Look at our numbers!
We were in a tight spot and now we are able to do active debt reduction. The business is thriving and we are confident we’ll do well in the current economy.
My first quarter revenue in 2008 was equal to my total revenue for all of 2007!
I am halfway to my annual revenue goal at the beginning of quarter two; I trained an assistant, got a web page put together, hired someone to help with marketing, and plan to take 8 weeks of vacation in 2008!
We’ve nearly doubled our sales!
Cynthia brought order to our business by showing us how to achieve excellence in our retail store. Who knew the numbers could be so sexy!
2006 sales went from 0-$185K and this year will be even better!
I regained my core confidence by having to verbalize, write things down and engage in the planning process.
I started at zero and now I have clients and income!
I wanted to do things right from the beginning and knew I needed guidance. I wanted to work with Cynthia because she had started, run and sold a successful company.
I love my business!
Two years ago, I was burnt out and ready to sell or fold. But now I’m excited about going to work every day.
How did you find out about Women Building Business?
Through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Cynthia gave a workshop I thought was great—really interesting. And I’d always wanted to work with her because I knew she owned Making It Big, a multi million dollar company. I wanted to talk to her, to ask her how she grew her company.
What made you want to sign up to take a course with Cynthia? I was feeling really burnt out. I joined because I wanted to get my company strong and sell it. But instead, I got inspired. And I have no desire to sell my business at this point.
Which courses have you taken from Cynthia? I first joined Move Forward Faster, a co-ed group of business owners where we did the One Page Business Plan. Since then I have been a part of the monthly Biz Diva women’s group. I also do 1-on-1 work with Cynthia on financial literacy. It’s been really good—she’s got great down-to-earth help for finances.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned? To ask for help.
The most surprising or unexpected thing? I didn’t realize how essential the support of a group of like-minded women would be to the quality of my work life. As a small business owner I work pretty much in isolation—I don’t have peers at the office. I felt like there was nobody I could talk to about what was going on. I was ashamed of my failures, and there was no one I could really celebrate my successes with, until I became a part of Women Building Business.
How have your business skills grown? I’ve got a better grip on the finances, I understand about receivables, payables, cash flow, I can set a financial goal, know what I have to do to reach it, and then meet it. And I can quantify things, which I wasn’t able to do before.
How has your business (and personal life) improved as a result? I am working smarter—so I’m working less and getting more done. I’ve also learned to take charge —I’m more confident in leading my company. The more classes I take, and the more time I spend with my peer group, the greater my confidence. I can give more direct feedback to my employees; they’re happier and more productive as a result.
Our sales have grown 20% as a direct result of working with Cynthia. I’ve been able to cut my costs, so my profit margin has increased. And I’ve learned how to delegate so I can focus on high-level tasks as a director.
If on a scale of 1-10, 10 was the best possible work life and 1 was the worst, when I began working with Cynthia, I was a 2. I’m an 8 now, and I know I’m going to reach 10 by the end of the year. I’m on track and I can really feel it!
Would you encourage others to take classes with Cynthia? Absolutely.
—Cris Eggers
Owner, Communique Interpreting
I have changed direction as a result of the work I am doing with Cynthia
Now that I know my target market, my marketing efforts are more successful.
One of the first things I did was to reduce my overhead by half!
I reduced my monthly overhead by about $2500, which gave me breathing room and I was able to start thinking more clearly.
I found out that I was doing lots of things right. I didn’t know that before the class!
I learned the importance of having a big picture view of my company. I want to invest in my business now to reap the rewards later.
The most important thing I learned is that being part of a supportive group is priceless.
Rather than sharing my business trials and tribulations with my husband, I now have a group of people who will listen to me and provide useful feedback.
I surpassed my first year’s sales goal by 25%!
A year ago I opened my business in a small conservative town of 20,000 people who didn’t know what life coaching was. I now have an average of 10-15 coaching clients a week.
My revenue increased far beyond my expectations!
When I first started working with Cynthia three years ago, my business grossed about $30K. Last year, it grossed over $400K.
.jpg)
