Small Business Feature: J'adore Tutus

Today's feature is Rosselli, owner of J'adore Tutus. She loves providing customers with girly inspiration and can be found online on Twitter and Facebook.

Tell us a little about yourself and your small business: My name is Rosselli Tanuyan, married to my husband of 8 years, and mom to a lovely 5 year old daughter. I work full-time at Toronto's financial district, and the proud owner of J'adore Tutus. All the tutus are custom handmade by yours truly, using the finest tulle and materials for each piece. Each tutu is made with lots of girly inspiration and is 100% Canadian.

What inspired you to begin your small business and how did you get started? I am into arts and crafts, and enjoy things like photography, soapmaking and baking. My cousin suggested that I make tutus for my daughter because she was into ballet. I thought it was a great idea and another fun project. So I started with one pink tutu, and began making other colours. Then friends and family began ordering from me. That's when I realized that this could be a good business opportunity. So on January 5, 2011, which is also my birthday, J'adore Tutus was born.

Who or what has been your biggest source of support? My family - my husband, my mom, my sister.

Is this business something you’ve always dreamed of doing? I've always wanted to be a fashion designer ever since I was a child. I thought that would be such a cool job. But obviously that didn't happen until I got into making tutus. Creating and designing tutus is the closest to fulfilling my dream as a designer.

How do you strike a balance between your personal life and maintaining a successful small business? Honestly, I really don't know how I balance everything. My situation is somehow uniquebecause I don't just have a business, I also work full-time, I'm a wife and mommy on top. So you can imagine how crazy it could get. Some people have asked how I do it. Well, I make sure I have time for my family especially my daughter. I never bring home any work from my corporate job because work will still be there the next day. Whatever free time I have, is for family and fulfilling tutu orders. I think it's working so far.

Where do you see your small business five years from now? I hope in 5 years, people will recognize J'adore Tutus more. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity do work with some companies and do collaborations. By then, I hope to have more designs and continue to love making tutus.

Small Business Feature: Personalized Sketches

Today’s feature is Maria from Personalized Sketches. She has an adorable shop as well as a blog, so be sure to visit her!

Tell us a little about yourself and your small business: I am a truly blessed, wife of 29+ yrs, married to a wonderful retired Army aviator, mom of 1 college Junior son, 1 dental school daughter, 1 doctor(Dentist) daughter and 1 doctor (Physician) son-in-law...& looking forward to future grandbabies! I am thankful for the Lord Jesus, my dear family, friends...a wonderful life. After being a SAHM, I'm now a licensed dental hygienist. (really love meeting those who come in for their pearly white cleanings!)

I love to sew, craft, cook, crochet, travel, quilt (I am a novice quilter) and I love, love, love to draw. I'm a self-taught artist, blessed that others are interested in the Personalized Sketches artwork I do...each one is drawn entirely with a name. I've been taking orders for these since 1985.

From the beginning, I have called the art I do~ Personalized Sketches. Each "sketch" is drawn entirely with a person's name. ANY image with ANY name. And I have always said "Personalized Sketches...it's All about You!" or "P.S...it's All about You!" It has been a couple of years since I started my blog, Etsy Shop and facebook art page. I appreciate soooo much all the blog friends I've met that I otherwise would not have met.

What inspired you to begin your small business and how did you get started? I first did one drawing with the name of my brother in it...it was a gift, and as a newlywed, we were limited in our finances. I went to find a frame for it at the local arts and crafts store, and while there, some of the employees saw it and asked if I could draw other images with any name. That is how I started back in 1985 to take orders for these. And with my husband in the military, wemoved about every 3 years. So taking orders at the various shows on the military installation was what increased the number of orders, since many orders were for farewell gifts from different units. Throughout the years, I have many repeat customers and word of mouth advertising from those that have purchased or have been given the art. Besides farewell gifts, they have been given for birthdays, weddings, showers, appreciation gifts, graduations, retirements...etc...

Who or what has been your biggest source of support? My family, especially my husband... and again, I appreciate my customers for continuing to think of other gifts to give their family and friends.

Is this business something you’ve always dreamed of doing? I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE doing the art that I do, so this business is something that I had not imagined when I first started doing them for people to purchase. Like I mentioned previously, I am so blessed that others are interested in them and it is fun to see what images and names that they would like to have drawn.

How do you strike a balance between your personal life and maintaining a successful small business? I was a stay at home mom for many years, so the art has been awesome to do, because I could do it any time (like when our children were in school). I was very involved at their schools and after-school activities and sports, but I was able to get art orders
completed throughout the day and evening. For the past 2 years, I have worked as a dental hygienist, so I usually do the art in the evenings. Our three are grown and with just my husband and I, I will do these while we are watching television together. I am able to pick my art pad and ink and do these any time and any where.

Where do you see your small business five years from now? Now that I have been on the internet with my blog, etsy shop and facebook page, I see an increase of orders from those that I would otherwise not have shown the Personalized Sketches to. I also see continued and constant flow of interest.

Small Business Feature: Consultant for Stampin Up!

The next small business feature is Barb Gornick, an Independent Demonstrator with Stampin' Up! It’s a wonderful company (a home based business) that she is so proud to be part of.

What inspired you to begin your small business and how did you get started? I LOVED the products - Scrapbooking and Paper Crafting. I did about 3 long-distance "Catalog Shows" and then decided to sign up as a demonstrator.

Who or what has been your biggest source of support? My biggest source of support is a customer I met online named Lorrie. We have never met, but we talk daily. She has been so helpful with me in terms of my business.

Is this business something you’ve always dreamed of doing? No, I was an Inner City School Teacher. That was my dream along with adopting children from another country. Once those dreams became fulfilled, I decided I wanted to do something fun for me!

How do you strike a balance between your personal life and maintaining a successful small business? I have to say, I work too much but my work is play-creating paper projects and coming up with new ideas all the time!

Find Barbara on her blog and online store!

Small Business Feature: Jangles

Jennifer Jangles a.k.a. Jennifer Heynen is a ceramic artist and licensed designer. Besides ceramics Jennifer is constantly working on something new. She loves to sew, build, paint, and string beads. She has a studio and craft gallery in Watkinsville, GA where she creates her work that is sold all over the world.

What inspired you to begin your small business and how did you get started? I have been creating for as long as I can remember. It was just something I always knew I would do. I received my BFA in ceramics and had a corporate job designing floral arrangements for hotels, parties, etc. I had a couple of bosses that, let's just say, weren't great. That's when I realized I needed to run my own show. I quit my job, took a part time job and work late night, after late night to get my ceramic tile business up and running. That was fifteen years ago.

Who or what has been your biggest source of support? Definitely my husband. He's the one who told me to quit that first job. Looking back, I can't believe I really quit it. It was a lot of money and insurance I was giving up and it was when he was in grad school. We were pretty broke once I quit. Still today, he listens to me every night ramble on and on about my business. Poor guy, he must really love me.

Is this business something you’ve always dreamed of doing? I think so....that's a hard one. I used to play art shop when I was a child. People would call and tell me what they wanted me to make and I would create it for them. It's very similar to how I used to play. I don't know how much dreaming I did about this business. My business is just me doing what I
love.

How do you strike a balance between your personal life and maintaining a successful small business? The best thing I ever did was move to a separate studio. Before there was no line between work and play. Now I have "time off" even though my time off is
usually spent making something.

Where do you see your small business five years from now? I have had a couple of year of crazy growth with my handmade buttons and fabric designs. Huge changes took place in my business, like moving out of my house, hiring help, etc. I feel like I am finally comfortable with it
all, so I am enjoying the place I am in right now. I can't think about five years from now.

Follow Jennifer Jangles on the Blog, Website and Etsy Shop!