WEEK 8: Just Do Something, Cuz It Won’t Be Perfect
Zoey C -
Hello guys! I am back! So, I was in Disneyland for the first couple days of the week, but I was able to fit in some interviews for the end of this week and I can’t wait to tell you guys all about them! I also had 3 interviews last week, but sadly I got bombarded with other responsibilities and had to take a step back from the project for a week. I will still be talking about these interviews though, and they will still be included in my project! Warning: This post may be a little long due to talking about 5 interviews and all that jazz but I hope I do not bore you!
Let’s start with the interviews from last week:
My first interview was with Gail from Gail’s Nails. Gail was very insistent on the fact that there were no mistakes that she regrets. Everything that has happened has helped her and her business grow, so she is thankful for every experience she has been through. Gail emphasizes quality over quantity, meaning she isn’t focusing on filling her schedule and getting as many people as she can. She is instead focusing on making her work as high-quality as possible and using the best products. Her best advice is to know your value and the value of your products in order for your business to be successful!
My second interview of the week was with Aileen at Florian, a flower shop located in downtown Prescott. I want to start off by saying THAT PLACE IS HAUNTED! Many times, the bell would ring without anyone opening the door, and Aileen talked a little about how the door will open without anybody and glass shattering with no glass visible. But, moving away from that and into the business itself, the origin for Florian is an interesting story, and I will try to make it as short as possible! Aileen used to have an EMS job, but after leaving and starting her side business with flowers, she found that it grew. For the name, she looked into Saint Florian, who is the saint of firefighters. After researching the name, she found that Florian represented the color yellow and flowering as well, and she chose the masculine spelling in order to represent her working in a male-dominated industry! Crazy Cool! When asked what advice she would give about starting a business, she talked a little about how it is normal to want to give up. But, you just have to remember that it is normal, and that you need to remember why you started your business!
My third interview was with Rebekah from Winebelly Tours. This company basically drives groups of people to and from vineyards so they can drink wine without worrying about designating a driver! Their motto is “let us be your designated driver cuz no one else wants to be!” Reviews are very important to Winebelly Tours, but sometimes trying to protect reviews can result in big mistakes! There was an unsatisfied customer, and in order to avoid a bad review, Rebekah refunded the customer in full! But, she soon realized that the customer had already given a bad review before being refunded. The biggest thing I learned from this mistake is that you should not act on emotion. Think through every move in a business, and remember that you are not going to satisfy everybody!
Now for the interviews from this week:
I was able to talk to Andrea from One Psych Services, who is a therapist! Through the life of a business, a lot of things change, and this is seen immensely in One Psych Services! This was opened in April of 2022, and there have been many changes! Some examples are that Andrea has changed her target audience for who she is focused on serving, as well as the services provided. She has added Neurofeedback and hopes to also add ADHD testing for adults in the near future. She has adjusted her flexibility, meaning she used to say she is always free and would schedule based on her client’s schedule, but now she only has certain days and times where she will take clients! She said something that really stuck with me and is now the theme of my week and probably year. She said “Just do something, it won’t be perfect.” As people, we think we need to be perfect, especially when starting and running a business. But, we need to have grace with ourselves and remind ourselves that there will be tons of mistakes in the future.
My last interview was with Justin from Sky City Pro. They specialize in sound and lighting production for events in Arizona! He talked a little about how his competition used to be friendly, but they soon turned cutthroat once Sky City Pro started to grow more. Justin explained that their differentiation was that they were a local small business for people to support, and this is a big thing in Prescott. People here put a lot of importance in supporting small businesses, so this could give a slight advantage compared to a bigger company that has been around for longer.
As for my business plan, I did not finish as much as I had hoped due to little time this and last week. But, I read a lot about how to make income sheets, sales forecasts, and cashflow statements. I have finished the startup expenses and some of the financial projections, but I plan on finishing it this week! With the theme this week being “Just do it cuz it won’t be perfect,” I took that to heart with the financial projections. I have been stressing about doing it and finally I decided to just go for it and try it! Now, I can’t wait to finish my plan and get past the final roadblock! Almost there 🙂
Also, my survey has been filled out by so many people so far! I will link it again so if you have not filled it out and you live in Yavapai County, please PLEASE fill it out and help me out. I am going to be using this data to determine the want for a soda shop in the area, so please fill it out! Here is the link:Â https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScC-Wscua8kEQWs029mYl948bmFeZFfRvcFvAAMP3LNcGwQyA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Thank you guys for reading! We are almost there!
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