AWE Adventure

  

    An entrepreneur is always looking for ways to improve whether it be the business or the product. My business is Cleo's Gift Production, I create greeting cards and gifts. I specialize in papercraft that are, as my logo says, 'Made Just 4 U'. Click the link below.

 

 

I was speaking to a friend of mine who introduced me to the Academy of woman entrepreneurs. I went looking only to realize that they were not accepting applicants for any new workshops. 

One day I received an email and that was the start of a new venture. 

 

It has been an eye opener. The first thing that stood out to me is the elevator pitch.

I speak fast and sometimes my speech is not clear. I can give the pitch in the time but the challenge was sounding clear and still excited about my venture.

Another thing was the course on Marketing, exciting and interesting facts were given. My main take away was the different ways social media can be used for marketing. 

Something else that stood out is the topic Selling your dream.

During this one I had to think about customers who have had a bad experience.

I had my first bad customer review, that crushed my spirit the same time and I stopped pushing my Valentine's Day promotion. 

I had to remember that it is a part of life so I must find a way to deal with it. I have had constructive criticism before, but it was my first bad review.  

I am always researching different things, so some were not new to me but others were, the key thing that I struggle with is I do handicraft so how to make my products look handmade and still professionally done is a challenge. How to keep your current customers is a work in progress and dealing with bad customer reviews. 

 

I had to do a sales projection, in doing this I realized that I was selling myself short and only making money on special occasions. I have to tap into the Birthday market. 

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Congrats to me. 

   

 

It felt great, completing this part.

The community service project was interesting, I leaned about the mons pubis, imagine! It was great going with the ladies and doing the activities at Cedar Grove Primary. The community service part came at a rough time in the teaching calendar so I did not participate as I should or could but thanks to the hard work of the group, they mostly pulled it off.

   

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The funny thing is I wanted to be apart of this venture to bring my handmade business to another level but the other business idea that I had is tugging even more at my heartstrings. It seems like it is time to map out that little-big project that will solve a problem that we are currently facing in society, special needs students and how they fit in society.