Small & Mighty Biz

Small & Mighty Biz Inspiring business stories for the bold and the brave shared by long-time entrepreneur Carol Gancia.

04/22/2023

If you already have a brick and mortar retail store, does it still make sense to vend at pop ups? There is no right or wrong answer but here's a perspective about the advantages of pop ups.

We may have heard of the saying, "never put your eggs in one basket." A retail store is expensive to maintain. You need to constantly feed it especially during the first few years. The pop ups give you an opportunity to extend your reach, bring more traffic to your store and grow your email list for those email campaigns that bring in online sales traffic for you.

04/08/2023

Have you heard of the business acronym, K.I.S.S.? It means Keep It Simple, Stupid. Every day, I think about ways I can simplify our business processes at Kokak Chocolates. We continuously evaluate if our system is working. We regroup and adjust based on our findings. We never stay in the same place too long unless it's so, so simple and effective that we cannot see where else to go.

Who will take care of our bulk chocolate order inquiries and how? How do we make the customer experience easy? Who is the best person for customer engagement?

Be better than yesterday. Always.

04/05/2023

What is the most important quality of a good business owner? There are a few I would love to highlight but today, I will focus on persistence. Never giving up.

Keep walking, even when times are hard. Think about what you can do differently to get a different result. Be persistent but not stubborn. Be open to new ideas and possibilities.

I am a solo business owner and often have to figure things out on my own. One of the things I do is role playing. I remove myself from the situation I'm in and pretend I am my own business adviser. You'll be surprised.

You know the answers to your own questions. You can give yourself the best advice. Would you be open to trying this? Let me know how the experience is for you.

04/01/2023

Are you in retail? Let's talk about the scary stuff in retail that business owners do not like bringing up. It's bad juju for business, they say, but if you are a small business owner in a buzzling metropolis, this may be part of your reality. Break Ins.

To put things in context, a 2am break in that was all of 40 seconds means $1,000 to quickly replace broken glass in your door or window and your cash drawer. If you're lucky, those are the only two items damaged at your store or cafe. This is the life of a retail shop or cafe owner in San Francisco and other major cities.

And yet, we hardly see this factored in when making our budget. I do not always use insurance to reimburse me because it drives up my rate. I weigh the repercussions before deciding. Maintenance and Repairs constitute a part of your annual expenses. And in as much as we don't want to think about it, setting aside a budget for unexpected and unwelcome expenses is the mark of good business planning. Have you ever had this unfortunate incident happen to you or your loved ones?

03/05/2023

You just moved. Starting a business in a new place?

During and after the pandemic, many decided to move to far-flung locations where they don't really know anybody. How do you start a business without community support?

It's easy to get overwhelmed. Pace yourself. Plan a year of building your network without the pressure of bringing in steady business income by working full time or finding other income sources.

Find a nonprofit entrepreneurial support group. Enrol in classes to establish relationships and meet people. Learn the lay of the land.

I speak from my experience of moving to San Francisco in 2004. I knew all of two friends. It was scary, exciting and a wild ride. We will all find our own people eventually but it is breaking down a game plan and your persistence that will make all the difference.

03/04/2023

Here's a challenge I hear often. You love having your own business but you are not crazy about numbers. You just hired a bookkeeper. It's so tempting to take your attention away from the books and focus on marketing, production, customer service, and shipping.

Once you make a decision to be a business owner, your source of truth is your accounting books. Download QuickBooks Online on your phone and review your numbers daily. Even for just a few minutes.

Check the expense transactions. Run reports. Check where you spend the most money on? See which customers bring you the most income. Double check the entries. Expect errors, no matter how amazing your new hire is. No one knows your transactions and cares about your books more than you, the owner.

Save yourself the trouble of having to untangle a future financial mess by paying attention.

- Carol at Ripplemakers

03/02/2023

"Hello small and mighty friends! It was a long night for me last night crunching the numbers and mulling over decisions I need to make this year for both my businesses.

If there's anything an entrepreneur needs to keep reminding herself, it's pacing yourself so there is enough time for rest, sleep and healthy meals.

And today, I am saying it out loud... to myself and all of you- pause, get a massage, eat Filipino arroz caldo (perfect for San Francisco winter!) and call your funniest friend for a good laugh.

I love being an entrepreneur. It is an honor to share my passion with you and hopefully help inspire your next business idea.

Love to you all."

- Carol Gancia, Owner and Founder,
Ripplemakers, Inc
Kokak Chocolates

02/27/2023

Good morning, San Francisco! I'm Carol Gancia, owner and founder of two active businesses in San Francisco. I remember feeling both excited and scared to start my first business. I was all of 23 years old. Not fully understanding what I was getting myself into, I jumped head first. Luckily, it worked and there were many lessons along the way. I hope to pass those lessons along to you as a way of paying it forward. It takes a village to grow a business and I had a lot of unexpected help through the years. Do you ever think about starting your own business? Do you have a burning question in your mind? Post on the comments section and I'll post a reply.

10/23/2022

Day One for Small & Mighty Biz on social! 🌈

S&MB is home to inspiring business stories and a place where you can go to ask burning questions about your business. I have been an entrepreneur since 1995 and have gone through so many challenges that have helped me grow as an entrepreneur and a human being. One of my biggest passions is to help other entrepreneurs start, build and thrive in their own businesses.

Our website is in the works at www.smallmightybiz.com

Follow us to be biz inspired! Let's engage.

All my best,
Carol Gancia
Founder and President, Ripplemakers
Founder and Head Chocolatier, Kokak Chocolates

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