From left: Rachel Green, Hailey Lisi and Tonyelle Relaford.
This content was created by Girlboss in partnership with Tailor Brands.
It seems like everyone has a small business these days, whether it’s a dog-walking side hustle, a booming Poshmark reselling gig or a handmade candle company. After all, there are over 33 million small businesses in the US alone.
But how do you actually launch your business? Well, you need an LLC (limited liability company), EIN (employee identification number), domain, website, logo, merch, trademark… and that’s just to get it off the ground.
Creating, running and growing a small business for the first time can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be, thanks to Tailor Brands. It’s the world’s only comprehensive one-stop shop for small business owners—all of the services you need, in one place.
Here, three entrepreneurs who used Tailor Brands to launch their small businesses share their stories.
“Owning a boutique has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember.”
Who: Hailey Lisi
What: Founder of Stellas, an online boutique for women’s apparel
Backstory: “Owning a boutique has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I lost sight of that as I worked my way up the corporate ladder, and then last year, I was laid off. After the initial shock, I noticed I felt a lack of inspiration as I job searched. I knew it was time to do something to bring back the passion and go-getter attitude I had lost in myself.
Purpose: “We believe in not needing a special occasion to wear that favorite dress or funky jacket. We are bringing the joys of shopping back. With our custom styling assistance and shopping parties, you'll always feel like you are shopping with your bestie!”
Behind-the-scenes: “As exciting as starting a business is, it is extremely overwhelming. I went to college for textiles with a focus in business, and I still had no clue where to even begin. I liked that Tailor Brands could help walk me through the process, confidently.
The best way to describe the experience is a roller coaster ride. It is a mix of emotions—one day you are confident and feel like you are the boss babe that can take on the world, and the very next day, you are questioning if this was the right decision and doubting yourself. But launching Stellas with Tailor Brands definitely helped me have more confidence and doubt myself less. The best part about Tailor Brands was it took the guessing out and guided me through the process: where to begin and what is needed next.
Tailor Brands has a number of resources to accomplish what I needed. For example, after receiving my LLC approval, Tailor Brands provided a list of several potential additional licenses I may need. I would have had no idea about any of that, and now, I am confident that I am starting my business the right way. In addition to the resources that the platform has, it is the networking and connections that have also helped me grow Stellas. Additionally, following others' success through Tailor Brands is a constant motivator.”
Learning lessons: “My biggest challenge was getting bogged down by the administrative action items. At the beginning, I was losing sight of why I was doing this in the first place and focused more on what I didn’t know. I needed to remind myself that I will figure out things as I go and just focus on checking off the things I know how to do and enjoy doing.”
Gentle reminder: “The longer you wait, the more excuses you will come up with on why you can’t. Every day, there will be a new challenge and you'll learn something new. Utilize your network and ask for help. You’ll never regret taking a chance on yourself. However, you will always wonder ‘What if?’ if you don’t try.”
“My business is a reflection of what I am going through internally, so I put myself as a priority.”
Who: Rachel Green
What: Founder of SHINE Empowerment & Healing LLC
Backstory: “I started it in January from a vision that came to me in a meditation in spring 2019 during a time when I was down emotionally. This vision continued to motivate me. It came to fruition from the deep healing and trauma work that I experienced over the past five years and continue to work on. I listened to the whisper and took an empowered leap to leave my corporate career last December. I knew I couldn’t go on any longer with living an unfulfilled life. I affirmed it was time for me to live fully in my purpose!”
Purpose: “My mission as a healing guide and coach is to guide and empower women to find their power, passion, love and safety from within. Plus, to connect to their body, inner light and authentic self, and channel their openness, softness and vulnerability. The healing modalities I support my clients with are: movement, breathwork, visualization meditation, crystal alchemized sound bowls and Usui Holy Fire 3 Reiki.”
Behind-the-scenes: “I felt fully supported when launching my business with Tailor Brands. The best part was how easy and simple the process was to release the overwhelm of starting your own business. They really care about their customers. There's more to setting up your business than I initially thought, but this platform supported this. It also allowed me to maintain the professionalism that I truly desired for my business, and connected me with over hundreds of people with the use of digital and printed business cards and building my online community.”
Learning lessons: “Keep going even though there may be roadblocks or challenges. My business is a reflection of what I am going through internally, so I put myself as a priority. My biggest challenge in the beginning was to build my confidence as an entrepreneur and release the self doubt/imposter syndrome. Also, switching from the hustle/overworked mindset in my previous career to prioritize rest and work with my energy cycles to be the most productive.”
Gentle reminder: “Invest in you (mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing). If you, as the foundation of your business, are grounded, rooted and clear with your voice and purpose, opportunities and clients will align.”
“I want to help fellow indie authors not struggle the way I did.”
Who: Tonyelle Relaford
What: Founder of T Relaford Publishing, a publishing company for indie writers
Backstory: “After writing my first book, I realized how hard and confusing it was to publish it. I want to help fellow indie authors not struggle the way I did.”
Purpose: “We publish, edit and copyright your work. We also assist with marketing and website design.”
Behind-the-scenes: “I had the idea of starting the business and went on Tailor Brands to make a logo. That’s where I saw the application for an LLC. I did everything for my business right then and there. The site is easy to maneuver and understand. The best part has been the customer service! Even when my LLC, logo and website were done, I still received emails asking if there's anything else I need and updates on services they offer.”
Learning lessons: “You have to be willing to accept help. It's ok to allow someone to help you make your dream come true. Starting a business is not as hard as I thought, especially when you have a company like Tailor Brands helping.”
Gentle reminder: “Do it! If there's a need for your services or products, start a business.”
Launch your small business today with Tailor Brands.
