Making Money Online with Ann Crady
Making Money Online with Ann Crady
Launching Large
“We really tried to leverage the blogosphere. We had a relatively unique idea at the time we launched. So we put the word out to bloggers. We put the word out to our friends. We created product features that gave people an incentive and an opportunity to invite other people. We experimented with finding Google AdWords. We optimized all of our pages for search engines.”
The Secret Sauce
“I think the secret sauce was creating ways for moms to communicate with each other, really allowing moms to talk to each other and to understand who they were speaking with. So [having] profile pages that let you know who you were talking with was important.”
Angels on the Wing
“I put together a PowerPoint deck that was an overview of our vision and what we had executed to date. I first reviewed it with my advisors and some of my investors and then started taking it out to the angel world, and that got more and more people interested.”
Be an Open Book
“As a general point of philosophy, I really believe that there should be very few secrets. As an entrepreneur, it is in your best interest to vet your ideas as much as possible, with as many different people as possible, because they only get better that way.”
A Happy Ending
“For an entrepreneur, I guess there are three different possibilities. One is you build a lifestyle-cash-flow-positive business. The second is you sell. And the third is you have an IPO. The third, I never anticipated. That wasn’t the kind of business we were in. The first was not really a possibility. So really, the second, an exit, was what we were shooting for. We didn’t think that it would happen as soon as it did, but we were very excited when it did.”
That Elusive Balance
“My kids and my family come first, but I also really like my job, and I get a lot out of working. So, honestly, it’s a huge struggle. I think that, for ladies who launch, they need to figure out what kind of balance they want to strike, because I do spend a lot of time away from my kids. If you are going to start a business, it requires time away from your family, and you’re also distracted constantly. I’ve found myself reading books to my kids and thinking about my business. So you really have to think long and hard about what kind of life you want for yourself and your family before you create something. Even today it’s still a struggle.”
This Featured Lady was profiled by Sarah Tomlinson, a freelance writer in Los Angeles.
Ladies Who Launch is asking you … what do you think of Ann’s advice? Let everyone know in the Comments section below!
As a professional marketing executive who has launched many businesses for others, I found Ann’s insight invaluable. My fiance and I are thinking about starting a company which we are both extremely passionate about. We love brainstorming and visualizing about the end results. But, have finally taken the steps to get others involved. By sharing our ideas with not only family and friends, but potential end users, we keep gaining momentum and the courage to get the business plan to the bank.
I found in my startup life that ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s the execution on the ideas that make (or break) a business. Sometimes you have to jump in and start creating, like Ann did with her partner.
People always copy success, so just try to be the best, the trend leader, and don’t worry too much about the competition. (at least at the beginning!!)
… Diane
“The Breastfeeding Hat Lady”
http://www.moboleez.com
Ann statement about sharing your ideas to receive help is crucial. I had spoken to women who say they have an idea but refuse to comment on it, fearing someone will steal it. However, they are hindering their ability to launch their idea because its a secret.
I have learned to ask for help because its the only way I can increase my small steps to bigger steps.
I have learned so much since I launched Cake and a Prayer earlier this year. We went live with the website (wwww.cakeandaprayer.com) in time for Mother’s Day and the response was incredible, but sales dropped off significantly until the next big gift-giving occasion. As a newlywed launching a business, I understand fully the need to balance family and work and when I say family, that include finances. My husband asked me if there was a point when I would say I had put enough money into the business. My response was … when we have gone through all of our savings (including 401k, stocks bonds), maxed out all the credit cards, sold the house, the cars and all the physical possessions we own, and are only left with the clothes on our backs. Then, and only then, am I done. Needless to say, he understood that I am in it to win it and his response (”Okay”) says that he is too. However, a better response to his question is probably a dollar amount as Ann indicated above. I just have to figure out how much all of our assets are worth so I can provide him with a more definitive number (smile).
Good article. I always recommend tapping into your social network, especially family and friends, to get money and resources to start a business.
40billion.com helps entrepreneurs raise money for startups through friends and family rather than through traditional financial institutions. It is the first friends-and-family funding network for small-business entrepreneurs. Using the Internet-based service, entrepreneurs connect with their social networks – friends, family, friends of family, colleagues, and others – to raise capital, and entrepreneurs can share their fundraising pages on MySpace and Facebook too. 40billion.com’s scalable platform facilitates the funding requests and transactions to make it easier for an entrepreneur to manage many investors, who can provide $50 to $10,000 each.
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Hi Ann,
Just wondering if you or someone else you know could direct me on the best way to get my foot in the door to pitch an invention I have, exclusively for women! I have the prototype, patent pending just seem to have hit a wall on getting advise regarding how to contact and personally meet with potential buyers!
Thanks for any help:)
Carin
dc5naples@gmail.com
