- Inc. Online
- ABC's The View From the Bay
Clever Parents.com
Who: Amber Gatej
What: ThenComesMarriage.com and InaBabyCarriage.com.
Years in operation: 4
Number of Employees: 1
Number of kids: Gabrielle and baby girl #2 due 1/4/07
Inababycarriage.com and Thencomesmarriage.com creates unique photo cards for all occasions including weddings, babies, birthdays, holidays and more.
Our Interview with Amber
Mommy’s Company (MC): How did you come up with your business idea?
Amber Gatej (AG): I originally started out doing wedding websites. After a few months, I decided to venture out into doing websites for babies as well, but soon realized that the designs I was creating as websites transferred well into
baby announcements.
Within a year, my business was focused solely on the baby announcements and as I started advertising, 100% of my time was invested in the inababycarriage line and growing it to what it is today.
MC: How did you make your vision a reality?
AG: When I decided to start my business doing wedding websites, I first
researched what was out there that related to what I was doing. I also
researched competition, although at that time, there were very few
businesses doing wedding websites, and the ones I could find were very
different from what I was planning to offer as far as features and designs.
In time.
As I ventured into the print side, everything was trial and error
as I was the only company for the first year and a half offering this new
style of photo birth announcements. There was a lot to learn as far as
printing companies, and product styles available, and how to
market/advertise.
MC: What was your most exciting entrepreneur moment?
AG: In September of 2005, I had 2 of my designs printed in an article for
Pregnancy magazine. I was thrilled that they chose to feature my work.
MC: What was your biggest obstacle?
AG: Definitely time management. I started my business because my long-term goal
was that when my husband and I decided to start a family, I’d have a home
business and could stay home, watch the kids, while working a little here
and there on the side.
By the time we had our first baby, my business was moving ahead full-force and I was working more than full-time hours.
Figuring out a balance for work and home was tough. As much as I wanted my
business to grow, I also didn’t want to lose sight of my original goal, to
be home with my family.
MC: How did you overcome the obstacle?
AG: By realizing that I couldn’t lose sight of my goal and purpose of starting
my business, to be able to stay home with the kids. It took some lessons in
time management, but I’m finally at a place I am happy with and have some
goals for the immediate future as well.
MC: What surprises you most about being an entrepreneur?
AG: For me, it is how personal my business is to me. There are times I have to remind myself that this is a business, and that is how others portray it.
I poured my heart and soul into my business, and often, I have a hard time
taking a business-minded approach to things vs. doing it how I want to,
personally. I was also very surprised at how vindictive business can be.
MC: What advice do you give to entrepreneurial moms just starting out?
AJ: Do a lot of research. Make sure you want to make the commitment. Anyone can start a business, but keeping one thriving takes a lot of time, energy and
money.
I think a lot of people don’t realize the costs with starting a
business, but there is a lot more than just the product cost. There is the
branding/website/marketing materials, advertising fees, cost of
materials/labor, etc.
MC: What book has inspired you?
AG: I can’t think of a specific title, but when I first started my business, I
hit the bookstore and bought a few books on small businesses, writing a
business plan, etc.
MC: What product could you not live without?
AG: My computer…
MC: What is your first thought in the morning?
AG: Work-wise? I would say I think about what has to be done that day.
MC: What do your kids think of your business?
AG: Gabby isn’t old enough to know what I do yet, but she does love to hop on my
computer and play on the disney.com website.