Contributed by Jenn Kampmeier, Kampmeier Enterprises

Have you ever had to change a diaper at three o’clock in the morning?  You have one eye open, your baby is fussing, and you’re trying to snap the bottom of the pj’s.  Frustrated and cursing under your breath you think; there has to be a better way!  Enter Hello World Clothing Company.

“Hello World® is the brain child of a loving family who wanted an easier way for savvy parents to connect with the needs of their children and with their own world. We realize that busy parents and children have one important common thread: each other. When your child shines the eyes of innocence in your direction, everything else is insignificant.”

“The first product was the SmartZip Sleeper.  It comes in blue “Blue Me Away” and pink “Made Me Blush”  Both have brown accents.  The sleeper has a two-way zipper that allows you to unzip from the top for traditional dressing, and it has an additional zipper pull at the bottom, so you can unzip from the bottom, where access is needed most during a diaper change.  No more little arms wiggling out at the top when you want to change a diaper at the bottom!”

“Our second product was the SimpleZip Pant.  This pant has a one way zipper at the inseam.  This allows for one simple zip when changing the diaper.  I loved the snap pants, but didn’t enjoy realigning them.  And there weren’t very many on the market.  I also would get frustrated when I would be in a public restroom, if I had to take pants completely off.  They would inevitably fall on the dirty floor.  I wanted to simplify a sometimes very stressful situation for all caregivers.”

“We also unveiled a new green color unisex sleeper “Olive You More”.  Our sizes range from 0-24m.”

Where were these gems when I was changing diapers? Not only do they make great products, they understand part of being in business is giving back to the community.   “Hello World Clothing Company has a giving back foundation that donates 5% proceeds of online sales to The Aidan Brown Foundation, a local charity that raises money to provide iPads to children in the hospital with cancer, in honor of Aidan Brown, who fought Neuroblastoma and won! We donate sleepers and 5% proceeds to The New Life Home Orphanage in Kenya through the Amani Foundation.  This was inspired by a local girl in my daughter’s school and her family that  created the Amani Foundation to help support the orphanage where they adopted their daughter.”

“We are currently working with a tube fed children’s organization.  It turns out our sleepers are a great answer for tube fed babies.  The two-way zipper allows for an opening anywhere along the body.  The parents typically cut holes in clothes or use gowns.  Our sleepers keep their babies warm and comfortable while keeping the tube in place.  I get letters all the time from parents wanting bigger sizes and more colors.  Our hope is to run a yearly holiday campaign to provide one sleeper to the foundation for every one sold on our site. ”

Hello World made their first sale in June of 2009, they continue to grow and learn new things daily.  Thoughts on being a business owner, what does it take?  “Money!  It takes money to start and keep going, but sales take time to catch up to that initial investment.  I believe if you do your research, continuously ask questions and give it your all, you will succeed.  In the end the business may fail, but at least I took a risk, had fun and learned a lot about myself.  I also have more enthusiasm and less trepidation about launching new ideas.”

That’s good, because we love those zippers!

For additional information: www.helloworldclothing.com

Hannah Hilliard

Hannah Hilliard Photography (HHP) is an on-location and studio photography company based out of Fishers, Indiana that primarily services Hamilton County residents.  Most clients consist of newborns, kids, families and high school seniors.

Hanah, why did you decide to start your own business?

The main reason I decided to start my own business was because I knew I had what it took to succeed.  I believe in myself, am proud and confident of my skills and my ability to see the big picture.  Sounds silly but it’s sort of ingrained in people and we are wired differently.  My industry is a little different than others as I’m not reinventing the wheel, but providing my own style of art in photography and exemplary customer service.

So, what do you like most about owning your own business?

Photography is powerful.  I love capturing emotion both in the photo sessions and then when delivering the product.  Capturing memories is so important and I love being part of that.

What has  surprised you most about owning your own business?

There is a lot of paperwork involved to maintain a business and also start your business.  I didn’t realize I’d be spending as much time doing clerical work as I do.

As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?

I guess this answer is due to the fact that I still consider myself a stay at home mom.  Editing keeps me up at night!  I typically edit once the kids go to bed and am up until around 2am.  I like to edit a full session at one time and it’s easiest when I’m not chasing two little kids around.  I think I’d worry more about the business side if I didn’t have such a supportive husband who encourages me and believes in me.

What one characteristic do you think successful entrepreneurs must have?

Confidence!  It’s not easy to step out on your own.  At the beginning, you lose the comfort and security of a consistent paycheck but have to remain confident in yourself and why you decided to step out on your own.  If you don’t believe in yourself then no one else will.

Tell us a little know fact about you.

I’m obsessed with antique shopping and addicted to photo props.  Everything I see can be used somehow and someway.  My husband just rolls his eyes and smirks when I come home from antique shopping with a vintage tricycle, old buggy and some milk crates in my car.

Tell us about your business Michelle.

My business name is Professional Skills Consulting, Inc. and my services center around tangible initiatives that transfer skills to make businesses run leaner, more efficiently, more organized, and more productive.  It is about bridging the skills that gap education to the private sector.  These are among the things we consider “Professional Skills”:

Complex Information Analysis, Company Culture, Presentation Skills, Making Optimal Use of Software, Workplace Organization, Decision Making, Time Management, Verbal and Written Communication, Multi-generational Effectiveness in the Workplace, Developing Management Skills, and that’s just a sampling! All of my material is uniquely tailored to the needs of each client. Nothing is canned or re-used, and this makes it surprisingly more cost-effective.

Why did you decide to start your own business?

I’ve always worked for myself in some capacity. I’m an entrepreneur at heart. Twelve years ago, when my daughter was small, I realized there was a market for my services. I was working with my husband’s company, which was being acquired by two different companies.  As we were preparing the office for acquisition, I was taking a lot of calls from clients with various needs, and it occurred to me there was a market for skills training that wasn’t being met. I decided I could more effectively manage my time and transition into workforce intensity as my daughter grew.

What do you like most about owning your own business?

That I’m constantly challenged by new projects and new problems to solve, and that I meet new people every day.

What has been your greatest surprise about business ownership?

The sheer volume and respectability of the clients I work with, that after 12 years I still have this much momentum, and that every day is still as exciting as the last.

As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?

Nothing! I’m exhausted; I’m a business owner, after all.

Seriously, I am intensely protective of my client’s privacy. Most of my training and consulting is based around their needs. So, sometimes it can be hard to protect them while still telling the world what exactly Professional Skills Consulting, Inc. does.

What one characteristic do you think successful entrepreneurs must have? Why?

Adaptability. There will always be changes in both market and mindsets, and because of those changes, the more adaptable you are, the most successful you will be.

Tell us a little-known fact about you.

Dating back all the way to high school, I had two passions: art and business, and I was a not a very good artist. Having chosen to pursue business, I realized that my passion for art was more a passion for finding ways to inspire people— and that exists in business too. In my art classes, I began to see the difference between artistic execution and marketing. Marketing is not something they really deeply address in high school, but I began to understand that the reason I wanted to be in art class was to help inspire people. Now I realize that combining right- and left-brain thinking is what allows people to use their skills most effectively.

Find Michelle

• Twitter: @MichelleSyb
• Facebook: Professional Skills Consulting Inc.
• LinkedIn: J. Michelle Sybesma