Published 12-01-23
Submitted by GoDaddy
The holiday season is upon us, and for entrepreneurs, it's both a festive and frantic time of the year. Navigating the challenges of the holiday rush while maximizing opportunities requires strategic thinking and innovative approaches. To guide small businesses through this bustling period, we've gathered insights from Empower by GoDaddy Corporate Sustainability and ESG Manager Ebony Janelle, along with practical advice from graduates of Empower by GoDaddy – Bas Rouge Farm & Forge, Dragonfly Ink Designs, Four-M, Harp Vision and WhitePaws RunMitts. These insights and tips aim to provide guidance and inspiration to entrepreneurs at various stages of their journey.
Empower by GoDaddy is a global social impact program equipping entrepreneurs in underserved communities with the training, tools and resources necessary to uplevel their business success.
Ebony Janelle, Corporate Sustainability and ESG Manager
Ebony’s passion for small business stems from her personal experience witnessing her grandmother lose their family restaurant due to a lack of resources and capital. She lives out her commitment to supporting local communities through her role as an inclusive entrepreneurship expert with Empower by GoDaddy. Different cultures celebrate significant holidays throughout the year, which are opportunities for entrepreneurs to engage with their customers. Below, find Ebony’s tips for entrepreneurs:
Ivonne Vazquez, Bas Rouge Farm & Forge
Established in 2022, Bas Rouge Farm & Forge is a small acreage diversified farm located in Orono, Maine. Glenn Roberts and Ivonne Vazquez are a husband-and-wife team, both passionate about the land they steward and living sustainably within this landscape. What began as a homestead over a decade ago transitioned into several enterprises: Native Plants Nursery, Permaculture Design Consulting and Blacksmith Forge. Their tips include:
Kelly Howell, Dragonfly Ink Designs
Kelly Howell, owner of Dragonfly Ink Designs, has been an artist for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Oklahoma State University-IT with a degree in graphic design and expanded her artistic mediums into custom cowboy boot making, leather working and mural painting. She also hosts regular leather stamping and painting classes available for all ages. Kelly provides this advice to entrepreneurs:
Ryan Mills, Four-M
Ryan Mills is a San Diego-based founder of multimedia consulting firm Four-M, a turnkey, one-stop-shop for content creation, management services and marketing. Ryan shares his secrets to success, including:
April and Tyron Harper, Harp Vision
Both suffering from chronic conditions, April and Tyron Harper created Harp Vision to bring all-natural, high-quality wellness and beauty products that relieve pain and improve each customer’s quality of life. They power their business using this gained wisdom:
Susan Clayton, WhitePaws RunMitts
A running coach for the non-profit Back on My Feet, Susan Clayton couldn’t find mittens or gloves that kept her fingers and thumbs warm while running in the cold, so she invented WhitePaws RunMitts. RunMitts are convertible, thumbless mittens with inside pockets for hand warmers. Susan sets the pace using the following guidance:
The holiday season is a time of both challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs. But small businesses can navigate the holiday rush with strategic marketing, technological innovation and a focus on community and sustainability.
About seven new jobs are created by each microbusiness entrepreneur on a county-level, according to GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative. This season let's celebrate not just sales but also the impact small businesses can have on communities and well-being.
Support small businesses this holiday season. Visit godaddy.com/giftguide.
Empower by GoDaddy Spotlight Series: By partnering with diverse local nonprofits and community organizations around the world, Empower by GoDaddy aims to reach those who haven’t otherwise had access by offering skills training, resources, and mentoring to help accelerate their business journeys. This article is part of the Empower by GoDaddy spotlight series that shines a light on the individuals who make this unique initiative possible.
GoDaddy is empowering everyday entrepreneurs around the world by providing all of the help and tools to succeed online. GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers, sell their products and services, and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
GoDaddy focuses on making opportunity more inclusive for all in the communities where we work, live and play across the globe. We rally behind inclusive entrepreneurship and other critical local needs that empower people to succeed through philanthropic and in-kind donations, volunteerism, strategic partnerships and advocacy.
Empower by GoDaddy is GoDaddy's global community and philanthropic program equipping entrepreneurs in underserved communities with training, tools and peer networks to accelerate their journeys. GoDaddy rallies behind entrepreneurs in underserved communities by building their confidence and skills to strengthen their small business’ digital presence. Entrepreneurs engage in customized learning experiences, work 1-1 with GoDaddy volunteer coaches and local mentors, and gain access to wrap-around services, in-kind products and networks boosting their small businesses success.
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