Make an Announcement
"I sent out an email to everybody I knew, announcing what we were doing. For me, the act of saying 'I'm starting a literary magazine' was as brave as actually doing it. When I said it with confidence, people believed me—and I believed me."
—Maribeth Batcha, Publisher, One Story, a literary magazine

Build Your Own Board
"I had to learn so much. I took classes at the local center for nonprofit management and read everything I could get my hands on. I realized the smartest thing I could do would be to surround myself with an advisory board of people who knew more than I did."
—Meredith Blake, Founder Break the Cycle, a domestic violence prevention program

Take Ownership
"There's no store without the concept, so from the very beginning, we trademarked every single thing involved in the look of the store."
—Ninel Pompushko, Founder, T-Shirt Deli, a custom t-shirt store in Chicago.
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Hone Your Business Skills
"There's a perception out there that you can't be an artist and a businessperson at the same time. Artists are told 'Don't bother with math.' But you have to balance passion and analytical skills. Knowing the business side of my job gives me the ability to take risks in every aspect—from dealing with banks to new designs—and I love that."
—Annie Morhauser, Owner and Creative Director, Annieglass, which produces luxury, handmade glass table art

Do It Yourself
"When we opened, we used our savings and did all the renovation work ourselves—stripping the floors, sanding them, plastering and painting."
—Miko Branch, Co-Founder, Miss Jessie's Salon
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Be Prepared for the Unexpected
"A good thing to remember is that once you open your door to the public, you never know who's going to walk through. I've had people bring in shopping bags of every shape and size imaginable, overflowing with pictures. At first I panicked, but now those are my favorite projects. They let me puzzle the pieces of someone's life together."
—Anne Goldenthal, Owner, Album Arts

Don't Quit Your Day Job
"It was pretty obvious that I would have to find a way to support my music habit. So I went to work as an assistant at a Wall Street investment bank and wound up as a VP and business manager of corporate research. I would do the radio show on Saturdays and tuck whatever gigs I had as a musician into whatever time was left."
—Laura Cantrell, Musician
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Take Rejection in Stride
"I knew how to make up a business plan. Much more daunting was the idea of getting a bank to lend me $1.5 million. I was turned down 32 times by male bankers. My 33rd presentation was to a female banker in New York. She didn't even let me finish my pitch before agreeing to give me the money."
—Catherine Hughes, Founder and Chairperson, Radio One

Next: How to get help
Published 03/09/2023

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