Mini Business/Side Hustle Plan

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×

Hey Tribe, I have created a free and simple mini-business plan to help all creative and social entrepreneurs map out their side hustle/small business needs.

1. Your WHY/Mission/Vision- To upstart your side hustle/small business, you need to know why you are starting in the first place. This is called storytelling/your pitch. People usually connect with you due to your story. We all have a story to share, and when you are in business, people want to know your story, and you need to know your why. Take a few minutes to think about your why and write it down.

2. #Goals #Goals #Goal: You should have personal, professional, and business goals. These goals will help you and your business to grow. When you sit down to write your goals, think BIG because this is the "Do or Die" time when starting and growing a business. Don't shrink yourself or your goals. Your goals should consist of happiness. How much money do you want your business to make? Location-free business? International business? Local business? This is when you will explore your goals, write them down, develop a timeline, 3-5 action plans to achieve goals, and get it in. No shortcuts. No shrinking your greatness. Make sure your goals are achievable and realistic.

3. Who is your business for? What is your target market? This business is very pertinent because you need to research, know your customer, afford your services/products, see your customer before they see you, solve their problems, understand their goals, know where they shop, their hopes, dreams, and etc. You need to flush out this section. Be very descriptive. Give your ideal customer a name. Gender. Where do they live? What do they drive? Martial status? Educational status? Location? Traveler? Nationality? Ethnicity? Music genre of choice? How much do they make? Brands they love? Personality? What do they do for a living? What are some things they hope for and dream about? Volunteer? This will help you know your customer and start creating products and services based on what you have written down.

4. Social Media Platforms/Where are your customers? Do they like social media? Are they on Facebook? IG? Have Twitter fingers? Pinterest? Snapchat? Love emails? Love text messages? Where do your clients communicate the most on?

5. What are your services/products? Do you have affordable pricing? Have you sent out surveys and received feedback back? Focus groups? Giveaways and contests? Appropriate labeling? Why should anyone purchase your services/products? How many streams of income can you create from your products/services?

6. Outside Activity: Do you attend vending events? Networking events? Have business cards? Go to conferences? Public speaker? Enter pitching contests? Participate in your local incubators? Chamber of Commerce? ETC

7. How many coins do you need to start your business/side hustle? There are plenty of grants you can apply for to start your business. You have loans, microloans, and other kinds of business loans. Do you have a separate business account? Can you start your business right now without funding or funding from your own pockets?

This mini business plan should keep your business. This is the primary stage to see how to operate your side hustle with a plan and vision.

Please share this mini business plan with your fellow side hustlers, creatives, and social entrepreneurs. Let's get paid and not play for our creativity.

Get Paid And Not Played: Startup business strategy session: https://browngirlcoaching.as.me/goalsgoalsgoals.

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×

For My Creatives: Boss Up!!!!

Everybody want to be a Boss until it is time to do Boss things. People think being a Boss or Entrepreneur is easy peasy because people photoshop and filter their great moments and bank account statements. *Insert Kanye Shrug*

Let me be the first to let you know that everyone isn't built to be a Boss. Everyone isn't built to run a business full-time not knowing where their next profitable project is coming from. 

In business, you will be doing a lot of volunteer work. You will be competing against folks who were well wishers/fans but feel they can deliver services or make better products than you. You will find out who truly rock with you once you go into business. You will find out what you are truly made of once you go into business. You just don't go into business and think you have arrived and luchini is falling from the sky. Nah. You will have to be disciplined, focused, determined, half-cray, and a forever learning. Yeah that's cool, you have a number of downloads, number of likes and followers on social media and you have created a "buzz"! 

But how have you turned them numbers into profitable? Not projected profits but actual profits in your bank account? Did you register your business with your state and city? Are you a LLC? S-Corp? C-Corp? Do you have a business account? Do you have your intellectual property on point? 

You can be popular all you want and still be part of the Broke Phi Broke (We Don't Got It Club). You can be getting ripped off and people stealing your intellectual property because you didn't think it was important to seek an Intellectual Property attorney. Make sure you take care of business first before you come on social media and flaunt. Make sure your I's are dot and T's are crossed because people be out here ready to profit off your hard work. I love you and want you to consider everything I've mentioned before going into business. 

Also don't forget you still have bills to pay, you still have a family, you still have to stay true to yourself and take care of your holistic health. 

Love and Light,
Drea

Schedule Your Startup Your Startup Complimentary Session: bit.ly/coachingwithbrowngirl

Three Things I've Learned While Escaping A Toxic Workplace

"It's my time to shine
Been down for much too long
I've gotta get mine" -Lil Kim ft Mona Lisa- Time to Shine

What a week! I have recently put my two weeks noticed and left my toxic workplace. It was not a difficult decision because the handwriting was on the wall, I was given an ultimatum and decided to choose to throw the peace sign in the air and transition to run my business full-time. I can no longer build someone else's empire and legacy while neglecting to do the same for me and my family. I also can no longer handle being the only person of color in the history of that agency or any other agency. I can no longer give my voice and power away to incompetent, insensitive and systematic bigotry and racism. I can longer be fed scraps when I know my worth. I can no longer water down my existence as a Black woman in an all-White place. I decided to choose my intellect, to educate and coach women of color who are co-existing in a workspace that isn't conducive to their holistic flyness.

I have learned some valuable lessons while turning in my two-week notice and attending the Center for Women and Enterprise, Business Leaders Conference.

My door of opportunity opened: I was invited to become a mentor during the speed mentoring segment of the conference on Friday evening. I was confident that I was going to share my expertise in helping others to get clear on jump-starting a new program, business, ebook or other services. I did not think that I would help women get clear on their purpose, get clear on writing a pre-existing ebook, get clear on helping others speak their truth, get clear on selling and marketing to their target clients on social media and help me serve my purpose.

I did doubt myself in the beginning because I actually said to myself, "No one is going to come to my table because of my business name: Brown Girl From Boston." I had to stop with the negative self-talk, let me feel the vibration inside and check that feeling and emotion. I said, "Andrea, you are great enough to mentor and coach women who require your expertise. If you weren't good enough, I am sure you would not have been selected to coach and mentor the best business leaders in New England." After that inner positive self-talk and self-acceptance of positive energy, I looked up and had a line at my table.

I am in the recovery of being a perfectionist. I always have to check with myself because I want to deliver the best knowledge I possibly can deliver in a clear, concise and authentic way. I have to make sure that the mask is completely off because I want to connect with people in a way that they can receive the message, process the message and apply it to their life. My mission isn't to mislead anyone nor force information on someone who isn't ready to receive my message or receive a message that isn't aligned with their life or business.

During the conference, I had a chance to meet wonderful women who are leaders in their own light. I also had a chance to participate in workshops such as networking, confidence, mentoring, and selling yourself. There is nothing wrong with adding and enhancing your skills in the toolbox. Brown Girl From Boston was interviewed by the CWE online network about my business and my "Start Your Savvy Startup" app that is currently being developed as I talked. I had a chance to shine and discuss my techy side in which only a handful of people understand and know about. My app will help women and men developed their start-up business from the comforts of their own home with tutorials, homework, and templates developed by me! In other words, I will save you time and energy because this app is going to help so many people start their businesses without going to YouTube University and being completely lost and oversaturated by overloads of information.

Mama, I made it! I will be on TV again! Yeah, son!

Anyways, back to being professional and dignified. I have learned a lot from the CWE Conference, but I wanted to share my top three lessons that I have learned with all you FLY beaus and girls. Are you ready? Let's get it!

1. Maybe you need to enroll in my Recovering Perfectionist course! You nor your business and products will never, ever, ever, ever be perfect! You are not perfect and life is not perfect! Move... Get out your way and launch your business, products, services, cakes, cookies, ebooks and etc. You can always refine your business and yourself as time evolves.  Oh, you want to make millions right now... How about serving the people, inspiring the people and the money will come. Making a positive impact lasts longer than money.

2. I am my own CEO and I am the Boss! "I am the biggest Boss that you have seen thus far." -Rick Ross
Sistah-women stop being so modest and stop shying away from being a leader and a boss! Believe in your FLYness! Men don't have a problem saying that they're the Boss or CEO even if they suck at being so! I wake up every day and I say to myself "I am my own boss and I make my own money"! I even made a boom-bap, Hip Hop beat and I rap that over and over to myself because I am the Boss. My Dad and husband even call me the Boss. I am not Bossy, I am the Boss!

Have confidence in yourself. Confidence is a thought and I want you to be confident in everything that you do!

3. Network, build relationships and connect! Everyone has something to offer! Remember, the relationship should be reciprocal! Not take that, take that in the words of Diddy! Take notice of who you want to rock with and who is willing to take from you. Take them out for coffee and have an honest and candid conversation about business, work ethic, and the nature of them reaching out to you. What kind of energy are you giving out and what kind of energy are you receiving from them. If you feel that they are looking to take that, take that; runaway and don't waste time with stagnant and negative energy.

Bonus: All partnerships/strategic relationships should have contracts. It's not right or professional to have one business doing all the work while your business is reaping the benefits. Nah, son! Business relationships should be 50/50 and a win-win relationship. Your word might be your bond, but that doesn't hold up in the court of law.

At the end of the day, myself and Brown Girl From Boston will be alright!!!! I know that I am going to deal with difficulties and temptation to return back to the workplace, but I made a vow to myself and God that I will work it out. I know God got my back and I will be alright. I told my former supervisor this because she indicated that I need my job. LOL! She doesn't know me. By any means necessary, Brown Girl From Boston is going to thrive, serve, and impact people, especially my sistahs. When human beings close the door in your face, don't stand there and do the ugly cry, turn around and enter the door that God opened for you.

Major S/O to Dr. Boyce Watkins and the Black Wealth Boot camp. This five-week course helped me to leave the plantation. My husband and I learned how to invest our money into other businesses. We brought stocks to invest in and making sure that our savings are saving us. Dr. Boyce Watkins stresses the importance of ownership and owning a business. Make sure you check out the boot camp. (theblackwealthbootcamp.com)

As always, thank you for reading Brown Girl From Boston! Thank you for your constant support and love you show the blog!

Love and Light,

Drea

For Brown Girls Who Persevere: Anything Is Possible

                   "Most things aren’t impossible, most people just give up too soon." 

As of May 6, 2014, I completed my 12 week business planning class at the Center for Women and Enterprise in Providence, RI. I graduated with not only a certificate of completion but with a completed and thorough business plan. I am writing this blog post to make 5 important points for those who are going through a temporary difficult journey and might possible consider quitting. Quitting is not an option so just keep pushing forward and complete the task ahead. 

I feel like Kevin Garnett after winning the 2008 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics. He was so hype and so emotional but K.G. yelled to the mountain top, that "Anything is Possible". Now, K.G. preserved as one of the premier and future basketball Hall of Famer. He played for the winless for Minnesota Timberwolves for years until he was traded to the Boston Celtics to play with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. In 2008, KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen finally won their world championship for the Boston Celtics.

Five Ways to Overcome Fear of Achieving: 

1. Believe in yourself! If you don't believe in yourself, no one will believe in you. You have been created to be you and achieve awesome things. You are wonderfully and uniquely made by God, the higher being. 
2. Block out the naysayers and dream killers! As long as you are living and breathing, you will always have the naysayers and dream killers preying on your downfall. These naysayers and dream killers can be your significant other, best friend, family and so-called friends. Feed your naysayers and dream killers with a long handed spoon and continue to do you.
3. Surround yourself with like minded people. Once you surround yourself with like-minded and positive people, anything is possible. These people are your tribe and main supporters. They will be transparent and authentic. They will shower you with positivity and genuine support and love. They want to see you succeed. 
4. Stop making excuses! Excuses are roadblocks and potholes that YOU set forth. We all made excuses such as I will start (fill in the blank) tomorrow. You don't have tomorrow, you only have today. So, what's wrong with starting today? Excuses equates to self-sabotaging behaviors.
5. Get out your own way! Just like excuses, we sabotage our own success. We self-doubt ourselves, we listen to other people's opinions about pursuing our gifts and passions. We allow others to place labels and plant the seed of doubt in our spirits and mind. In order to succeed, we must get out our own way. 

I just want to let all of you know that quitting is not an option. I could have allowed people's opinions sabotage my completion of my business planning class. I could have allowed the lack of time and financial resources stop me for enrolling in the class. I could have allowed the high drop out rate in my business planning class influenced me to follow the crowd and drop out. With all those roadblocks, I dedicated myself to fulfill my passion and calling.  I had to take it moment by moment and depend on God to lead me through the darkness and temporary tough times. Remember, tough times don't last long, tough people do. Keep pushing forward and remember quitting isn't an option. Anything is impossible!

Thank you for reading this spontaneous blog post! I want to thank my tribe of supporters because it takes a village of people to help accomplish dreams and goals. You all are appreciated especially my husband and mother who patiently listened and unconditionally love me for me and all my endless ideas and busyness.

Much love from Drea! 
Stay Brainy, Beautiful and Bold!
XOXO