This section is dedicated to sharing the life stories of individual micro and solo business owners. Articles reveal how MOSO business owners manage the day-by-day balance of running business, managing family life, and staying well (mind, body and soul).
11 Business
This section is devoted to sharing information about becoming more resourceful – better marketers of our products and services, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and creating synergy.
13 Wealth
Creating wealth is imperative, because MOSO business owners want to GIVE big! However, wealth comes in all shapes, sizes and forms. In this section, articles focus on the unique perspective of how micro and solo business owners create wealth in innovative and awe–inspiring ways.
15 Give
Often called banking for the poor, microfinance is grounded in two things many of us often take for granted: choice and opportunity.
MONIQUE WILSON
Founder and Editorial Director
CHARLOTTE BARNARD
Editor at Large
Across the country—across the globe—micro business owners and solo business owners tenaciously endure, despite the rigors of the business world and today’s economy. 4 Become a Contributor
We’re always looking for great contributors who write content that is in line with our
Allene Edwards, Camilla Nestor, Tiffany Tooley, Adrienne Wiley, Monique Wilson
WE ARE HERE! The MOSO Nation
Across the country—across the globe—micro business owners and solo business owners tenaciously endure, despite the rigors of the business world and today’s economy. Perhaps it’s in our DNA, that need to be independent, to reach the next level, to succeed. You’ve got to be one of us to fully understand and grasp our depth.
Our numbers are many. If we all moved to one place, we could form a nation, The MOSO Nation. But then again, we live in a digital age. Proximity is no longer required. We can form a digital nation, one to benefit us all.
Who are we? We are individuals who own and operate micro and solo businesses. A micro business or microenterprise is defined as a business with up to five employees, less than $35,000 in start up costs, and less than $250,000 in annual revenue. A solo business is, of course, one run and operated by the owner. Together we form the MOSO Nation.
In the pages of this digital magazine, our interactive blog, and events tailored to the MOSO DNA, we will reach out to one another. We will network, share our triumphs and successes, discuss timely information, and learn from one another. We will discover how our peers achieve the delicate balance between LIFE, BUSINESS, and WEALTH, and still find the energy and resources to take on social causes, which we refer to as GIVE to build stronger communities.
We’re right here with you, taking the same steps.
Are you part of the MOSO
Nation?
A micro business or microenterprise is defined as a business with up to five employees, less than $35,000 in start up costs, and less than $250,000 in annual revenue. A solo business is, of course, one run and operated by the owner. Together we form the MOSO Nation.
BeCOMe A COntriButOr
Contributing Writer
Quick Interest Submission Instructions
Submit:
1. Name, City/State, Zip, Email, Website – contact informaiton is never sold, displayed or given away
2. Brief Description of what you do (250 characters max)
3. Why are you interested in writing for MOSO Nation?
4. Send article ideas and submissions to contributors@mosonation.com
5. Submit your article in a word doc(x) or rfp file only. Additional guidelines will be sent if submission is accepted.
First, we are always looking for great contributors who will write content in line with the MOSO Nation mission and vision. You will find that becoming a part of our team of contributors will be an easy process.
Second, we are excited about the potential long-term relationship between MOSO Nation and its contributors. As we continue to grow and create value for our community of readers, you will have the opportunity to share your words of wisdom with an ever-growing audience.
Finally, because our target audience is micro and solo business owners, we will give preference to writers who are living the MOSO lifestyle. We are accepting new contributing writers today! Send your quick interest request to contributors@mosonation.com. We will send contributing writer guidelines for you to follow.
Thanks for your interest and good luck!
JEWElRy pASSiON bEcOMES buSiNESS
Adrienne Wiley knows the challenges and rewards of running a business. In 2004, she started making jewelry at her kitchen table. Soon she was selling her creations to local boutiques. Within months, she quit her job to pursue her business full time, launching Frolick, her wholesale jewelry business in the summer of 2005. Frolick continues to grow, with a 25% increase in the last year alone.
“It is very different from the wholesale business, which is driven mainly by price point, product, and customer service.”
– Adrienne Wiley
In May 2009, Adrienne opened, Covet, Jewelry and Accessories boutique with
fellow jewelry maker, Liza Anongchanya of Ofina Jewelry.
The boutique has been so successful, a second store opened in February. It’s no surprise to discover Adrienne finds herself struggling to achieve a healthy work/life balance.
“One of my personal goals is to spend more time with my husband and my dog. I also want to make time to work out on a regular basis and spend time with friends.” To her credit, she does manage to find time to travel. “…we always make time for
several fun trips throughout the year. This year Cabo and Hong Kong are among our destinations.”
Adrienne says she is new to the retail side of the business and is still trying to learn her customers. “It is very different from the wholesale business, which is driven mainly by price point, product, and customer service. Retail is also driven by these things, but it is also about relationships and added value. I am planning on increasing social networking for the store this year. Maintaining frequent contact with our customers will help to keep us top of mind when they want to go shopping.”
She intends to focus on an increased presence at trade shows, while streamlining operations in all aspects of her business. She knows she has to free up time spent on day-today business activities in order to continue to grow the business and to become a better manager. To aid her in achieving her goals, she will be adding new members to her team.
“I feel that I have been so fortunate to have such success with my business that it is very important for me to give back in some way.”
Adrienne also believes in giving back to the community. To this end, she recently joined the Junior League and she is developing a line of products that will give a portion of their proceeds to various charities and causes. “I feel that I have been so fortunate to have such success with my business that it is very important for me to give back in some way.”
Adrienne Wiley is the owner of Frolick Jewelry and Covet Boutique. You can find her beautiful jewelry online at the http://shopfrolick.com
Adrienne Wiley
NAtuRAl-bORN MARkEtER
Tiffany Tooley is a self-proclaimed, natural-born entrepreneur. As such, she developed the following Guidelines an Entrepreneur Should Live By as a means to maintain a healthy work/life balance:
1. Prioritizing is a priority. As the single mother of two teenage sons, I find this is critical. In fact, I proudly post this list in my office for all to see. It looks like this:
1. Myself 2. Family
3. Fun 4. Work
Now, you may wonder why I would put myself first and work last. Let’s face it. Starting your own business takes time, money, and sacrifice. Yet as entrepreneurs, we should never forget to protect the integrity of those top three. If we fail to care for ourselves and our families, if we forget to have some fun now and then, the quality of our work will diminish, as will our desire to continue to pursue a life of entrepreneurship. Remember, without you, there is no business.
2. Set clear work hours. If you don’t, you’ll find your work life and home life will blend far more than they should. It becomes even more important to set clear hours when you’re working from a home office. Resist the temptation to work past dinner. Next thing you know, you’ll be pulling all-nighters. When the day is over, leave. Your work will be there tomorrow.
3. Dedicate a work space, or ideally a room, solely for work. Again, this helps set much needed work/life boundaries. If space is tight, consider a room divider.
4. Pajamas, anyone? I know, I know. It’s every 9 to 5’ers dream, to work from home in their pajamas. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t done it before myself. Yet, getting up and getting
dressed every day sets a different tone. It says, “I’m ready to do business.”
5. Get off your butt. Think back to the first guideline, and place yourself first. This includes maintaining your health by ensuring exercise is a part of your daily regimen.
6. Know when to say, “No.” The ability to pick and choose your work and your clients is part of the beauty of being a MOSO business owner. Don’t forget to exercise this important benefit.
Tiffany M. Tooley is the owner and CEO of Burgin Marketing, a full service marketing agency that caters to the needs of today’s small businesses. Find her on the web at www.burginmarketing.com.
MOSO MOGul Sushi Style
For Mimi Tin, when art and functionality collide, the results are magical. She created a furniture line called Sushi Style, a design inspired by pop art and sushi. Yes, nori wrapped and seaweed bound sushi! Her Style Collection and Sushiami Collection are whimsical, colorful, and playful. Her Signature Collection, though maintaining a touch of whimsy, is elegant and refined.
When Mimi was a little girl, she and her family emigrated from Burma. Toys were a luxury the family could not afford. Designing doll dresses out of paper, turning cardboard boxes into toys, and crafting doll furniture out of paper towel rolls, Mimi used her creativity to have fun. Who would have thought the experience would pave the way for her later designs?
In college, Mimi majored in fine art and graphic design before enrolling in Atlanta’s Portfolio Center to focus her graduate studies in environmental graphic design. A class assignment inspired the Sushi Style line, a vision that has taken ten years to fully develop.“ At that time I didn’t have any money or contacts and I didn’t know the first thing about having a product manufactured. I had to get a job, and I needed more experience.” Upon graduation, Mimi began work with Iconologic, flying straight to Austria to help with the Klagenfurt bid for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. After Iconologic, she worked for Sara Huie Design, creating branding systems and directional signage for shopping malls. In December of ‘99, she boldly presented herself to the Sydney Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and was hired to work with designers to create and apply branding systems to print collateral and 3-D structures for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. “It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
When she returned from Sydney, Mimi started her own graphic design business. “I grew from all of these experiences and used the knowledge I gained through the years to plan and create Sushi Style.”
In the fall of 2004, Mimi was ready to move forward with her Sushi Style line, but finding a reputable factory proved to be an extremely difficult task, one which took years to accomplish. Sourcing advisor, Steve Jansen, found a factory near Shanghai that was willing to work with Mimi on building her prototypes.
“My philosophy on life has always been to put 100% of my heart and soul into anything I decide to do.”
– Mimi Tin
Once the prototypes were available, Mimi hired a PR firm to help her pitch to the media, to buyers, retail store owners, showrooms, and interior designers for residential homes and commercial spaces. Steve continues to work with Mimi to launch her furniture in Japan.
Mimi says she is thankful she can wake up and love what she does. “…my philosophy on life has always been to put 100% of my heart and soul into anything I decide to do, otherwise it’s just a waste of time and energy. I’ve definitely put ALL of my heart and soul into Sushi Style, and I’m determined to make it happen.”
1. We had a chance to host a gifting suite at the Emmys last weekend and got such a great response from the celebrities!
2. I signed on with a West Coast rep for the Sushiami line .
3. I was invited to exhibit both Sushi Style and Sushiami in the “New Yorks’ Newest” section of the Gift Show in January 2011.
4. I just signed a lease yesterday to open up my first showroom in Midtown Atlanta!
Visit http://sushistyle.com on the web to see Mimi’s full furniture line.
losing Wait
Have you ever seen an infomercial selling a product that you conceptualized years ago? Perhaps, when browsing the racks at your local bookstore you notice a book that you’ve always said you’d write when you had the chance but never did? What about that business you said you’d start once you had the finances to do so but that financial windfall you’d hoped for never came?
Each of us has experienced that “coulda, shoulda, woulda” moment at least once in our respective lifetime. Some chalk the moment up to procrastination; others, lack of motivation. Beyond intentionally “putting off tomorrow what one could do today”, I believe that what truly keeps us from taking the initial leap of faith to accomplish our goals and dreams is the weight of “wait”.
How can you receive a gift if you don’t extend your arms to grab it? How can you be a success if you don’t seek success out?
Waiting prohibits us from living the life we want to live as fully as we hope and dream of
living it.
To wait means to “remain inactive until something expected happens”. Like weight (physical or otherwise), wait can be emotionally, spiritually, and in some cases, physically binding. Both compound daily. Without regular exercise and healthy eating, weight will not dissipate. Likewise, without a change in mindset and/or heart, wait just…waits.
“Wait” also means to be in ”a state of repose” or to ”allow one’s alertness, vigilance, or attentiveness to lie dormant”. That means that as we wait for the right opportunity or wait to meet the right person or even wait until our financial situation changes, we are, in essence, asleep. Therefore, if we go through life waiting on this or that, then we are essentially sleepwalking.
Waiting prohibits us from living the life we want to live as fully as we hope and dream of living it. Opportunities are planned; they’re just not predictable. They come at the most unexpected times and show up at unusual places. If you wait for something to happen, you’ll completely miss what was already predestined for you to have.
It’s easy to rest on the laurels of “what’s meant for me to have, I’ll get”. Sure, but ask yourself, “When?” and “Will it really be what you were supposed to have in the way you’re supposed to have it?” Physics teaches us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Could waiting not only cause you to miss a predestined opportunity but actually change its outcome? Do you want to continue living life taking that chance?
Wake up and stop sleepwalking through life. Unlike us, life won’t wait.
Shaunice Hawkins – speaker, thought leader, branding strategist and blogger – is the founder of Evolutions Consulting.
How Green is your business?
Forget the hype, the new buzzwords, the greenwashing efforts corporations employ to pretend their non-sustainable, polluting products are environmentally friendly. As a micro or solo business owner, you have the power each day to make decisions to green your company. Many of these decisions can be made public and boost your sales. Others may simply bring you peace of mind and the knowledge that you have done your best to create a better work environment for your employees and for yourself.
START AT THE SOURCE
If your business requires you to purchase goods or resources from other countries, buy sustainable, fair-trade certified products. If you do, you are supporting fair wages paid to the workers, safe working
conditions, and environmental standards. If you don’t, you may be supporting inhumane working conditions or slavery (adult and/or child slavery). If fair trade certification does not exist in the industry, do your best to verify the working conditions, the wages, and the environmental impact of your source. And don’t forget to consider the distance traveled. If possible, buy closer to home to reduce the resources used to transport goods across the globe.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
As employers, we create the physical and the emotional working environment from the building in which our offices are located and the air our staff breathes to the flexibility and consideration given for family crises and other personal needs. If you want your staff to be healthy, happy, focused, and productive, there are many ways you can encourage and accommodate them.
• Don’t make it toxic. Don’t allow toxic chemicals to be used in your office. Insist on organic, non-toxic cleaning
solutions. Use steam mops. Don’t use air fresheners. If you remodel your office, be sure to purchase non-toxic carpets, glues, paints, particle board, etc. Learn about indoor pollution so you can avoid it.
• Consider alternative work hours and telecommuting.
Staggered work hours, 4- day work weeks, and telecommuting all
save gas and travel time. Chances are, you will increase your staff’s productivity if hours other than 9 to 5 are a better fit for their lifestyles. If you have staff eager and able to come to work earlier or later, those who would happily work 10 hour days to have a 4-day work week, or those who would prefer to work from home part time or full time, consider the personal as well as the business benefits. Try it and see what happens. With each of these simple, green actions, you may incur quite a jump in productivity.
PRODUCTS
As business owners we have many choices to make about what we sell and how we sell it, as well as what goods we consume to run our business.
• If possible, go organic. If your business involves agricultural products and you have a choice, go organic. Hopefully, the reasons for this choice are obvious.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Look for ways to reduce consumption. Back up digital files on disks and avoid hard copies whenever possible. Use recycled paper. Cut up used paper for notes and call sheets. Recycle waste paper as well as other trash. Send emails instead of letters, digital newsletters instead of printed ones.
• Choose Eco-friendly packaging. If you sell and/or ship products, use recycled and environmentally friendly packaging.
As MOSO business owners, we have the power of choice. Each green choice makes a difference. In issues to come, we will be showcasing successful green strategies of MOSO businesses. In the meantime, look for all the ways, big and small, to Go Green.
– Allene Edwards
Grow through it
By MOSO Contributor – Shaunice Hawkins
These are exceptionally challenging times. Perhaps the most difficult we’ve faced in recent years. Unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy–it doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight. The stresses of today are sure to have a reverberating effect on us tomorrow unless we learn to “grow through” our trials and tribulations rather than “go through” them.
I love the word, “grow”. Unlike the word, “go” (an action verb that implies forward movement usually in a unidirectional, plane-like, manner), “grow” (also an action verb) spurs increase and enlargement and provokes progress. When growth takes place there is a certainty of metamorphic transformation. If we plant an orange seed, it will grow into an orange tree. While the metaphysical properties of the orange has changed (from seed to tree), the essence (or, for students of philosophy, the quiddity or “whatness”) of the orange remains the same. In any event, the orange seed cannot become an orange tree without soil, sunlight, warm weather, and water. Therefore, in order for growth to catalyze, the right conditions must first be realized.
“Grow” spurs increase and enlargement and provokes progress. When growth takes place there is a certainty of metamorphic transformation.
Abolitionist, orator, author, and statesman, Frederick Douglass, is often quoted as saying, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress”. He couldn’t have spoken truer words. In order for the orange seed to mature into an orange plant,
that seed must frequently endure unseasonal temperatures, droughts, floods, and pests. However, after bearing a brutally cold winter and scorching summer, that seed has grown to become an orange tree that produces big, plump, sweet and juicy oranges. The orange
seed grew through unimaginable obstacles.
Think about your own circumstances. Have you been going through the motions of “holding on” or “hanging in” to “just get by” until the unseasonable, unimaginable, perhaps unforeseen obstacles you face go away? If so, I have some unfortunate news for you. Adversity doesn’t become less adverse because you will it so. Neither does it disappear because you ignore it. Nor will it relent because you can’t “take it anymore.” Challenges come to test your mettle. Brutal and
scorching, they force you to be strong so that you can bear fruit. You can’t wallow in self pity and aggrandize about the emotional strain you feel. You haven’t time. The orange seed has a timeframe for which it must grow into an orange tree and a season in which it must produce fruit. You, too, have a timeframe for which you must grow and develop and a season in which you must bear fruit.
As an orange tree doesn’t produce one orange neither should your efforts produce one opportunity or reward.
Take this opportunity to study your situation.
• Consider your obstacle your professor. Let it teach you what to do, what not to do, how to prepare for future challenges as well as manage others.
• Adopt a birthing attitude. Sure, it’s tough right now but make time to identify ways to be mentally, spiritually and/or occupationally entrepreneurial so that you can turn today’s adversity into tomorrow’s reward.
• Be fruitful and multiply. As an orange tree doesn’t produce one orange neither should your efforts produce one opportunity or reward. Think bigger, grander and larger so that your fruit can be plumper, juicier and sweeter.
• Grow through it. You are never faced with a situation that you haven’t the strength to endure. You are smarter, wiser, and stronger than you could ever know. Believe in yourself, your talent, your skills, and ability. You can and will get through this and will emerge better for it. Remember, you are more than a survivor…you’re an orange tree.
A case for Microfinance
By MOSO Contributor – Camilla Nestor, VP of Microfinance Programs, Grameen Foundation www.grameenfoundation.org
Often called banking for the poor, microfinance is grounded in two things many of us often take for granted: choice and opportunity. It gives poor people an alternative path for breaking the generational cycle of poverty and the access to loans (often as little as US$100) and other financial resources they need to build new lives for themselves. Microfinance helps millions of poor families around the world put more food on their tables, build sturdier houses, and pay for their children’s education.
This simple, yet revolutionary idea took root in Bangladesh in 1974 when Professor Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of the Grameen Bank, began making tiny loans to poor women in a village. Today, it has become a global industry with more than 3500 microfinance institutions (MFIs) serving more than 154 million people.
Microfinance covers a wide range of financial services designed to help poor people build financial security. In addition to microloans, many MFIs also provide insurance that is specifically tailored for the poor, savings accounts, and remittance transfer services. Indeed, many have hailed microsavings as the next frontier in microfinance, as it allows the poor to start building assets and prepares them to better absorb the shocks that could otherwise send them deeper into poverty.
Bolivia, one organization with whom Grameen Foundation works, provides both financial services and healthcare such as pap smears and immunizations through onestop centers, while another, LAPO of Nigeria, provides literacy and educational services to its clients.
In Haiti, Fonkoze, that country’s largest MFI, has
Microfinance helps millions of poor families around the world put more food on their tables, build sturdier houses and pay for their children’s education.
The MFIs are also a critical link in providing many nonfinancial services to poor people, such as healthcare, education, or access to small-scale energy solutions. For example, ProMujer
developed a program that provides the extreme poor (people at the very bottom of the economic ladder) with a range of support including healthcare, social development, and assets to start their own business such as livestock.
Despite tremendous growth over the past decade, the demand for microfinance services far outstrips the supply: a 2007 estimate by Deutsche Bank showed there was $250 billion worth of demand, while only $25 billion was available. In addition, it has grown unevenly across and within countries. For example, microfinance services
have penetrated deeper into Asia than Africa, while in countries like India, services are concentrated in just a few regions. This demand is pushing the microfinance industry to develop new ways of reaching more people: deepening access to better financing, developing technology to penetrate harder-to-reach, rural areas, creating systems for tracking how well MFIs are serving their clients, and harnessing the skills of their staff more effectively.
In a world driven by private enterprise, microfinance can enable poor families to gain an economic foothold. Microfinance organizations like Grameen Foundation have strong established relationships with the MFIs and are often your best avenues for supporting their work on the ground. As with any investment, you should always ensure that the
As with any investment, you should always ensure that the organization receiving the money is responsibly carrying out its mission and having as much impact as possible.
organization receiving the money is responsibly carrying out its mission and having as much impact as possible. If you decide to invest through a microfinance network, you should get a clear understanding of how they select and monitor their partner microfinance institutions. Since the MFIs are the frontline organizations, it is also important that they have strong systems in place for supporting clients and managing repayment issues.
Ultimately, there are many factors that help poor people escape poverty. But microfinance expands the range of opportunities and provides the luxury of choice, a powerful combination.
