Aug 12, 2010

Making ME Goes Interview Crazy!




The power of friendship led me to Ms. Joy Hibbert, owner and founder of Love Joy Sweet Treats, Inc. Our conversation began with ease much like I would talk to a girlfriend who I had known for years and I was surprised that by the end of our conversation we had nearly talked for 3 hours, here are a few questions I asked Joy.

Where did you begin?

Joy broke into the entrepreneur world through the fashion industry, as a clothing designer. In 2007 after a string of not being able to pay her bills Joy had to make a drastic decision. Leave her dream,or let her dream drown her in debt, Joy chose to leave. Little did she know another dream had been brewing deep inside her throughout her life. Anyone who has an older sibling knows that the bond between siblings and their uplifting words can move mountains....




Joy realized that her talent was not only to design but to create beautiful, amazing food-Cakes in particular and so she began to bake and bake and re-bake and sell. She first began selling her cakes to fellow gym members after their workout. I laughed thinking goodness I wish I had someone at my gym who would be willing to sell me a cake after a long workout with my trainer....I would be in pure bliss!

Did you have any help in starting your business?

Yes! Joy utilized the services of The Local Development Corperation of East New York, they helped her to learn all of the in's and out's of starting her own business and continue to provide Joy with guidance. In this program Joy was able to have a mentor that worked directly with her to develop a business plan, meet with a lawyer, and  strategize about pricing. \This service allowed Joy the opportunity to dot all of her i's and cross all of her t's. To this day she credits the IDCE as she affectionately refers to it for the success of her business.

What are steps you should take to start your business?

1.) Check with your the Secretary of State to make sure your business name isn't taken

2.) Make sure your domain name for your website isn't taken (you can use google, yahoo, or go-daddy to check online)

3.) Get your certificate of business/business license
       
4.) Start creating your website, facebook page, twitter and etc. in order to create buzz about your business
       
5.) Be Prepared to talk about your business and hand out your business cards
 

Do you have any words of advice to future entrepreneurs?

A dollar spent = a dollar of flour, let me translate....spend you're money wisely as you begin to start your own business you don't need a fancy office or accessories. Be strategic in what you buy, so many new business owners make the mistake of depleting their start up money before they've made any money.


Joy's advice was breathtaking I can't believe how much I've learned from such a strong and confident woman, I'm also looking forward to tasting some of these amazing cupcakes I've been hearing about.
If you'd like to contact Joy, look for her information on my "I need to know you" section.
 
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