Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts and crafts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jacqueline Armenta, founder of NIdea Creations, located in Watagua, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

NIdea Creations is a Latinx-inspired community in which I focus on creating designs that inspire, empower and remind people that they are chingonas (Badass Women). With every design I make, I hope to bring joy, create a space in which you can relate, or at the very least make you giggle.

Tell us about yourself

So, I've always loved being creative. It's something that I couldn't really stop even if I tried, but honestly never really had the opportunity to focus on. After graduating college, however, I found myself with more free time and a chance to practice the skills I enjoyed when I was younger finally.

During this phase of my life, I also noticed the lack of communities to which I could relate on a deeper level. A community in which people spoke with an accent but still weren't sure where to put the accent mark. A place that acknowledged multiple issues that Latinas faced while also giving them advice or motivating them to keep going.

This realization and the multiple ideas bouncing around in my head led to me focusing my creativity towards Latinx-inspired designs. In fact, my first design was the word Chingona (Female Badass) surrounded by flowers. It was incredibly simple, but a couple of my friends loved it so much that they custom ordered my design into a sweater, and that right there was the spark to it all. I realized then that I wanted to be the community that I was looking for, and thankfully I feel that for the last couple of months, I've slowly been making that happen.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Honestly? Starting. When the idea of starting my own business first showed up in my head, I was TERRIFIED. Especially because, as I mentioned before, I was pretty much starting from scratch in the design department and...honestly wasn't that great. I was also aware of all the work that it would take, the energy, and the patience it was going to require, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for that. But at some point, I had to face the fact that I was never going to be 100% ready, and the only way to get better was to start. So here I am!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Accepting that you won't be great at things. No, enserio (seriously). You're going to be kinda terrible at...well, everything. If you're like me, a crazy perfectionist, it's going to be difficult to accept that at first.

The product pictures won't look professional the first time you take them. Social media will constantly make updates that will humble your understanding of technology, and well...taxes? When you first start, you'll be terrible at pretty much everything, and you might even feel that by a certain try or date, you'll be amazing, but that's not always the case. You might still struggle, and that's okay. Letting go of these crazy expectations you have for your business is hard, but it will allow you to focus on what's important, improving.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

First, make sure to take breaks. You started because you loved something and decided to pursue it, so don't focus on it so much that you learn to hate it.

Second, be okay with taking time to learn what feels right for your business. Make mistakes, cringe at that marketing idea you had at 2 A.M, but make sure to learn from it. It doesn't matter how long it takes. Figure out what works for you and your business but at your pace. Don't rush the process.

Third, bring a notebook everywhere you go. Inspiration will hit you in the most unexpected time and place! Trust me!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Running a business will challenge you personally and professionally. It will bring you highs and lows and never-ending growth. It will sometimes make you feel like something is dropping in the pit of your stomach. It will make you feel like this a lot, actually...but it's worth it. Embrace those experiences and fall in love with running your small business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NIdeaCreations
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nideacreations/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.