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The weekend is coming to a close and I tried my best to take a "time out" from Cocoa Prints. I was excited to spend time with husband and my son but I found it really hard to not think about my game plan for the upcoming week. I've managed to turn what my husband initally referred to as a "keep her happy" hobby, into a very promising e-business. The thing was, I never in a million years thought that it would go anywhere. So, in a few months and many orders later, I've come to the realization that I'm not just a stay at home mom with a hobby anymore- I'm a real business owner who's discovered a niche, and now I'm on a serious mission to make this work.

To make this work, I knew that I need to put on the brakes and define my business. When people ask me what it is that I sell- what do I say? Who does Cocoa Prints want to be? I need to say what it is that I sell, and say it with complete and total confidence.

I honestly started my business backwards. I knew what I wanted to see as a consumer and a crafter. And the difficultly I had finding the perfect prints just lit a fire in me. But, instead of going by the book and really outlining what it was I wanted to do, I jumped in head first. I had absolultely no idea how or where I would sell products, how much it would cost to just get started, and most importantly - how I was going to market my business. I just knew I was on a mission to bring designs to the market that I could relate to.

After my first of many sleepless nights, I woke up with the energy and curiousity of a 4 year old. I started calling what I considered some of the best multicultural designers (african american, caucasian, & otherwise) on the market asking if I could retail their products. Some "schooled" me, some put me in my place, and some were very encouraging. Either way, after that experience I knew that even though I was entering unfamiliar territory, I was definately on a mission to make my business possible.