Have you ever dreamt of starting your own business? Do you start feeling like an imposter the minute you start working towards it?
Do you realize that you don't know what you are doing, so you start doubting yourself?
What if you start and fail? What if nobody buys your product? What if it doesn't make sense to anyone else?
You are not alone feeling like this.
This week I got the opportunity to sit down with Renata, the owner for BeautyPouches.bz. Renata took the time to share her story with me.
She opened up about her early doubts and struggles as an entrepreneur. She did so in hopes of motivating people like you.
People with a dream and a little devil on their shoulder telling them it's not going to work.
How it started
As a lover of bags, Renata always enjoyed shopping for them. However, she later realized that her pleasure of shopping eventually became frustrating. This is because she often had difficulty finding a bag that was not only stylish but also practical. Although she spent time carefully selecting a bag and was willing to pay more for better quality bags, she constantly found herself disappointed. She had to remove tags, needed more compartments, and could never be fully satisfied with the quality.
So one day, she took it upon herself to learn how to make a bag. She found herself spending more and more time on this new hobby of hers. She did this until she perfected the bag she wanted.
Sewing has been in her family for generations. But, it wasn't until she did this that she discovered her passion for it.
She loved it so much and shared it with others. To her surprise they loved it too.
Fearful First steps
Most people around her expressed their love for her pouches, but she was still skeptical. She didn't believe that it could work as a business.
But her daughters did!
So one day, they sat down with her and gave her that push she needed. She opened up to them about her fear of failing.
They Listened. Then reassured her that even if she failed, she would have great gifts to give those closest to her.
Renata felt motivated. She began believing in her dream. So, she decided to give it a try.
First Lessons
Before starting her business; Renata sat down to crunch the numbers.
After she finished her number crunching, she felt ready to take the leap. Luckily for her, her husband wanted to help her verify the numbers. That's when she realized that her assumptions were wrong.
Before she knew it, she was off to her first lesson as a newbie entrepreneur.
1st Advice for Entrepreneurs
"When you are doing your research, don't do it from a worst scenario perspective. Instead, be practical and ask yourself things like: how many people are there in the group I am targeting? How many people will buy from me? etc."
This changed all the numbers she had gotten. It also gave her a more accurate view of her market. She was on to a good start.
From Consumer to Producer
Renata had always loved visiting Pop-Up Shops. She loves the idea of buying a unique product; one made with lots of love. For her, they make the best presents for her loved ones.
So when her daughter came to her and told her that they would be going to a Pop-Up; she got excited. Except this time her daughter explained; she would be selling her pouches.
Once again, she started to doubt herself. But with the support of her daughter who helped her prepare and went along with her, she did it. Today, she is grateful for it because it was the start of a great journey.
She met lovely people and connected with other business owners. She started appreciating the hard work that went into hosting Pop-Ups. She even got the opportunity to meet customers face to face.
But most importantly, she got to see how much people loved the pouches she made with so much care.
Her first Pop-Up Shop was at Yogo Bean in Belize City. Since then, she has become more outgoing and attended multiple Pop-Up shops. These continue to strengthen her brand.
2nd Advice To Entrepreneurs
Make sure that you have someone that you trust, to encourage and push you. You will need this especially when things get hard, and you start doubting yourself.
A Learning Process
Renata expressed that even today, she doesn't feel like she is a business woman. Yet, her actions, drive and determination are things to admire. They also show that in every fiber of her being, she is a wonderful business woman.
Her desire to deliver a product that has been expertly made is phenomenal. She cares about providing quality products. She cares about customer experience. She cares about the love that goes into making every pouch.
When I asked Renata what she sees next for her business. Her eyes shone as she talked about ideas that she had never outrightly expressed. I could feel the passion radiating from the words that she was talking.
She has learned, and grown into an entrepreneur that pushes herself. She believes in her products. She loves making other people happy by creating products they love so much; that they are willing to buy.
She acknowledges that she doesn't have all the answers. But she is enjoying the learning process.
3rd Advice To Entrepreneurs
If you have an idea, don't tell it to everyone. Start it, work on it. Show others that it works. Sometimes you will meet people who doubt themselves. They project that doubt onto you. Although they may not realize the harm it causes; it can impact the belief you have in your product.
Beautypouches.bz's Products
Renata creates her bags and pouches by hand. She thinks about every minute detail. This makes every pouch unique.
When given as gifts, they serve as a reminder to your loved ones of the thought you put into them. Knowing that they have a product that is not only one of a kind, but also practical.
Renata offers sixteen different styles of bags and pouches. Each style comes in different sizes and shapes. This way you can find the bag for the specific purpose you are looking for.
Some of her designs are water resistant, so that you don’t need to worry about rain damaging your items. Her bags are both reusable, and durable.
The best part is that if you can't find the design in the material you like, you can request a special order. Renata will even make it just for you.
How to Buy Products?
You can keep updated with new products, and the catalog of pouches on the BeautyPouches’s Instagram Page.
Just send a message to order, and pay via cash or bank transfer. It's that easy.
Renata continues to sell at different pop-up shops. If you want to be wow-ed by her pouches in person, follow her Instagram page to stay up to date with all the Pop-Ups she is attending.
The Challenge
If you have an idea you feel scared to pursue; learn from Renata. Embrace the fear and get started. Find one person you can trust and ask them to hold you accountable and be your support.
Final Advice to Entrepreneurs
If a friend asks you to support their goals; you would go out of your way to lend a hand. In the same way you believe in them and their ability to succeed; you should believe in yourself.
About GiggedBz
Being an entrepreneur or managing a household can be very stressful. Somedays you really just need some help. And I'm sure we can agree that good help is hard to find. This is why we made, Gigged.bz.
