Readers often email us asking us for advice about new businesses they are thinking about starting and we often find that many of them don’t have a framework for thinking about a more fundamental question: why should or shouldn’t you start a business?

Below, you’ll find how successful entrepreneurs from across the city thought about this very question when they were considering whether to start their businesses.

Jahnessa Adeyemi | CEO of Yemi Cosmetics

The thought process behind starting Yemi Cosmetics was to be very inclusive. I wanted every woman from any background to be included and still feel beautiful. Our mission is to bring awareness to diverse beauty unseen. There’s no reason why a woman should walk into a beauty store and walk out empty-handed because she couldn’t find cosmetics for her skin tone or skin type. I can honestly relate to this because I was one of those women and I felt like such an afterthought and extremely excluded. It was very clear to me, that the cosmetic industry set its standards for beauty, and I felt obligated to take action. I was so tired of being left out and ashamed of my dark skin. It took me some time to love my complexion and embrace it. I had a lot of PTSD from the brutal bullying I encountered from elementary to high school. It got so bad to a point where I attempted to bleach my skin and burnt myself. As the years went by, learned to love my skin. I took all that pain and it turned it into a passion for a greater cause. This passion helped birth Yemi Cosmetics. Read more>>

Kandase Eatmon | Owner of Nanr

The thought process was DO IT! When courting with my now husband, one for the first things he asked me was what do you want to do in life? what type of business do you see yourself having? I was at a loss for word because at the time I couldn’t see past working a 9-5 job. After marrying, quitting my job of 8 years and being a homemaker for 2 years one night in bed my husband asked me if I would be able to take 10$ and bring back $100 by then end of the week, I said of course!! He then proceeded to ask me how? Without thinking twice I said, I would bake something and sale it! That was it, that night Nanr was created! It took a week to bring Nanr to life and my husband asked me are you ready to launch? I said Lets DO IT. Read more>>

Ally Dickson | Personal Floral Designer

I never thought in a million years that I would own my own business. I was working at a local floral shop for almost five years and truly loved every second of it. The hustle and bustle of the shop, learning something new and creative each day, discovering a new flower, designing and buying the flowers, interacting with clients and being able to help them with their floral needs were all meaningful and motivating aspects of the job. I woke up every morning excited to go to work! Finding that inner passion for a career is what I was craving and I found it. My husband and I found out in March of 2019 that we were expecting our first child. Quite simply, I decided in that moment, that I wanted to start my own company and be able to work from home and care for our child. I never looked back and have enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, there have been some challenges along the way but nothing that a small business owner and stay at home mom can’t get past. Read more>>