Three and a half years ago, Gemma Went found herself six months pregnant, single and jobless. It was the exact situation that so many of us women fear in our worst nightmares; however, Gemma recognized it as her moment to shine. And so she did.
With no time to spare, Gemma quickly utilized her digital marketing expertise and started her own business. Having owned her own digital marketing agency in the past, she had plenty of experience working as an online business consultant for brands and corporations. However, it was her passion for small business [along with her own personal situation] that led her to extend her reach. She decided to offer coaching to small business owners as well, working with them to help get their businesses online with very small budgets.
Her strategy has proved successful. Gemma is now an eminent entrepreneur, humbled by her past experiences and driven to help others. When it comes to sharing her story, there are a few “simply smart” moments that she specifically notes played a major role in helping her get to where she is today:
- Swallow your pride. To get herself back on her own two feet, Gemma put her own apartment up for rent in order to move in [for free] with her friend. This decision allowed her to focus on bringing in enough money to pay for her and her son’s expenses, as well as afford the childcare she needed to be able to dedicate time to building her business.
- Set monthly money goals. By taking the time to understand how much money she needed, Gemma was able to set goals for the month, both where she could earn money and where she could save money. Through this process, started see to all kinds of income opportunities that helped take some pressure off of her business.
- Create income streams. Her first income stream came from renting her apartment. Although – after the monthly mortgage payment – she wasn’t making very much, it was still her first small stream of steady income. Then she introduced other income streams, including the Simply Smart Business Academy, an online membership site that teaches small business owners everything they need to create, manage and grow their business online. As Gemma continues to grow her own business, she strives to find ways to introduce more income streams, both big and small.
As for her successful online business, it was Gemma’s passion for helping small business owners find the confidence that they needed to take on the world wide web that has truly inspired her. By offering people an easy way to learn everything they needed to know in order to build their own online business, she feels as if she can connect with and support more women who may find themselves in a situation similar to her own. Her formula: simplify as much as possible. It’s better to have something done and get it out there than to spend too long trying to perfect it; you need to go through the process in order to learn and grow.
To learn more about Gemma’s story, check out my full interview with her.
To learn more about Gemma’s academy, click HERE!