Creating a Successful Small Business!
Update!!! Congratulations to all of the big award winners at tonight’s SBA awards gala. What a wonderful way for business owners to receive recognition after pouring their heart and soul into their work!
What I learned from Fran Bigelow of Fran’s Chocolates, who shared her recipe for success:
1 – Stay true to your vision. 2. Be clear about what your company stands for. In her case, it’s taste, quality and presentation. 3. Listen to customers and evolve your products to meet their needs. (If they want caramel and sea salt with their chocolates — they got it). 4. Create a work environment that fosters creativity and respect. 5. Don’t underestimate the power of good publicity. (My favorite)! And Fran shared how becoming known as the ‘President’s chocolatier’ and being written up in the New York Times hasn’t hurt business either. 6. LOVE WHAT YOU DO!
Fran is delightful! And I loved hearing her message. In fact, all of tonight’s winners share a can-do business attitude, even though they shared stories of many different ways they came to their success. The Museum of Flight is a very nice venue! Thanks to Melody Biringer of CRAVE Seattle for snapping the pic!! And thanks to the SBA team for a wonderful night!
Tonight — the Small Business Administration celebrates the best of local small businesses at its Gala Awards Program. As the owner of not one, but two small businesses, I can’t wait to hear the stories of how these successful business owners did it!
It takes guts, a vision, a great product, and the ability to sell people on your story. People often ask me, why did I get out of TV news? I’d been thinking of doing something different for a good year before I learned station management also wanted to make a change. I could have stayed in a field in which I’d worked my entire adult life, but that didn’t sound very exciting to me anymore, and I really wanted to branch out and see what else was out there. TV news is a demanding career, and I wanted a chance to gain more control over my hours and where I spent my time. So I took a little time off (in 25 years, I’d only taken 3 vacations of more than a week, and that included our wedding), and then launched Margo Myers Communications. As you’ve seen on this website, I love helping people tell their stories, or their company’s stories and boosting awareness about their business! It often means a more profitable bottom line.
The Power of You. I also attended a women’s leadership conference led by Beroz Ferrell and Rose Singer, and discovered that I wanted to help advance women in the workplace. My mission statement at the end of our weekend-long workshop was ‘I want to use my knowledge and energy to help women become their best selves.’ So when I talked to Jenni Hogan, KIRO 7 morning traffic anchor, about a project she was launching, I told her of my interest. Many of you know what happens when you put your intentions out into the universe: It answers back!! About a year later, we started putting together GoGirl Academy with Tom Eckmann, Suzanne Keel-Eckmann and Deb Hagen-Lukens. Now, we’re at nearly 50 graduates, and just entered into a partnership with the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle! How exciting is that?
So those are the beginnings of my companies’ stories, and I know there are more chapters to be written. Fran Bigelow of Fran’s Chocolates, is the keynote speaker at tonight’s SBA Gala. I can’t wait to hear her story, and what she shares with tonight’s honorees. I’ll be there as emcee, but also listening carefully to learn from some of the best!!
Margo Myers, Principal, Margo Myers Communications
