as we work our business is to have fun creating beautiful and useful things for moms like us who are busy and exhausted doing the important work of raising the next generation.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We are quite proud of the fact that we successfully created a business from the ground up with products that people want and love, and two years in, we continue to grow. Before we forked over the money to get started, we thought through many product ideas, and we decided to go with dry-erase, clear acrylic organizational boards because it was unique and it was something we thought would benefit our lives and other moms' lives. We were right! We have really loved using our products in our own homes, and we have had a great response from our customers as well.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
For us, the hardest thing that has come with being co-business owners has been learning to work together, despite our differences, and still maintain our great friendship! It has not been easy, and there have been rough patches, but we have really learned how to work together through disagreements in a respectful, kind way.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First, pick a product that you feel will add value to the world and that you are passionate about. You absolutely have to believe in your product. That belief and passion will get you through the rough patches, the uphill climb, and the things that go wrong.
Second, do your research every step of the way. There's a big learning curve in starting a business. You need to put in the time to learn all the things that will help you run a business successfully, and the learning and researching will probably never be done.
Third, there is a correlation between the work you put out and the revenue that comes in. You can't expect to list your products or advertise your services once and sit back and watch the sales roll in. It takes a great deal of time, work, and, most importantly, consistency to get customers and sales.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/littlelaserlove/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLaserLove/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlelaserlove/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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