I’m closing Stay at Home Rock Star, at least the retail side. I mean really, how many AWESOME things can a girl have in her life?! It’s been amazing and taught me so much about business (and myself) and I’ve made friends with people that I would have never made friends with because of it.
There are seasons in life and business. I am all about leaving room and space in weekly schedules and in life for new things to flow in. To bring some new projects, specifically ministry opportunities, I must let go of something. (Years ago, I let go Social Butterflies Charlotte when SAHRS was taking off. No regrets. It was a wise business decision.) Stay at Home Rock Star was my second online baby. She taught me about retail, wholesale, consigning, trademarks, sales tax and more!
It was a complete success in that, yes, it was profitable, but I created a true online community. It was just big enough to have some wonderful celebrations- I was in boutiques and shops from here to Oklahoma! I went to AmericasMart my first year! But it also stayed small enough so that I wasn’t overwhelmed and the business didn’t take over my family life. The bigger success was the healthy online community. Someone said, you haven’t made it til you have a hater, but I don’t remember one hater. My followers were amazingly supportive. We were moms, in the thick of the stay-at-home life. The online community helped an extravert like me claim that I was still alive, and cool, and funny while I was stuck in my house with busy preschoolers. Is it easy to let go? Actually, yes. Maybe I trust my business sense now. If the big pay off was community, I have plenty of community around me now, with Vend Raleigh and the mission work I do. And if I have regrets? I can reopen or open another shop.
Mandy Becker of Swagger Gifts and Krista Cathey of GreenPea Baby and Child (both in Cary, NC) were invaluable to me at the beginning of Stay at Home Rock Star. Both of these ladies (now friends) taught me what sales sheets were, how to consign, what wholesale was all about, price points and more! They also taught me what it’s like to be an encourager and really planted the seed that became Vend Raleigh- women collaborating and teaching one another about business.
Thank you to my beach bestie for saying, “You should totally do that!”, on the beach years ago. Thank you to Robert Heise for giving me start up money! ha! Thank you Melissa Myers Cackovic of Pinky Promise Photography for making me look good! Thank you Rock Star friends for buying my stuff and having fun with me online. I mean, look at this photo stream of my Rock Stars over the past couple years!
The End.
Nope. That’s not it. I keep learning and growing!
I have emails coming from Mompreneurs saying they want to quit their businesses, too! For the first time ever I am encouraging women to stop creating business when I’m usually telling women to start it up! I’ve been giving them “permission” to quit. Dare I quote the new Cinderella movie?
Just because it’s done, doesn’t mean it should be done.
If you are thinking you want to end your business, ask yourself these questions. Are you doing it because you’ve just always done it? Are there parts of the business that you dread or dislike? Is the passion gone? Do you dream of doing something else? Are you holding on to a business because it is successful and why change things? Or are you holding on to a business that really isn’t that successful but you keep thinking maybe it will be? Do you see ending a business as quitting or giving up?
For me, it was a season. A season of wonderful learning experiences and great creativity, and now I’m simply ready for the next good thing.
Also, I’ve been approached by several that want to buy the business! So the learning continues as I meet with attorneys and talk about selling, contracts, LLC memberships and assets. Stay at Home Rock Star continues to teach me! (To be honest, the idea of creating businesses and selling them gives me a thrill!)
I offer small business consulting hours, mompreneurs, and I’d love to talk with you to review your business or your new business ideas!
Rock on~
Cary Heise
Founder of Vend Raleigh
- Say Hello to Amber! - January 30, 2020
- Welcome the NEW Leader and Owner of Vend Raleigh… - January 28, 2020
- It’s a New Season - January 27, 2020
Comments
Cary, good for you for making this decision. It’s not an easy one to make, and I’ve seen ‘mompreneurs’ hold onto businesses for way too long, for lots of different reasons. I think it was Winston Churchill who’s often quoted as saying “Never ever, ever, ever, ever give up”. I diagree, respectfully! 🙂 Sometimes you need to give up, give in, and/or move on to different/better/bigger (or even smaller!) things. 🙂
Wow! You’ve come full circle! I’m so sad to see SAHRS go, although I will continue to wear my sweatshirt proudly. And I’m really excited that you might be selling the brand (because that was my first thought when you announced- this is too good to just disappear)!
Thank you for all of the help you have provided me and countless others to start, improve, and now close businesses. I’m excited to see what’s next for you!
My business is better because of you!
I have a small jewelry business that’s growing fast and would love for any advise you can give to stay successful! ❤️
I’m emailing you, Jill.