Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shanti Grossman, Co-Owner of Party At Your Door, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Hi! I am Shanti Grossman, and I co-own Party At Your Door with my business partner Heather Lindow. Party At Your Door is a custom handmade party decor shop shipped right to your door! We make custom handmade party decor for every occasion. Birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and graduation parties are the most popular celebrations, but we've also created decorations for funerals, reunions, retirements, and so much more!
What makes us unique is that all of our products are 100% customizable. You can choose colors, fonts, size, wording, design, etc. Everything is made just for you! We currently have close to 700 products listed in our shop, so most likely, you can find exactly what you want and just choose a color and add a name and/or age. If you don't see what you want, we can create a whole new line of products just for you!
What really sets us apart from our competitors is our quick turnaround and good customer service. All of our items, even the highly customized products, ship within 24-48 business hours, so you have them at your door in no time!
Tell us about yourself
During my late 20s and early 30s, I spent my nights and weekends planning and hosting all kinds of parties because, during that phase, there were a lot of birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, and holiday parties.
There was one reoccurring comment through all the party hosting: "These decorations are so cute, you should throw them in a box and list them on Etsy." The 5th time someone said this to me, I was hosting my friend and business partner's baby shower, and that is when Party At Your Door was born!
So in the midst of raising babies, Heather Lindow and I raised a business as well. We hoped that by the time our kids were school-aged, we'd be able to create jobs for ourselves, but things took off way sooner than expected, and by year 3, we had brought on 13 part-time employees to walk this journey of motherhood and entrepreneurship with us. We are now in our 7th year of business at Party At Your Door. We are continually amazed and honored to have continued organic growth in our business.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
What I am most proud of and what sets us apart at Party At Your Door is our customer service. Now that two days, free shipping, and immediate customer support are the norm, we do our best to hold up to those standards even as a handmade business!
Additionally, I am also so proud that we were able to create businesses that supported moms. Every single one of our employees is the primary caregiver of our children, and we support each other in that role while still having the satisfaction and financial income of working. If the school nurse calls in the middle of your work shift, you grab your bag and leave without looking back. We quickly reassign tasks and continue the workflow with little interruption. Through school breaks, field trips, class parties, and sick days, raising kids and a business never has a dull moment!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of my biggest struggles with being a business owner is work/life balance. Because our work studio is located on my personal property, it is hard for me to "leave work" since I never actually leave work! Now that we are 7 years into the business, it is easier for me to delegate more tasks to employees, so there is less reliance on me. However, it is still hard to turn off your work brain when you are growing a business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Never stop learning! There are so many different things that go into starting a business, and if you are motivated, you can learn most of them well enough to get the business started. With so many YouTube videos, IG and TikTok creators, Reddit threads, blogs, books, and online courses, there is no shortage of access to experts giving away free or very inexpensive advice. Then, once the business is bigger, you should know enough so that when you hire someone to help with certain areas of your business, you at least know what they are talking about!
- Hustle hard. The only way to grow a business is by putting in the work. Unfortunately, in the beginning, that work often comes with little or no pay, but if you can stick with it, eventually, it pays off!
- Take breaks. You need to hustle hard and often, but you must also remember to take breaks! If you don't, you will burn out, and then you won't be able to give the business what it needs to grow.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://partyatyourdoor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/partyatyourdoor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/party_at_your_door/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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