on all of the major business tasks, such as marketing, finance, management, etc., in addition to the time it takes to complete the core legal services she provides. Without any previous training, she had to learn how to market herself to clients and deal with accounting issues such as cash flow, overhead costs, operating costs, etc. Beside the costs mentioned, she had to add the health insurance costs that are significantly higher for small businesses than for larger companies.
On top of the normal difficulties encountered in operating a business, Tamara has a high overhead compared to other small businesses. The overhead includes an employee needed to drive her, and a secretary that, in addition to her regular duties, helps Tamara with reading handwritten materials and performing other administrative duties.
However, the struggles of managing a business have been an opportunity to learn and grow. Now marketing has become easier since Tamara has joined several referral groups and has received good word-of-mouth referrals as a result of providing excellent customer service. Also, after much on-the-job training and daily involvement, she feels more comfortable with the accounting aspects of the business.
Words of Wisdom
Based on her knowledge of time-tested successful business principles, bolstered by first-hand knowledge gained through personal experience with her own small business, Tamara advises entrepreneurs to look for the following:
- Credit lines and small business loans.
- Low interest loans for minorities and women that will give up to $25,000, like the ones offered by ACCION USA.
- Grants for individuals with disabilities.
- Assistive technology for people with disabilities.
There are many resources available for small businesses, including free counseling services and assistance offered by government organizations such as the Small Business Administration. However those resources are not all accessible from a single, easy-to-find location, and entrepreneurs must take the time to actively search for them. As Tamara says, “you have to be very proactive,” and in addition to her discipline and enthusiasm, her accomplishments have been the consequence of this advice.
“Think what you want to do with your life. Put your best effort all the time and learn all what you can. You can do everything you want. Do not limit yourself. Do not assume you can not do something. You just have to figure out a different way to do it.” This is Tamara's advice for the visually-impaired, who plan to create their own business, and also for--I would add--anybody who wants to accomplish ambitious goals.
