Call Dionne Phillips many things: Eyelash expert, celebrity
eyelash extension guru, entrepreneur, wife, but stingy with her
information? Never. Since launching ‘D’Lashes’ her Beverly Hills-based
studio in 2005, prior to that she worked at a top Los Angeles salon, and
before that, she was servicing African American and Asian
clients in New York City, pre-social media, Dionne has firmly
established herself as the queen of eyelashes. Shows like The Doctors, Good Morning America and Extra TV
all consult with Dionne, and clients as diverse as Naomi Campbell,
Victoria Beckham, Mindy Kaling, and even Steven Tyler, clamor to get an
appointment, which you wanna make at least 2-3 weeks in advance. Dionne is in business!
The great thing about this former actress and Toledo native is she
wants you to be in business too. Sharing what she knows, better yet, the
things no one shared with her, is a part of her higher purpose. So if
you’re planning on starting your own business, or you’re already a
company owner in need of a few tips, pull out your notebooks for 7 Things No One Tells You About Starting Your Own Business from Dionne Phillips!
- Ask Yourself, ‘Why Not Me?’ Why not?
Why not you? Saying these words will open you up and give you the
courage and strength to just do it! And that courage and strength that
you build from starting your business will carry over into every other
aspect of your life. Asking this also helps when you get discouraged.
- Know Your Numbers. Know how much everything is
going to cost. Know how much your rent, your lamps and tables are going
to cost. Don’t just go out buying stuff because you have some money in
the bank or you think you have a lot of money. It’s the reason a lot of
small businesses don’t get ahead. Big corporations know their numbers;
they bring in a CFO (Chief Financial Officer). If you don’t know your
numbers you don’t know your business.
- Watch Marcus Lemonis on CNBC. His show, The Profit,
is business 101. It breaks down the key to a successful business into
3 Easy Steps: People, Process and Product. The most important, I
believe, is Process. Meaning, if you were to train someone to work for
you, what are the 5 steps of running your business? Knowing this is key.
- Know All The Details of Having a Business. For
example, the certificates, licenses, inspections, taxes. A lot of people
have gone to jail and prison for taxes, but they have a nice car. Ask
someone with the same business as you what you need to know. It’ll keep
you from having to pay more money in the long run.
- Say Thank you. Send a nice thank you card or
get some cards made with your business name on them. We’ve lost the fine
art of saying thank you by sending text messages and a quick email.
That’s okay, but etiquette is still there. I get an abundance of flow
simply by saying thank you.
- Don’t Allow Anyone To Run Your Business.
Everyone thinks they need an assistant because they’re so busy. But what
happens is if that assistant ends up not being around for a while, say
it’s just a summer check for them, they end up running your business
into the hole. If you do hire someone, you want them to be smarter than
you, but you have to be in the loop with it. Otherwise, you might as
well just be an investor.
- Know Why You’re Doing This. People think that
by having their own business they’re going to be able to take off and go
on vacation all the time, but you end up working more for yourself than
you would for another corporation. Know the why because it’s your
higher purpose that keeps you going year three, five, and 10. Telling
people the things no one told me is a part of my higher purpose. Working
with cancer survivors and seeing how confident they feel when they get
up from my chair is a part of my bigger purpose. It’s a reminder that
I’m not just working for the money.
To find out more about Dionne and D’Lashes click here!
