Interviews

We were fortunate enough to sit down with Tia Reynolds of Silver Spring, MD. We learned about Tia’s business Serene Workspace and she told us about her experiences as an entrepreneur and small business owner.

Can you tell us about your business and what you do?

Sure. I founded Serene Workpace, LLC which is a workspace and
homespace cleaning business. What we do is essentially
improve and maintain offices and homes. Not only do we do that, but we
make sure it is organized. We turn your area into
a place of peace and productivity. That is what we do best. We take our
time honing in on the details to ensure the space looks serene.

How did you get into this business?

Haha! Good question. Well, the business idea popped into my mind
in 2009. I would clean my (at the time) boyfriend’s  bathroom and room. One
thing turned into another and before I knew it, I was cleaning the entire
apartment. Even his sister’s room! I know
crazy right? Haha. Every time, he was blown away with the turn out. I
must have spent at least half the day if not longer cleaning–every
single time. I enjoyed it so much, I didn’t mind taking my time. So,
year after year I continuously ignored the notion
of starting my cleaning business. I went on to join the Army in 2013;
One thing I will never forget, is the constant cleaning myself and other
soldiers had to do while in training. Another light bulb moment went
off in my head. So, when I left the Army in
2015, I said to myself  ‘I will take a leap of faith this year to
launch this business.’ That’s what I did.

What is the most enjoyable thing about this business?

I enjoy seeing people happy that their offices and homes look and
feel great again. It’s a great feeling when you go to work or home, and
you are in a great space. A space where you can function. A space that
is serene. On another note, I also get a peace
of mind while cleaning. It creates a sense of tranquil within. When I
am cleaning, nothing else matters. The world problems, my problems are
all shut off, and that’s what I love about it all. For me, I get to
relax and just clean. I tend to think a lot, so
for me, it provides a blockage of my thoughts. I’m an entrepreneur, so
my mind goes ballistic! Haha!

Tia Reynolds with World Advisory Founder & CEO Alexander Johnstone

What are some of your greatest challenges?

My greatest challenge would have to be consistency with clients in
the home cleaning sector. In this business, a lot of times, people call
you when they are desperate in need of cleaning whether it be, they
don’t have time to clean, build up dirt, grime,
clutter, they are about to put their house on the market, spring
cleaning, etc. So, I advise all of my clients to get either bi-weekly or
tri-weekly home cleanings. It saves them money in the long-run, and
most importantly it preserves their homes. Why not? 

If you could provide any advice to someone just starting out in business, what would it be? 

I would advise anyone one starting in the business to set out a
vision that is bigger than themselves, and work it every week. In this
line of work, you have to prepare yourself physically and mentally for
all kinds of work and all kinds of people. The
beauty of it all, is that no matter how many cleaning
companies there are, there is room for yours. When I first started, within two days,
I received an client. Soon after that, I set out to gain at least one
new client every week. I want to also say, ask
yourself, “how will I position myself in the market?” “Who will I
partner with?” Don’t be selfish. To successfully grow, you will need a
team. The business isn’t scalable if it is you doing the work. Lastly,
don’t be afraid to spend money on your marketing.
You are your greatest asset, investing in yourself and your future. If
you don’t, then who will?

For more information, you can visit SereneWorkspace.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you are planning a wedding in Chicago or Washington, D.C., you are in luck. Bridal Beauty Associates is a multi-award winning beauty professionals that provides on-location services, specializing in bridal hairstyling and bridal makeup artistry.

Founded in 2011 by Krystal Morant, Bridal Beauty Associates is a one-stop wedding day beauty company, delivering the best in bridal makeup, bridal hair, bridal accessories, lash extensions, custom hair extensions, all beauty needs to prepare a beautiful bride for her special day. Bridal Beauty Associates is no ordinary beauty company, their on-location hairstylists and makeup artists travel to customer to provide the ultimate luxurious bridal beauty experience.

In addition to being the Founder of the company, Krystal Morant is a passionate and talented wedding hairstylist and makeup artist. She began her career as a licensed cosmetologist in 2001. The majority of her professional experience as a beauty artist has been working in high-end/prestige salons in Bethlehem, PA and Manhattan, NY and Baltimore, MD.

Bridal Beauty Associates Founder Krystal Morant

Her divine talent has granted her the opportunity of working several consecutive years backstage in New York Fashion Week for some of the top designers, such as Farah Angsana Couture Paris, 2Xist, Loris Diran, Poltock and Walsh to name a few. Krystal’s work has also been seen in various magazine publications, TV productions, commercials and more.

In 2005 she developed a great love and passion for the wedding beauty industry. She was asked by a co-worker to travel on-site and provide wedding hair services for two bridal parties in one day. This was a part of the beauty industry she never considered pursuing until she saw the look of amazement from the bridal party members. She then knew that wedding hairstyling and makeup artistry was a specialty and would not dare let her god given talent go to waste.

After several years of providing their award winning services in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, Bridal Beauty Associates has opened a new studio in the Chicago area. Krystal and her team are excited to report that they are off to a strong start in the new market and are filling up fast for the 2016 and 2017 wedding seasons.

To book Bridal Beauty Associates for your wedding, visit BridalBeautyToGo.com.

You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

 

We had the opportunity to speak with Matt Aronson (left in photo below), CEO of North by South, about his innovative clothing business, which aims to add a special something else to your wardrobe.

Small Business View: Can you tell us about your business?

Matt Aronson: North by South (NxS) is a clothing company that offers customizable t-shirts with necktie pockets, mixing formal and casual wear to provide customers with a unique style opportunity. I started NxS in November 2014 while I was in my senior year at Georgetown University, after about a year of business development planning. Having been in college at the time, I came up with the idea and built the business as a product of my environment. Our tees appeal to many types of people but the college market has been a key target for us. As the CEO of the company, I work with our network of business partners to carry out marketing initiatives and manufacturing processes, as well as manage an extensive group of campus reps to grow our brand on site. I’m very fortunate to be able to work with great people in building NxS so that we can offer these tees to customers, allowing them to express their individual styles and feel great while doing it.

SBV: Have you always wanted to be in business? Why or why not?

MA: I never really thought about being in business until I came up with the idea for NxS. During my first couple years at Georgetown, I took many classes and explored different professions, until I really committed myself to launching NxS and learned to love business through first-hand experience. However, business has such a wide variety of meanings that it can take on. As I’ve run the business, I’ve further developed my professional interests so I’m grateful for the experience that entrepreneurship has given me.

SBV: What is your ultimate vision for the brand?

MA: The NxS brand is simply about expressing your individual style in a classy way and providing that feel-good confidence of getting dressed up with a more formal look while in everyday clothes. We’re still in our first year of business so the priority at the moment is to grow and develop our core around these necktie pocket tees. Beyond this current focus, we hope to be able to partner with larger companies to offer even more unique options and expand our product offering into adjacent categories in the future.

SBV: Looking back to when you started your business, what did you see in its future?

MA: I wanted to give my idea a shot and have fun exploring my interests with a brand and product that I felt passionate about. Too many times people have a great idea and just leave it at that. It’s an intimidating thing to start a company with no prior experience, but I promised myself that I would see my idea to fruition. I understood that building a company from the ground up would be a long-term process so I just take it month by month, and I still hold that mindset as I run the company today.

SBV: What is your biggest takeaway, your biggest reward from what you do?

MA: Without a doubt the biggest reward in running NxS for me is when a customer lets us know how much they love the shirt(s) that he/she purchased. When someone else can find the same passion in your product that you had when envisioning your product and starting your business, that’s really special.

SBV: What’s the most challenging thing you do?

MA: I’m sure other entrepreneurs would agree with me when I say that the most challenging thing in running a startup is the uncertainty and the balancing act you have to deal with in life. From the outside, a company can look like it has seamless operations. However, there are so many unexpected issues that arise internally that must be dealt with on a daily basis. But that’s the excitement of entrepreneurship and what makes it so enjoyable—overcoming these issues, learning as you go, and committing yourself to your brand and product.

SBV: What do you do to kick back after a long day?

MA: I love hanging out with close friends and family to unwind from a long day—going to a movie, dinner, or anything else. I’m a big fitness and sports fan as well, so a good workout or game to watch is always really nice.

SBV: Are you involved with any other organizations right now?

MA: I currently work for a company called Navigant as a consultant dealing with government healthcare solutions. I operate NxS during my off time from Navigant in the early morning, at night, and on weekends. The people at Navigant are fantastic and my work there is very dynamic and interesting, so I consider myself lucky to be able to work at a great company and explore my entrepreneurial interests at the same time.

SBV: Any advice for someone just starting out?

MA: My number one piece of advice for people just starting out would be to just go for it. It sounds simple but it far too often goes overlooked. The beauty of entrepreneurship and small business is that you learn as you go, make mistakes, surround yourself with good people, and gain invaluable experience along the way. If you have a good idea and you are passionate about the idea, then do your research and give it a shot. Whether your idea turns into a very successful company or it falls flat after a year or two of business, you will be glad that you at least saw it through. Don’t be afraid to fail and hear “no” a lot, because moving from failure to failure while remaining passionate about your brand is what is necessary to see the success you want.

SBV: Anything else you want the readers to know?