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About MeHi my name is Karen Wardle. I would like to tell you a little bit about myself and provide you with some background information about why this site came about.
These were pre-internet times and to learn about most small business topics required a trip to the library, bookshop or newsagency. I devoured anything on business that I could get my hands on.
In the Beginning.....In 1989 Dean, my husband at the time, and I, began looking at various business opportunities. We eventually decided on a VIP car detailing franchise.Within weeks Dean was bringing in more money than he had in his previous job even with his shift allowances and overtime. We knew that we had made the right decision. We were in our early twenties, we had our own business and by all accounts we were earning a very good living.
Mistake after Mistake!But we made every mistake in the book! Although I knew the importance of keeping track of our business related income and expenses, I didn't always keep this area up to date. I still had a full time job outside of the franchise and I let the paperwork for our business pile up.Another thing that we did regularly which is an absolute no-no in business was to use the cash that Dean brought home each day and use it for our personal expenses. I also don't recall us having a separate bank account for the business. This was another HUGE mistake. Despite all of our mistakes we did sell the business at a profit a few short years later.
Moving OnSince the VIP experience I have owned and/or managed several small, yet successful businesses. These have included sole trader operations, partnerships, another franchise business and also a company and a non profit organization.These positions have involved a lot of hands on administration and recruitment. I prepared staffing related policies and procedures manuals and advised senior personnel on staffing matters.
What I Have LearntThere are many factors that influence the profitability and success of your business such as hiring and managing staff, controlling finances, business administration and so on.Ultimately though, whether you have an online or offline business it is your ability to attract and keep customers that determines the level of your success and profitability.
Why & How This Site Was EstablishedMy passion is for writing. I am not Hemmingway and writing fiction was never really my thing. What I do enjoy is documenting information and procedures that interest me and then presenting it in a way that can help others.Around 2003 I began to think about my passion for writing and about my long term goals. I was looking for a way to align the two. Ideally I wanted to write, inspire and inform others and at the same time fulfill my creative urge to write. I was also toying with the idea of writing e-books and began thinking of ways that I could sell them over the internet. I envisaged having a website where I could provide lots of information to readers. I also wanted to provide a newsletter that people could subscribe to. Ideally I would also promote my e-books from the site. But how would I attract customers? I knew nothing about how to generate on-line traffic? It was a pie in the sky type dream. Something that I genuinely wanted to do yet in the back of my mind I had that nagging voice. I am sure you know the one. Self doubt began to creep in. What did I know about the internet and HTML? I didn't know the first thing about search engines, keywords, on-line traffic or about delivering an online newsletter. (To be honest I really don't know that much more about HTML now).
Now or NeverLast year I had been working for a company that has since gone into liquidation. At the time I was regularly working 10 hour days and still not getting on top of things. The company had a history of high staff turnover. My long promised assistant never eventuated. Ethics were not the organization's strong point and I decided it best to part company with them.I began to think seriously about my future career prospects as well as my long term goals. This is not how I had expected my career to pan out. I guess you could say that I was at a crossroads. I had some holiday leave due to me, not a lot, but I was determined not to rush into anything. I decided to take a few weeks to carefully consider my options. The urge to help others through my writing was getting stronger. I was determined to find a way to combine my passion and my business knowledge and to develop my own business. Due to my previous business experience (both good and bad) I knew what was required to succeed. I knew that I would need to plan and be prepared to work hard. This didn't phase me. I had always worked hard. This time though it would be for myself, doing something that I was truly passionate about. I had always had a very strong work ethic and I decided that it was now or never. I didn't know how I was going to find a way to make my dream come true. I just knew that I had to!
The SolutionIf you are interested in how I turned my passion into a business and how you can too please read more here.
Good luck with your business venture. Remember it is up to you and I wish you every success! Kind regards
Karen Knowledge is not power. The use of knowledge is power.
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