Nola Cooper 2.0

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for another WAHM Profile here on the WAHM 2.0 blog I’m introducing you to Nola Cooper this week. Nola is brilliantly creative web designer with a strong skill for building an overall brand. You can see her work at Classic Creations Design.

Nola, when did you first decide to look for a way to work from home?

When my second child was born in 1993, I knew I couldn’t go through the same daycare debacle I’d been through with my oldest. I couldn’t stand the thought of someone else raising my children! But we could not survive without my income.

How did you sort through your ideas for a work at home business?

I began an in-home daycare first, for about a year and a half…but that was not good for my own children. Around the time I decided to stop, I created some invitations and signs for my son’s birthday party. When I took them to the print shop in town to have them cut, the lady at the print shop asked me if I would design some invitations for her. Then two of the Moms from the party asked the same….and I started from there.

Where did you look for inspiration?

I did extensive research on the internet and at the library on Desktop Publishing, and discussed business ownership and financing with an entrepreneur from my church. His best advice was to never give up, even when you think it’s never going to work!

Is there anything that you’ve tried that you would say didn’t work for you?

I tried running an online magazine for 3 years, and it just became too time consuming, and didn’t produce enough income for me to continue. If I’d concentrated all of my energy into that one project, I believe it would have been great, but it wasn’t meant for me!

What do you love about what you are doing to work at home today?

I’ve always been a creative “old soul”, and love the opportunities I have to explore new ideas and implement them. I believe that more small business owners would be successful, if they took the time to make sure their business image is cohesive across the board (print materials, website, advertising, communications…)

How are you applying Web 2.0 tactics to your business?

I am currently redesigning my website to be more “Web 2.0 friendly”, and plan to use social marketing for consumer research and to create dialog with my best clients. I am streamlining my business into one entity, and removing all other “peripheral” entities in order to concentrate on social marketing in the future.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope to become an expert in Business Image Development. I would like to offer a contest every year for fledgling businesses to win a Business Image Makeover.

What advice would you give a new work at home mom?

The same advice I received all those years ago….don’t give up, even when the going gets VERY tough! I’ve had jobs outside the home to help get by while I grew, but I never (in 13 years) said “I’m Done!”…I stuck with it, and quit my last outside job in 2004. I’ve never looked back since then! The secret is to build your social network (other work at home Moms, Mentors, and Business Owners), so that when you need that advice (and you will) you can get it!