Are you ready to start a small business but unsure of what you could possibly do? One key to success is to choose a field that you already know well. The coach and assistant coach of University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball team did exactly this, and it has paid off immensely.

Like many athletes, Susan Walvius and Michelle Marciniak loved the latest innovations in performance apparel. One day Walvius remarked to Marciniak that she wished there were bed sheets made out of the soft, breathable fabrics that she wore every day in her job. Marciniak pointed out that this was an excellent business idea and the company Sheex was formed.

Luckily, the two women worked at a college and had access to business experts who advised them on how to open a small business. They set themselves to learning everything about performance clothing and the field of bedding in general, including how sports companies create moisture-wicking and heat-transferring garments. They then patented the idea to keep competition from springing up before they had even started.

This was the easy part. From there, the pair had to raise the one million dollars that it would take to launch the business, find a manufacturing facility equipped to make their product, and convince stores to carry it. Although it took constant phone calls and emails, just a few months from their land-breaking conversation they had a product ready to sell.

Sheex has been available online since this spring. The women have paid particular attention to branding, determining their market, and marketing in targeted, cost effective ways. The tagline, “Sleep better. Play better” makes it clear what benefit this brand offers athletes. Although athletes are certainly the target audience, many people are looking for any way to sleep better at night.

Fortune named these two women among the top entrepreneurs of the year for their drive and incredible gains in an economy that seems pre-set to failure. Determined to give back to the community throughout their trek to success, both women have participated in business summits. These commitments combined with marketing take them away from home almost constantly, but the work is worth the prize: a successful company.

Sheex’s big break came recently, when the NBA asked to distribute the bedding in their Manhattan store. This opens the door for other sales through the well known basketball association, including in the many branded stores as well as on the website. However, if you need a cool, comfortable night of sleep, the bedding is currently for sale on its own website as well.

Do you have a great idea for a small business? Sheex is a good example of how to make it happen. Talk to experts and get to know everything about your field. Get necessary patents and trademarks to protect your company from impostors. Then, build a brand, complete with a professional logo, and market your product aggressively. If your product has any potential for success, these steps are sure to lead you there.

While many people have visited Israel’s Dead Sea, few have seen it as a business opportunity. However the founders of Ahava saw a cosmetics company in the making. Once a tourist stand, the company has now spread out to a global market and is finding unbelievable success in the highly competitive cosmetics industry.

The Dead Sea is appropriately named; no fish or aquatic plants can survive the warm, hyper-salinated water. The surroundings are similarly bare except for the occasional tourist. However, there are two things that the Dead Sea has in quantity: mud and salt.

Ziva Gilad, a local, noticed that many tourists brought home a bottle of mud. She found a business partner in fellow local businessman Yacov Gilad. They hired locals to bottle the area’s abundant salts and mud and opened a stand selling them to visitors under the brand name Ahava, which is Hebrew for ‘love’. Several stores throughout Israel began selling the brand as well, helping the company achieve over one million dollars in sales its first year. However, the owners had already set their sights higher: on a global market fascinated with the ancient.

The Dead Sea has a constant flow of tourists who claim the native mud and salts have healing and rejuvenating qualities. The owners were confident that people all around the world would be interested in the product as well—if they even knew about it. Ahava began selling in the United States and Europe, but needed capital for marketing their product. With just seven million people in Israel, many of whom have access to native mud and salt, the company knew that success meant exposing a global audience to their unique, high value brand. An American company owned by Disney offered money to launch a global marketing campaign in exchange for a twenty percent holding in the relatively young company.

The company now is sold in high end department stores with success that few tourist stands could even hope for, and even opened flagship stores in major global cities. They have branched out from muds and salts to a new line of mineral makeup that is set to debut in a few months. Ahava’s profits are expected to double or triple in the next few years. However, there have been a few bumps in the road.

First, there are many all natural cosmetics on the market, giving customers a wide range of choices besides this one company. They are not the only company claiming to have a natural and ancient product. Second, with Israel a politically polarized topic, some people may be turned off by the brand’s main selling point, its geographical origin. Last, many women prefer to trust their skin to proven, well known products—that is, this small brand’s competitors.

Another challenge is the geographical challenges facing the Dead Sea. Much of its water comes from the Jordan River, which is being diverted for agricultural needs. With the annual temperatures rising every year, increased evaporation also threatens the body of water. The Dead Sea’s levels have dropped eight feet in the last three decades; if this continues, there soon may be no mud to harvest. In response, Ahava has become increasingly involved in ecological efforts to save the Dead Sea, adding to the value of their brand.

Are you looking to start a small business? Ahava’s success shows that a small, local industry can become a global competitor if the marketing and the brand are right.

Cincinnati’s Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli was poised to become another casualty of the economy in 2008. With expenses rising by the day and customer traffic dwindling, owner Gary Gottenbusch worried about the future of his ten formerly bustling locations.

Coming from a long line of European-style bakers, Gottenbusch was offering a superior product that nonetheless had a high cost in quality materials and time from skilled bakers. He couldn’t reduce his overhead without changing the quality of his business, but customers were trended toward smaller, lower profit items in an effort to balance their own budgets. It was time for the company to make changes that would keep it viable for both the recession and the future.

Gottenbusch knew that he needed expert advice, and he got it through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is a Department of Commerce program that helps small businesses get expert advice from industry specialists. Guided by consultants, Servatii was reinvented with a new, streamlined process and an expanded line of offerings. He began marketing to new niche groups and joined a purchasing association to drive costs down. He even bought a new location, expanding when others were cutting back.

As a result, Servatii has thrived, with sales increasing 15% in a down economy. One key has been the increased focus on specialty goods. Consultants urged Gottenbusch to offer selections that were low cost and not available in other venues. Some of these products, such as the pumpkin pretzel, have become local favorites.

Another part of the expansion has been to area hospitals. Gottenbusch noticed when his children were born that the selection of foods at local hospitals was simple and unappetizing. This opened up a whole new (and relatively captive) market while allowing new customers to try his products. As a result, ten percent of the company’s sales are through a handful of local hospitals.

This led to a few healthy changes as well. Gottenbusch started making all Servatii breads free of trans fats. He switched frying oil to a healthier oil that was trans fat free as well. He also started including more complete nutrition information on all of his products.

Mindful of the recession, Gottenbusch also expanded his line to include smaller, value goods. One of these was a small pretzel with grooves on the side allowing eaters to tear off bites. He also added more bite sized pastries, allowing people to get a luxury food fix for little more than loose change. This led to another now popular product: plates of mixed bite sized pastries. Customers who try and love the mini pastries like being able to purchase and sample a variety of them.

Change is inevitable, and changing with the times is the only way for a business owner to survive the times. Offering new products that cater to modern tastes and attitudes while expanding to new markets—all with the advice of industry experts and branding consultants—is one way to make sure that your business doesn’t become another one of the dismal small business failure statistics.

Many small businesses are looking at Twitter as a way to market themselves and build a brand as well as Using Social Media to Promote Your Website. However, Sean Callahan looked at Twitter and saw an opportunity to build a business based entirely on this popular communication website.

TweetPhoto Inc. began with humble roots. The company opened its photo sharing service with a single web page and a Twitter-based announcement, but this was just the beginning. Callahan had big plans for his start up, but he knew he had to act fast. TwitPic, another company offering the same service, was gaining support every day. The longer TweetPhoto was delayed in the development process, the more strength and support their rival would gain.

Using Twitter, Callahan began building his business. His site was not ready for photo sharing yet, but he documented the path using tweets and a Twitter based blog. This meant that he was gaining a following and getting free publicity even before his company opened for business. He shared his victories and defeats, in the meantime presenting his business as an underdog option with an innovative leader at the helm. He had picked the right platform for this social networking; Twitter’s users have grown four-fold to more than 23 million people.

How does Twitter work? First, people can subscribe to your ‘tweets’—that is, updates. These are short and simple, usually just a few phrases. There are several ways that people can find your stream and subscribe to updates. You can initiate contact with them, or they can find you either through a search or another person.

As with other social media, Twitter has certain unspoken rules. First, tweets should be personal and informative. Messages that are boring or offensive will result in a small and unhappy subscriber base. Second, Twitter users are very community oriented. Commenting on other people’s tweets is an essential part of the process.

TweetPhoto’s first tweet was a call for testers to try out the first version of TweetPhoto, which was not yet developed. The second tweet was to Rodney Rumford, a social media expert. Callahan hoped that Rumford would try the media and offer feedback, but he went a step further. Rumford became TweetPhoto’s co-founder and Callahan’s new business partner.

Using Twitter also helped TweetPhoto to keep an eye on the competition. When TwitPic was temporarily down, Callahan searched the Twitter website for complaining tweets and offered these people a chance to try his own website. This led to many new users. The company also scans Twitter for complaints about their own business. This allows the owners to respond to issues before they become large enough to compromise the business.

However, even the best planned business can suffer setbacks. Soon after it opened, TweetPhoto was hacked. While it only took a few hours to remedy the problem, it nonetheless impinged on the site’s image as safe and friendly. However, the owners bounced back quickly and began offering new tools, such as an i-Phone application.

Many people think that social media is a waste of time, but the success of this small business proves that it is not. With millions of people using Twitter along every day, it represents and enormous audience that can be reached for no cost whatsoever. Using it wisely may make you the next small business success story.

Many consider the health and beauty field hopelessly crowded and competitive, too much so for a small business owner to make their mark. However, Francesco Clark saw just the opposite. He saw a field without the high quality, natural products that many consumers are seeking. This led to the birth of Clark’s Botanicals.

Clark suffered a severe injury in 2002 that left him without the ability to move or even feel the majority of his body. His skin condition began to deteriorate because of the injury. Clark then asked his father, a physician and homeopath, to help him design skin products that would help him. Together, they developed a line of botanically-based products that would become Clark’s Botanicals.

The two shared some of their products with family and friends, and were amazed at the positive feedback. People loved the smell of the essential oils that were key ingredients along with the absence of irritating chemicals. This led to positive word of mouth buzz and a unique opportunity to enter the health and beauty field with an already strong group of customers and supporters.

Clark began with no marketing budget, but he quickly learned that the media could be used for free advertising. He had a compelling story that large news outlets wanted to portray. He also had a strong product that industry magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar wanted to cover. Because Clark had previously worked in the beauty magazine industry, he knew how to present his product so it would be snatched up as a news piece.

This and other free publicity have bolstered Clark’s Botanicals almost overnight to a national, well known brands. Even first lady Michelle Obama has been known to rave about them. After only five years in business, Clark’s Botanicals has fourteen employees and annual revenue of eight million. This is truly a grassroots, small business success story.

Francesco Clark has not forgotten the reason for his product line’s institution. He is interested in helping people with spinal cord injuries and donates a percentage of the company profits to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Despite his own health issues, or perhaps because of them, Clark has found success and made himself the unlikely hero of people with similar conditions.

Even if you don’t have as compelling a story or as strong of media connections, there are a few things you can learn from Clark’s Botanicals. First, allowing people to sample your product and learn about what makes it unique can create immense buzz and set your company up for success. Second, don’t be shy about using your existing contacts in a way that helps your business. Last, let the media be your friend. Even if you don’t have as compelling a story as Francesco Clark, you still are likely to have some unique feature that can become an interesting media story.

As you can see, small business success can be had by anyone, no matter what barriers stand in your way. The secret is to create a unique product and promote it constantly. Francesco Clark has found unlikely business success and so can you!

Marketing through Online Auctions: A Small Business Success Story

Many people have a beloved hobby or even just a creative streak. While these people might dream of finding a way to make a living doing what they love, few are brave enough to take the leap. However, everything is possible when it comes to small businesses. Krystle Walsh is living proof that small business owners can find success doing what they do best, whatever that might be.

Krystle Walsh was always a crafty, creative person. As a child, she loved to paint and make things for friends and family. As she grew older, the gifts became more elaborate and her skill set grew to a professional level. Her beaded candy canes were a favorite gift, but still Walsh never considered using her artistic streak as a lucrative source of income.

Krystle’s family was the springboard to her success. As she grew older, her handmade gifts became more and more in demand. Her family encouraged her to begin a small business selling her creations. She finally turned to Etsy, an online auction site specializing in handmade goods. Although Walsh began selling a variety of goods, she soon narrowed her range to beadwork jewelry and bows. Her products were so popular that she opened two stores on the website. DKjewels is a store featuring Krystle’s homemade beadwork and jewelry, while Ninjabowtique offers bows, pins, and other wearable art.

Krystle Walsh highly recommends Etsy.com as a way to market homemade goods. In her case, this one website makes up the bulk of her profit. Etsy is easy to master with just a little investment of time, with a growing number of visitors perusing the site every day. Etsy also offers support services and ways of interacting with other sellers. However, Krystle also sells her goods through Artfire and a North Carolina gift shop.

Krystle uses inspiration from her daily life to come up with new designs. Rather than sticking to one style, both stores sell a variety of fashions, from old-fashioned designs to ultra-modern ones. All creations, however, have one thing in common: the high quality and attention to detail that only a small business owner can provide.

Krystle feels that one of the keys to succeeding in any internet business is to show lots of pictures of the merchandise. Not only do pictures give buyers an idea of what merchandise they will be getting for their money, they also grab attention and promote an emotional attachment to the product. Krystle also recommends communicating with customers. Answering questions politely and promptly promotes your brand and encourages customers to do business with you.

In the future, Krystle plans to expand her business to other areas, such as metal working and lamp making. However, any expansions will be made with her attention to detail and creative touch. Krystle has found great success in internet sales, but she plans to keep growth slow and steady. She opened her business in hopes of making a living while being a stay at home mother and wife, and this business plan helps her keep her priorities in line.

Have you ever been absolutely disgusted with a flaw in a certain product? Lisa Rudes-Sandel (seen to the right in the above photo) felt the same way. Try as she might, she simply could not find a pair of jeans to fit her body type. Like many successful small business owners, she turned her insider knowledge of a product’s flaws and drawbacks into a booming enterprise while not committing Top 5 Branding Mistakes that Female Entrepreneurs Commit.

Jeans have traditionally been considered a youth product. They are generally made with stylish cuts that compliment a toned and youthful figure and details that attract a barely post-adolescent age group. However, middle aged women also wear jeans, and often find that there are few choices that fit a womanly figure. Lisa Rudes-Sandel was one of these women. She was tired of choosing between jeans that were either uncomfortable or buying ones that were several sizes too large and unflattering. She tried working out, but was unable to get down to the tiny figure that most jeans were made for. She knew from looking around her that many women, especially women who had several children, shared her unfortunate plight. With shopping for jeans a complete nightmare, Rudes-Sandel knew she had a market for a new type of blue jeans.

As the daughter of the owner of St. Germain, a women’s denim design company, Lisa had a solid awareness of what it takes to run a clothing business. She spoke to her father and several other family members about how to open a clothing company in this underserved niche. With her sister Leslie, she founded Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, a company specializing in denim products made especially for women over age forty. Rather than skinny jeans made to compliment youthful figures, these jeans are realistic and made to flatter a fuller figure.

One way of doing this was by adding Lycra to the denim for a little stretch. This allowed women of different shapes to fit comfortably in the same styles. Her Tummy Tuck Jeans also feature a panel that flattens the stomach without constricting it. All models are cut to flatter the curvier figure while maintaining maximum comfort. While older women might once have balked at leaving the house in jeans, these are attractive and fit well enough to be worn almost anywhere.

While Not Your Daughter’s Jeans began as a small business, they have found quite a following among women tired of pouch-like stomachs and muffin tops. The company offers a variety of styles from classic to ultra-stylish, all cut to flatter a middle aged figure. The jeans are being sold by a variety of stores, including retail giants such as Macy’s and Nordstrom. The company recently hit $50 million in sales, making it a true success.

What does this mean for the average business owner? First, finding a niche is crucial to success. Second, knowing your target market is crucial. Rudes-Sandel could have expanded her jeans enterprise to other markets, but she knew that this would compromise the viability of her core brand. With these two elements, there is no reason your own small business can’t be another small business success.

If you think the statistics for small business success are discouraging, you should see the ones for small businesses offering consultancy services. Everyone thinks they have advice worth paying for, but the key is to find a business that agrees. Sharifah Hardie’s small business success story proves that consultants can succeed if they have the drive and the knowledge of their field.

Sharifah Hardie noticed in the mid-nineties that she was spending an increasing amount of time responding to queries about how to build a successful small business. She decided to turn her know-how into a successful career. She launched a business offering guidance to small and medium sized businesses, and was subsequently offered an internet radio show as well as a television series.

However, the road was not always as easy as it sounds. Hardie reports that she initially struggled to present a legitimate and credible image. Many of her prospective clients felt that a small, home-based business was not as legitimate as one with multiple offices and a long track record. Another key problem was one faced by many small business owners. As the sole proprietor of her consultancy, Sharifah Hardie was expected to become an overnight expert on a diverse range subjects from accounting to marketing.

These can be significant setbacks, but Hardie has succeeded by being willing to put in the time and research needed to work through them. First, she always did research before making a decision. She advises that it is crucial to know your market, from products to customers to competitors. One of the key advantages of a small business is the ability to respond quickly to trends and changes, so it is important to keep your finger on the pulse of your market.

Another advantage that Hardie created for herself is a superior product. Instead of focusing on finances, she put her energy initially into creating the best possible services. This not only kept her current customers coming back, it lead to positive word of mouth marketing. This increased her customer base exponentially. Hardie also used social networking to further market her business. She emphasizes the importance of constantly and actively spreading the word about your business.

Ms. Hardie worked on her brand. In her case, she was the brand. She managed her public image the way a small business must manage their own public persona: by consulting an expert to settle on a desired image, and then making sure that every experience with her company bolstered that image. As a small business owner and a small business consultant, Sharifah Hardie feels that branding is one of the keys to finding success in any field.

Ms. Hardie advises believing in yourself as a business owner. If you cannot have confidence in your own abilities, it will be difficult to inspire others to pay for your products or services. Tell yourself daily that you are the best, and then work hard to live up to that image. If you adhere to this formula, you too may find the small business success that Sharifah Hardie and others just like her have enjoyed.