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Take one road accident, add a dose of faith and a favourite customer, and you get a startup company. At least that’s how it happened for Dawn Candy, owner of I Promote You, which helps companies raise awareness of their brands, with promotional items ranging from barbeque sets to ballpoint pens. Eight years in, she shares how she faced her fears of entrepreneurship and became a networking natural.
Looking back to when you first started your business, what inspired you to take the leap?
I actually started my business when I was recovering from a motorbike accident that left me with a shattered tibia. I’d been working for a local company in the same field as I work in now, but they’d recently cut my pay and I was feeling pretty undervalued as an employee. Laid up for three months and facing a mountain of medical bills, I made the decision that I needed to take care of myself and make sure I wasn’t in a similar situation again.
I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to start a business, but it was much easier said than done – I had two young kids at the time and was hugely apprehensive about setting off on that kind of challenge. I interviewed with some companies in my industry, and spent time praying about what I should do. One night, in my prayers, I made a request: “If you want me to start this business, you need to give me a definitive sign.”
The next day, I got a phone call. It was from a very good client of mine who was chasing up an order she’d placed a week before my accident – it’d been well over two months and she still didn’t have her product. I apologised and got in touch with the office. They hadn’t even put her order in production. That was my sign.
I called her back and said: “I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that your order isn’t in process. But the good news is that I’m going to start my own business and you can be my first order.” She’s still my best client today.
Starting out on your own can be hugely daunting after the relative safety of working within a larger business. How did you overcome your concerns?
It had a lot to do with faith, but I also found reassurance by reaching out to professionals in my community, from the local chamber of commerce to the small business development centre. I made sure I was on track, checking which things I needed to address. They encouraged me to write a business plan, but they also convinced me I was headed in the right direction.
If you were doing it all over again, what would you have liked to know?
I would’ve got a mentor in place earlier. Everyone should have one – someone they admire, who inspires them, and is within their community. Like-minded people can provide invaluable support at very difficult times.
How do you find those like-minded people?
Networking is key, but you need to do it with purpose. When you’re talking to someone new at an event, focus on getting to know them, rather than selling your product or service. Avoid talking about yourself – people love to share their stories, so ask questions and really listen to the answers.
What’s been the most useful lesson you’ve learnt in your career?
When I first started out, I focused on pretty exclusively smaller clients. I avoided doing business with huge corporations, because some people in my network had suggested that it might impede my cash flow. In a lot of cases, larger businesses don’t pay within 30 days, sometimes taking as long as 60 or 90 days, which is a very long time in the life of a small business.
So I steered clear for the first few years, and I’m so glad I did. As my business grew, it allowed me to reach out to those larger businesses because my cash flow was more reliable. I’m now able to work with these firms because I set myself up to be able to handle it. I didn’t jump in and take it on too early – instead, I paced myself, waiting until my business was ready.
Dawn Candy is based in our Houston Texas office. Find out more about her promotional products, from golf clubs to hole punches, at ipromoteyou.biz.
Top tips from Dawn:
- Pace yourself: don’t bite off more than you can chew when you’re setting up your first company.
- Create a support group of like-minded people who you can talk to and learn from
- Make full use of the resources that are available to you, whether that’s business incubators or your local council.
