Closing up this Class

              Throughout the course of this class, I have learned a lot about running an online business. I am not completely sure that it is a good route for me. Each week the information provided was new and a bit overwhelming. I am excited to have a website to share information about my sewing classes and what I do. So, this was a great asset to learn. It was also a great asset to learn that online business isn’t my cup of tea. 

               Working with Google Ads was probably what put me over the edge. Trying to get the whole process rolling and understand the ins and outs of it was a lot for me. Learning all the things that Google Analytics can do was very interesting. I didn’t realize that you can track such detailed information. It can tell you which search engine consumers are using to find you, whether they are male or female and which age group they belong to. It also can tell you if they are on their computer or their mobile device.

               As I work with my website, making sure that it is up to date and has good content, this information will be helpful in knowing if my target audience is coming or if it is a different audience altogether.

Social Media

          This week’s focus was on social media. We all have had experience with social media. Sometimes it is good and other times it isn’t. For example, the only experience my husband has with social media is what I show him when I am on it, and he strongly dislikes it. He dislikes it so much that he didn’t even get a Facebook account so that he can see our daughter’s posts as a missionary. I know many people that have similar feelings about social media. Their experience has been that it consumes too much of their time or it is too depressing. So, they choose not to use it. These people make it hard to reach them.

I love it when the parents of the kids I teach are on social media. It makes communication so much easier. I also feel like it makes it easy for them to spread the word. I have had such a great experience with my parents and word of mouth advertising. My social media makes it easy for these parents to show their friends that I am reputable and that we have fun in my classes. I am grateful for the experiences I have had with social media. I also have learned ways to increase my audience and improve the reach I have.

You can find me on Instagram @jennylousews and Facebook at Sewing with Jenny Lou.

A Breakthrough

 

This week I had a breakthrough! I had been struggling to get impressions and clicks from my Google Ad. I thought that I had set up my ad completely wrong. I felt super silly when I realized that my problem was that I had the dates set wrong. I was super grateful that it was such a simple fix!

Now that I have figured that part out, it is time to increase my clicks and make some conversions. To do that I have a few adjustments to make to my website. I plan to adjust the header on my site so that the header is not the only thing seen when you go to my page.

I also will be adjusting the way you can sign up for a class. I need to have an easy-to-use calendar. It is hard to see when classes are offered. These little tweaks to the site will make it more user friendly which in turn creates more conversions.

Creating and Running a Website

           This adventure of creating and running a website has really morphed over the course of just a few weeks. I began with a website that I built using a website builder. Thank you, website builders! I am still very confused about HTML coding. Now that this site has been live for a week or so, I am getting wonderful feedback from friends on how to adjust and improve what I am trying to accomplish. The site is built but still has a long way to go before it is effectively functional how I want it. The learning curve has been challenging. I know what I want the website to do, but I don’t know how to make it do that.

The requirements for my site and this class have been challenging for me as well. At first, I wanted to get the word out about my sewing classes and get enrollment. Then I realized that my schedule is already packed and I need to keep my enrollment down for the time being. So, I shifted my focus to my missionary pillowcases and my friend’s missionary quilts. They are already set up on Etsy and Big Cartel, so I figured getting traffic to them through my website would work for the assignment.

Not having clear focus on what my goals are, have made this very difficult. How the website is built changes with the goals. I will probably not make any money during the course of this class, but I have learned SO much!

Quality Score and Relevance

           Quality score is a tool that is provided to give you an idea of how your advertisements might perform. The thing that is important to remember when looking over the quality score of your advertisements is that it isn’t based on actual performance. I appreciate that there is guidance on this so that I know where improvements can be made.

Part of the quality score is relevance. Relevance can make or break your ad. Your keywords and phases need to be relevant to the product that you are promoting. Consumers will be using the internet to search for what they are interested in. My product happens to be what they are looking for, so my keywords and phrases need to be what they are entering into their search engine. My best way to do this is to think like the consumer. Pretend I am the one needing and searching for my product.

It was great to hear the perspectives of my classmates on this topic and learn from them.

Refocusing

 

This week was focused on fine tuning my Google ad. Last week I was feeling very confused about the headlines, descriptions, and extensions. I am still not sure how to designate the headlines.

               I think some of my confusion and struggles came from a lack of focus. Building a website to gain awareness about my classes is super exciting, but I have some fears. I am worried about keeping up with the interest that it could present. I haven’t even run an ad and I don’t seem to have time to keep up with the interest. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited about building my business. But I still have four semesters of school left and a family to keep up with.

               I have settled a little bit and tried to focus my efforts, which results in focus toward my website and my ads. Ready or not, here we go! I ready for the adventure!

Ad Campaigns

           This week’s topics were based around running an ad campaign through Google Ads. I began to develop my ad campaign and it was very daunting. I didn’t know what many of the things they wanted meant. I will just say, I am very grateful that we didn’t have to run the campaign yet. It will allow me to tweak a few things to make it more effective. As it stands, I look like I don’t know what I am doing (and I really don’t).

The discussion around key words was very interesting. It is important to get your keywords correct. They are what bring people to your site and bring awareness of your brand. As I build my business, I am seeing how these keywords are like word-of-mouth advertising. I have appreciated learning how to use Google’s Keyword planner. It comes up with things that I would never have thought to use as well as information regarding how often people search for specific keywords. This information is invaluable as I am fine tuning my Google Ads Campaign.

And Back to Overwhelmed

    Legal structures, licenses, taxes and websites. It is all swirling in my head and I haven't had time to sort it all out. I do feel like I am a step ahead as I have already procured a business license for my local city. In my research, to establish credibility for banking purposes, I need to file for a "doing business as" name. I was unable to secure a "business" checking account because I don't have a DBA. So, my checking account for my business is a personal account and I must make sure that I keep my personal finances and my business finances separate. Filing for a DBA is now on the to-do list.

    Building my website has been fun and challenging. I have never done something like this before so when I come across something that I am unsure of I get stuck and frustrated. For instance, I was feeling good about how the site was coming together…then I tested the preview. When I book a class, I haven’t been able to figure out how to modify the page it takes you to. The colors are all wrong and you can’t read the text. I am sure I will figure it out, but in the meantime I need to do some more research.

Overwhelmed Turns to Excitement

     This week was very beneficial for me. I was able to visualize how to I am going to build a website for my teaching business. Seeing some examples of websites that meet the requirements for the class was the best help for me. Jumping in and exploring some of the templates that are available made it that much clearer. Where I was feeling so overwhelmed by the whole process (the hosting and site builder is still confusing to me), I am beginning to feel excitement.

    I started teaching a new set of beginning students this morning. It was so much fun! That, combined with the new confidence I am feeling, is a wonderful push for this website to be successful and provide communication to my students and their parents (most of my sewing students are kids).

    I still have a lot to learn and work on to make this a successful venture, but I am excited to see where this journey takes me.

Web Hosting and Site Building

    This week we discussed web hosting and site builders. We were speaking a whole language and it was very overwhelming. Some hosts are also site builders. Some bundle the cost all together and others don’t. Some work with Google Analytics and offer advertising credits. Others don’t.

    I am grateful that I have classmates asking questions and doing their own research. Their insights as well as my own research are helping me sort it all out. Now, I need to decide which one (or more) fit my needs the best. There lies the next problem. What are my needs? What business have I decided to build a website for and promote?

    I teach kids how to sew (sometimes adults too, but kids are what I am good at) and have been using Facebook as my website. This has been working but not super effectively. I would like to build a website around my teaching business. This would feature details about the classes I am offering as well as allow a student to sign up for the class and pay for it. I would like to reach an audience that I can’t reach through social media.

Money and the Internet

         This week our study and discussions were about different types of online businesses and how to choose suppliers, etc. It has been interesting and eye-opening. I knew that there was money to be made on the internet and that lots of people are successful at it. Wrapping my head around that and seeing it in a way that I could be successful doing it has always been daunting. It makes more sense now and something that I might actually be able to do.

        As I do more study and narrowing things down, it appears that an affiliate program would be a great place for me to begin. But that requires an audience, traffic to my website. In the back of my head, I keep hearing, why would someone what to visit your site? What do you have to offer that someone else hasn’t already put out there? I guess that is where marketing comes in, creating content that is interesting and that people will take time out of their busy lives to engage with.

        I have a lot to learn! I have a hunch that this class is going to be a grand adventure!

New Year, New Class

I find it interesting that a second class in my college experience uses blog posting as part of the assignments. I guess that comes with the online college experience. This new class is called Web Business Creation. I am really excited about it and also really intimidated by it. Thank goodness the class takes you step by step, week by week.

For a long time, I have wanted to connect my sewing life with an income, discovering how I could make a living using my passion. I have had thoughts and ideas but haven’t been successful at settling on what will be the best option. I am excited that this class will help me to simplify and narrow down the world wide web.

This week the discussion was based around business models, demand and competition. We were introduced to resources such as Google Ads. This was very beneficial to me. I have been exploring it and learning how it works and how I can use it to work for me. 

This is going to be a great ride and I am holding on tight!

My Journey Continues

         This semester has been quite the journey for me. My kids recently informed me that while I am in school, they are in bondage. We are ready to be out of bondage! This tells me that I struggle finding balance in my life. Balance is such an important part of the journey. In my study, balance was compared to someone trying to spin multiple plates on sticks. It can be done, tending to each one, but if one is neglected it falls to the floor. This is just like our lives. If we neglect our spirituality, our testimony falters. If we neglect our marriage, it will fall apart, etc. Balance often takes sacrifice. What are you willing to sacrifice to make your business successful?

I have really enjoyed the opportunity to learn and study what entrepreneurship is. Entrepreneurship isn’t just beginning a business or striking out on your own. It begins with a journey of self-discovery. From taking this class, I have learned some of my strengths and weaknesses. Through this knowledge I am now able to learn how to work with those strengths and weaknesses more efficiently. One of my favorite parts of the class were interviewing a successful entrepreneur. Learning from someone who has been there and done that was a wonderful opportunity.

If I was to share a last bit of advice it would be that we are all on a journey and that journey never ends. Before jumping into beginning a business it is important to discover your why, your reason. Why do you want to be in business for yourself? What do you want to gain from the experience? If the answer is money, you are barking up the wrong tree and look into other options.

This class is coming to a close but my journey continues. I look forward to discovering what the Lord has in store for me and where the journey will take me.

Gratitude

In this week’s study I was able to listen to the words of one of my favorite speakers, Thomas S. Monson. He spoke of having an attitude of gratitude and the importance of it. He shared the lyrics of the favorite hymn Count Your Many Blessings.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

 

[Chorus]

Count your blessings;

Name them one by one.

Count your blessings;

See what God hath done.

Count your blessings;

Name them one by one.

Count your many blessings;

See what God hath done.

 

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings; ev’ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by. [Chorus]

 

When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.

Count your many blessings; money cannot buy

Your reward in heaven nor your home on high. [Chorus]

 

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. [Chorus]

 

In the entrepreneurial journey I think it is so important to have an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude keeps things in perspective for me. For example, my husband and I have a small home with four children who have quickly shown me how small my home really is. We could go purchase a beautiful, large home that would fit our needs so much better, but then we would have a mortgage payment (we currently do not have a mortgage payment). We are feeling so confident that being out of debt is where the Lord wants us to be that we are managing with our small home. We have so much gratitude to have a home (especially after the fire came through so close to our home). I have been slowly making small improvements to make our small home more beautiful; plants in the flowerbeds, a new coat of paint (inside and out) and new furniture that actually matches. The fire helped me put a lot of things into perspective. Gratitude isn’t just to be grateful for the things around me but I must have gratitude for the Lord in all that I do. The journey with the Lord on my side is difficult. I can’t imagine trying to do it without the Lord.

Money

 This week we read an article regarding money and how we perceive it. There were a couple of parts of this article that I really enjoyed. The author, Stephen W. Gibson, related the story of the Good Samaritan, with a different perspective. We always hear the story, learning who our neighbor is. This time we learn about money. The Good Samaritan took the time to care for the wounded man, bandage him and take him to a “hotel.” All of these things take money. He also left money for the inn keeper, telling him to take care of the wounded man. The Good Samaritan had money and chose to use it for good.

Being wealthy can be good or evil. It is how you choose to use the money you have that makes the difference. Brother Gibson shares 6 rules to making money.

Rule 1. Seek the Lord and have hope in Him

Rule 2. Keep the commandments, that includes the temporal ones, tithing and fast offerings.

Rule 3. Think about money and plan how you can become self-reliant.

Rule 4. Take advantage of chances for learning so you will not be ignorant of these matters. Education, as President Hinckley has taught us, is the Key to Opportunity. 

Rule 5. Learn the laws upon which the blessings of wealth are predicated. 

Rule 6. Do not send away the naked, the hungry, the thirsty or the sick or those who are held captive.

These 6 rules can help each of us to be self-reliant. It makes me think of the early pioneers that kept moving from place to place. Many of them had no money to start over with. They depended on the kindness and wealth of others.

In my own life, money is something that we need. We need it to provide shelter for our family, pay the bills and clothe and feed our children. We are working on being self-reliant so we can increase our ability to provide opportunities for those around us.

Are you a doer?

    This week I had the opportunity to visit with a beloved friend, who is a successful entrepreneur. Early on in his marriage and career, he realized that working for someone else was not for him. So he quit his job and ventured out on his own (in 1978). Through the years he has learned a lot and made a successful business that currently supports himself, some of his children, and many families that work for him. I have even spent time working for him! He is a wonderful man that I have really enjoyed learning from.

    We discussed that there are two kinds of people. Those that show up and those that do. This idea has caused me to ponder what kind of person I am. Am I a doer? Or one that just shows up? I would like to think that I am a doer, but I think I am a little bit of both. There are times that I just show up. Physically or emotionally, I am just spent from the challenges of life, so I just show up. There are other times that I can take the bull by the horns and get things done. I definitely need to improve my stamina to be more on the doer side.

    Another concept that we discussed that has caused me to ponder is watching and praying. He said that to be successful, you have to watch for what is coming and be flexible to adapt. Apple wouldn’t be nearly what it is if they didn’t watch and continue innovating. I saw this first hand in Dean’s company. When the pandemic first hit, his business took a large hit. No one was having surgery to need rehab supplies. I saw his business shift. They hired all the newly returned missionaries and put them to work making personal protective equipment for the hospitals. Dean and his team saw a need and adapted.

    I want to be like Dean when I grow up!

Tarryn is a Leader!

         This week’s study took us down the journey of leadership. It got me thinking about my daughter. She just graduated high school and has been a natural leader her whole life. People are drawn to her. After graduation she took a job at Wal Mart. She is working in the online order/pickup department. It is her first week and I am already hearing comments of how this or that could be improved or made more efficient. She took this job because it is something that she can do for a short time without getting attached and feel bad when she leaves in September. Her natural abilities are far beyond this entry level job and I see management qualities in her that will take her far in whatever field she chooses.

Leadership skills are something that my daughter got from my husband, not from me. Being a leader is hard for me. Developing plans and delegating are not my strong suit. That is one of the reasons that I went back to school. I want to build a business teaching others how to sew and quilt. I want to quilt with a long arm quilting machine and help people get their projects across the finish line. I feel that having some schooling in my background will help me accomplish this dream.

I am excited to learn from Dean Cropper, who built Cropper Medical and the Bioskin brand. He has been there and done that. He and his wife have persevered through the hard times and I am sure they have celebrated the good. They have built a legacy that they are able to pass on to their children. Thankfully their children have embraced different parts of the business. There are many family businesses that the children don’t want any part of.

My quilting business could be one of them.

Perseverance

 Often times, when I have a challenge that I am trying to work through, I think of the pioneers of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They had some HARD challenges. The journey across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley was long and difficult. Many didn’t make it due to illness or injury causing death along the way but the people knew what they were doing was right and that the Lord would bless them in their efforts. They persevered despite it being hard.

We learned from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (who at the time of the address was the president of BYU) some of the details regarding the building of the Salt Lake temple. The building of this temple took 40 long years of blood, sweat and tears. Once the foundation was dug out and prepared, they had to cover it back up. This must have been so discouraging. Then they had to do it again because it was cracked when they uncovered it. Elder Holland discussed the hard work it took to get just one stone from quarry, cut just the right size and shape and how the people saw very little progress from week to week on the building. But the people knew they were doing the work of the Lord. They had faith and kept on going.

My business isn’t the first priority in my life right now, my family is. My children are growing and getting ready to leave the house for their own adventures. I am trying to savor the time I have left with them. That is a challenge itself. I work my business when they are at school or work. They pop home for a few minutes here and there. I try to spend those few minutes with them. They have been extremely supportive of me. Offering encouraging words when something doesn’t go just right, cheering me on to the finish line of a project or watching the little guy so I don’t have any interruptions. They are wonderful children!

I strive to keep the example of the pioneers in my thoughts when things get hard. They persevered and so can I. I can build a business, with the Lord’s help.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

     I would say that most of us have heard of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This week we focused on learning what these 7 habits are. I haven’t actually read the book, but I think that I may have to now. The 7 habits are broken into two groups. The first three habits, once mastered, give a person a private victory. The last four, once mastered, give a person a public victory. A person must have had a private victory before accomplishing a public victory.

In my life right now, I am drawn to the private victory. I have a beautiful family with lots going on and often struggle to feel on top of it all. The first habit is probably the one that jumps out at me the most. Be Proactive. To me being proactive is the same thing as playing offense in a basketball game. You are the one to make the move rather than responding to the move someone else made. I have had a few times in my life when I was successful at being proactive. More often, though, I am on defense. Just scraping by to get everything done, everyone where they need to be, and fed. Don’t forget to feed the children. Things will get messy if you forget.

I feel like these 7 habits (be proactive, begin with an end in mind, put first things first, think win/win, seek first to understand, then to be understood, synergize and sharpen the saw) will help me on my road to a successful business in the quilting industry. I have already partially skipped the first habit and began to visualize my quilting studio filled with people, learning from one another and building a community together. I guess I need to go back and work on being proactive before I get too far ahead of myself.

When I accomplish my private victory, I will be prepared to move on and have a public victory.

Boundaries

I am a stay-at-home mom of four kids. With that title I wear a lot of hats and do a lot of different things. Let’s add the titles of student, small business owner, teacher. May is the busiest month of the year (I used to think it was December, then I had kids in school). The kids are finishing up the school year with concerts, awards ceremonies, basketball games (yes, basketball in May, weird) and graduation. My family is my top priority and there must be some give and take among the different responsibilities. I only get my daughter for a few more short months before she goes off to college and the next phase of her life.

My study for the week has revolved around developing boundaries for each part of life. One example given was a man that built his business around his kid’s schedule. There was family dinner, bedtime stories and one on one time. He worked on his business while they were at school and after bedtime. They never felt like business came before them. This is what I am striving for.

Something that I love about attending Brigham Young University Idaho is the way that the instructors incorporate a spiritual side of whatever topic you are studying. This week, we were reminded to not forget the Lord in our day-to-day activities. If we decline serving others because all our time is going toward building a business, the Lord knows where our heart is.

Since I went back to school, setting boundaries has been a hard thing for me. I have been squeezing schoolwork in wherever it fits in the schedule. I have been guilty of “not having time to serve.” Funny thing is though, the Lord makes up the difference when I serve anyway.

Boundaries are important!