Each week, The Globe and Mail seek advice from the experts to help out small or medium-sized business owners overcome an issue that affects a lot.
Jennifer Morley is the owner of Kaleidoscope Art Studio - a place where students come to get lessons on applying oil paint to a canvas or making a batik print. Morley started her business five years ago in the dining room of her previous home where the students can enjoy a view of the river.
Morley also shared how her business insurance requires her to be onsite while the classes are going. It was apparently hard for her to take time off her professional development training or to spend leisure time with her daughters. "What happens is when I come back and call people about upcoming art classes, they'll often tell me that they're going to take this month off and come back next month. The last time I went away it took me a month to get classes full again," Morley said.
Rudkins Small Business Solutions consultant Tim Rudkins suggested that Morley needs to be clear about how much the insurance would change and must understand that this is what building a business would cost her. "She should also find some channel partners - such as art shops and schools - that will sell for her. Use the various artists as well and pay them based on training but also a percentage of the revenue they bring in. All of these approaches can be done from flexible locations and times, which will allow for more travel and professional development," Rudkins suggested.
Karen Wright, an executive coach, suggested on the other hand that Morley should build a system that's working even if she isn't present. "She needs to be able to go away and come back, and realize that the business is still going," Wright said.
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