Melissa Worthington and Briana Irby are the owners of Blue Frost Cupcake, a gourmet cupcake bakery that specializes in parties, weddings and corporate events. 

Read on to learn more about Blue Frost Cupcake from one of its owners, Melissa Worthington.  She discusses how it deals with maintaining a quality product while controlling costs and how it has found innovative ways to market its products.

What drives your passion for business?

My business partner and I are cardiac nurses that have enjoyed baking gourmet treats and desserts over the years as a hobby. We wanted to bring our desire to create delicious and beautiful cupcakes into a business that we would enjoy doing for many years to come.

What was one challenge you faced with your business?

Containing the cost of ingredients and supplies while still offering a high quality product. We do not want to sacrifice the quality of our cupcakes and have done a lot of research on buying bulk locally.There are many companies in Columbus that offer baking supplies and ingredients if you shop around.

We had one of our suppliers walk in the door and we told him if he could lower our costs then we would use his company. He brought us many samples and ended up gaining our trust and he saved us money at the same time! The Worthington, Ohio community as a whole supports local businesses and we try to return the favor.

What have you done to address this challenge?

We have addressed this issue as well by looking on the Internet for specialty supplies and doing cost comparisons there too. Even with shipping costs, you can save money with companies that sell in bulk. Many of the vendors offer samples of their product to try before you commit to ordering large quantities. You learn to avoid this mistake early!

What advice do you have for other women business owners?

Network every day with everyone! You never know how a chance meeting can grow into a business relationship. I leave business cards and extra cupcakes for the catering staff at weddings we set up. We have gotten so many referrals doing this because once the cupcakes are eaten people say,"Who made these?" They sell themselves, we just follow up with a card and menu. I always carry business cards with me and have a story ready when people ask me what I do for a living. :)  Don't be afraid to brag about a quality product or service, especially if you believe in it.

Head over to our Flickr to see more--delicious--photos of Blue Frost Cupcake.

Have a favorite cupcake flavor, or how networking has helped to grow your business? Feel free to share in the comments below.

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book.  It takes you inside innovative and growth-oriented women owned businesses. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share? Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Contact us.

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*Editor's Note: The Blue Frost Cupcake ad appearing in the Spring 2012 edition of Edible Columbus (pg. 43) quote should read "Two interns (from the Graham School) come here each week for their internship that lasts about 6 months. I value this relationship and the mentoring process”.

Hayley J. Savage is the owner of Hayley Gallery and the managing partner for the recently opened Ella. Hayley Gallery is an art gallery that showcases the work of local artists and is attached to Ella restaurant, which serves locally grown contemporary American cuisine.

What drives your passion for your business?

My passion is fueled by the love of art and my desire to be successful.  I want to act as a role model for my children, be a contributor within my community and truly make a difference in peoples’ lives.

What is one significant challenge that you have faced in growing your business?

Brand awareness – letting people know that I’m open for business, at both the gallery and Ella.

What four ways have you effectively addressed this challenge:

- I've used Facebook and other online media sources as a free tool to reach my target audience.  I have hundreds of “fans” who I actively communicate with on a daily basis.

- I've created a user-friendly and easy to find Web site that promotes email capture. Communicate with customers regularly who have elected to be on the email list including special event and birthday promotions.

- I've gone to great lengths to cater to and please customers so they become “raving fans”.  Happy customers tell at least 7 friends about their experience (as opposed to unhappy customers who tell 11 people and can severely impact business success).

- Focus a lot of effort on public relations opportunities because #1, it’s free and #2, it keeps your business front and center of people’s minds. 

How have you created a strong brand for your company? Share in the comments below.

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book.  It takes you inside innovative and growth-oriented women owned businesses. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share?  Contact us.

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Nikki Means is the CEO of Project Socialize, a social media marketing company focused on program development, building communities, starting conversations and brand management based in Liberty Township, Ohio. 

What drives your passion for business?

Passion and Destiny!  I am passionate about every aspect of social media marketing.  Why? The social media landscape is ever evolving.  Every month, there is a new tool to not only learn, but use in a creative way to grow business, increase awareness and reach customers that were previously inaccessible.  For the first time, I feel like I am doing exactly what I am supposed to do.  Thus leading to destiny.  I love being in control of my own success!  

The acquisition of each new client is a cause for celebration.  It isn't just a financial victory, but a learning opportunity fueled by the knowledge that Project Socialize was able to make a difference for another business.  How?  By sharing years of acquired knowledge and experience to increase knowledge via training, identify best practices via consulting, create community via community management, or enhance a company's online presence via social media and/or website development.

What's been most challenging about marketing your services, especially given that social media marketing is a relatively new concept?  

As it relates to our biggest challengemany companies fail to accept that social media is a viable marketing channel that requires planning and strategy alignment supported by measurement.  The fact that anyone can set-up a Facebook page does not mean your kids or an intern should be responsible for developing your social media program. As a business, you would not hire your teenage kids or an intern to manage complex accounting functions or your sales process.  Why trust your social media strategy to someone who does not understand the industry, the tools, or strategic integration into your business goals?

On March 1, in front of a predominantly female audience, the Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB) at The Ohio State University presented "A Conversation with Bethenny Frankel".  

Frankel, who is most famous for her Skinny Girl line of cocktails and role on the Real Housewives of New York television series, discussed the paths she took in getting to a career and business she loves. Frankel shared with the audience that it's not important to know exactly what you want to do with your lives and careers. "Early on, everything is your business. You never know what opportunities your early experiences will lead to...Things will become clear later on."

Her biggest story of the night revolved around her development of Skinny Girl cocktails and the difficult times she had marketing the product. She stressed that it's important to, "Never assume that anyone is smarter than you."

"I brought [Skinny Girl Martini] to all of the big liquor companies. They were all [run by] men and they didn't want it. But, in less than a year they all tried to either recreate or buy it from me." She discussed the struggle big liquor companies have traditionally had in marketing to women and how remarkable they thought her strategy and targeting of the female demographic was. Frankel commented, "It took Jim Bean 52 years to do what I did in 12 months".

Frankel elaborated on her business and life through a simple mantra: "You gotta come from a place of 'yes' " - which has inspired her most recent book, A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out Of Life.

Frankel ended the night with a few simple words of advice, "Inspire. Be Inspired".

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book.  It takes you inside innovative and growth-oriented women owned businesses. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share? Contact us.

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*Top image via OUAB and book cover image via Barnes & Noble

Kelly Harvey is the owner (and winemaker) of Signature Wines, an urban micro-winery on the east side of Columbus specializing in making high quality wines and designing personalized wine labels.

What drives your passion for business?

Producing consistent, high quality wines in the time honored and difficult tradition of making wines starting with grapes and juice; never taking short cuts, or making wine quickly and simply by using juice concentrates.

I love proving that it does not take a lot of money to build a winery. Through hard work and ingenuity, I have been able to convert industrial warehouse space on the east side of Columbus into an award winning, 3600 square foot urban micro-winery.

Finally, I love hearing the stories associated with the personalized wine labels I create for customers and sharing the joy with customers when they see their bottles of wine with their own special wine label.

What was one challenge you faced with your business?

Basic promotions - making more people aware of Signature Wines’ products and services.

How have you addressed this problem?

1. I had the website professionally reviewed and consistently make improvements to the website for SEO purposes and to make it more user friendly.

2. I joined more networking groups.

3. I am using social media.

4. I started hosting events at the winery, as well as taking advantage of new wine festivals in the area, and holding tastings at the Celebrate Local Store at Easton.

What advice do you have for other women business owners?

Don’t listen to the naysayers (and there are a lot of them). Have a great business plan, follow your passion, and you will succeed.

Was there a time when you had to tune out the 'naysayers' to strengthen your business? Share your story in the comment area below.

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book.  It takes you inside innovative and growth-oriented women owned businesses. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share?  Contact us.

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Heather Waits, the owner of Bloomtastic Florist, a modern style florist specializing in celebrating life’s special occasions via flower arrangement delivery and wedding décor, shares the story of her business and practical networking advice.

What drives your passion for business?

The sense of accomplishment.  There is no better feeling when you hand a bride about to walk down the isle her bouquet and she gushes at their beauty and begins to cry.  Her excitement is contagious and makes what I do worth doing.  I am also a firm believer that one should never stop learning.  I will never know everything there is to know about flowers or about running a business and that constant feed of new knowledge ignites me and keeps me going.  Last but not least, my twin baby girls give me the best reason to be doing what I am doing!  Being an entrepreneur gives me the freedom to see them grow up and not place them in day care.   

What was one challenge you faced with your business?

Initially my age (I was 24 when I took over Bloomtastic).  People didn’t take me seriously and that was a challenge I had to overcome.  I had to convince people I wasn’t just a kid playing “business;” that I was serious and was going somewhere. 

What two things have you done to address this challenge?

1. I networked a lot so I was in front of people and they saw me, talked to me and got to know me. 
2. I followed up.  I proved I was a professional by sending handwritten notes and calling on the phone.   

What advice do you have for other women business owners?

Educate yourself.  I’m not talking college necessarily, but real life learning.  Surround yourself with positive people you can learn from.  Subscribe to blogs and emails which can teach you something.  Go to seminars and attend webinars.  Read!  Read!  Read!  Find a mentor.  Shadow people you look up to, even if you have been in your industry for years.  Expose yourself to every learning opportunity you can and never stop learning.  

Head over to our Facebook and Flickr to see more photos of Bloomtastic Florist and check out their blog.

Do you have tips to share for young women starting their own businesses? Please share your comments below.

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book.  It takes you inside innovative and growth-oriented women owned businesses. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share? Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Contact us.

Follow this series on Facebook and Twitter.

Brooke Barrett, co-CEO of the Denihan Hospitality Group, along with her brother and co-CEO, Patrick Denihan, took a big risk in 2006 when they decided to buy their family's 100 year-old company.  The big leap was well worth it because they saw great potential in the company's ability to become an innovative leader in the hospitality and service industry.  The Denihan Hospitality Group has become a nationally recognized, independent owner and operator of boutique hotels in top U.S. urban markets.  It owns 13 hotels in 4 different parts of the country including New York, Chicago, Miami and Washington, DC.  Brooke is a member of the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO). The WPO is a non-profit membership organization for women presidents of multimillion-dollar companies. The members of the WPO take part in professionally-facilitated peer advisory groups in order to bring the 'genius out of the group' and accelerate the growth of their businesses.

What sparks your passion for business?

My passion is serving people and seeing the growth of our associates (staff).  I used to know everyone's name, but that's impossible now that we have over 2000 associates.  I still get a kick out of hearing someone talk about their son or daughter going to college when I can remember when their child was four. So much of having a great work experience boils down to having great connections with the people you work with.

Where do you look for design inspiration and why?

The traveler of today wants a good night sleep, but also an experience that says something about the place where they are staying. The design of our hotels are inspired by the communities where they are located. For example, two of our four hotel brands include The Surrey in Manhattan and The James in Soho. Both hotels showcase art from undiscovered local artists that provides a spark of cultural inspiration for guests.

What is one way you are using technology to improve your guests' stay?

We are utilizing an in-depth reservation tool that includes a short survey to help us serve guests better. We ask questions to better understand what they want in their room when they arrive. We also provide a menu of speciality pillows. People appreciate the extra steps you take to make sure their stay is enjoyable.

What has been the most challenging parts of co-leading your company and how have you dealt with it?  

Communication is the biggest challenge. Our team can get carried away with technology and forget to interact more directly with each other. One day, our Outlook email program was down and everyone seemed to be like, "I have to talk to someone?". That day we actually went into each other's offices and talked to one another face to face.  While we try to encourage more person to person conversations, it's an ongoing challenge to get people to stop sending so many emails.

One other thing we've worked hard at is improving team meetings. Each meeting has to have a clear purpose and goals that are communicated in advance with each participant.  If there are no clear purpose and goals, then the meeting should not be held to help ensure that our time and other resources are being managed as efficiently as possible.

Click here to see a video overview of the Denihan Hospitality Group and the "Art of Hospitality". View more photos on Flickr and Facebook.

What makes a hotel stay memorable and a great experience for you? Do you have tips for improving team communication? Share in the comment area below.

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book.  It takes you inside innovative and growth-oriented women owned businesses. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share? Contact us.

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Like most women, Heather Wornoff struggled with finding properly fitting bras. Her bras would shift/rub, cause "back fat" and the straps were constantly falling down. After watching Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, Heather made an appointment at a specialty boutique in NYC. That day changed her life, because, for the first time, she was wearing bras that fit her curves, supported her in the right places, and were actually cute and sexy!

From that point on, Heather has made it her mission to bring the women of Columbus, Ohio where her company is based the best bra fitting experience! With over 80+ sizes and over 500+ bras, Heather shows every woman the proper size, shapes and styles that will enhance her unique curves.

Curv Appeal gives women the confidence to love their curves. With over 80+ bra sizes, it fits a woman’s individual shape.

In this post, Heather shares why she started her business and tips for marketing on a budget.

Why did you start Curv Appeal?

Statistics show that 85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. 85%! That means that 85% are living with bras that dig, shift, poke and rub. Too many women blame their bodies when the fit of the bra is to blame. I want the women of Columbus to know how incredible it feels to wear beautiful bras that fit and flatter their unique curves! Something so simple as a bra fitting can help a woman look slimmer, feel more attractive, and love her curves. 

What challenge did you face in growing your business?

The biggest challenge has been marketing the business on a strict budget. Every penny counts and I have to be extremely mindful of which marketing opportunities have the most bang for the buck.

What did you do to address your marketing challenge?

Two things:

1. Develop a business worth mentioning! You can have a very large marketing budget but if you don’t have a good business, no one will buy your products. Because word-of-mouth marketing is so important, I always have to make sure that my products, services, and brand are something women will want to share with their friends. Before I launched Curv Appeal, I did a ton of research to ensure that I had the best products and developed the most complete bra fitting experience.
2. Know your target market! The undergarment business is a large market and the shopping behaviors of women are very different. I worked hard to clearly define Curv Appeal’s target market and make sure that all marketing speaks to that shopper. Otherwise, I run the risk of spending marketing dollars with little return.

What advice do you have for other women business owners?

Surround yourself with good people – the kind of people who have your best interest at heart. I have been so fortunate to meet some of the smartest and most incredible people. They inspire me, but they also challenge me to aim high both personally and professionally. Without their support and input, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Go inside of Curv Appeal by checking out more photos on Flickr and Facebook.

Do you have tips to share about marketing on a budget or a "bra fitting awakening"? Feel free to share in the comment section below.

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book. It takes you inside innovative and growth-oriented women owned businesses. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share? Contact us.

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Pictured above, Sonia Martinez of Marco Drugs and Compounding in Miami, Florida is one of a number of women pharmacy owners working to educate pharmacy students about the opportunity to own a community pharmacy.  

Cardinal Health, a FORTUNE 19 company based in Dublin, Ohio that specializes in health care supply chain services and products, has partnered with the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) to launch the Women in Pharmacy Initiative, designed to inspire, facilitate and support women's participation in and ownership of community pharmacies through mentoring and networking opportunities, business acumen training and best practice sharing. As a starting point, the initiative will use NCPA’s student chapters to identify and encourage pharmacy students to consider careers in community pharmacy and pharmacy ownership. To help inspire students, the program will share success stories of Cardinal Health’s most successful female pharmacy owners through a series of print advertisements in student-focused pharmacy publications. In the near future, high-potential students will have the opportunity to get “hands on” experience in ownership through internships and mentoring relationships.

Since community pharmacies are playing an increasingly important role in providing patient counseling and ensuring safe medication use, Cardinal Health wants to maximize the number of women who are aware of business opportunities in this arena. “Today, the vast majority of community pharmacy owners are men, even though women comprise about half of all practicing pharmacists. To support the long-term viability of community pharmacies, we need to do more as an industry to encourage women to consider owning their own pharmacy,” said Mike Kaufmann, CEO of Cardinal Health’s pharmaceutical segment.

According to the NCPA, the independent pharmacy sector represents a $92.8 billion marketplace. Furthermore, the field of pharmacy ranks the second highest best-paying career field for women overall. (Female physicians and surgeons top the list at number one.) According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, female pharmacists make a median of $83,500 annually. Women comprise 48% of the pharmacy profession and earn 83% as much as male pharmacists. Although there are no available statistics regarding the number of female owners of independent pharmacies, estimates indicate that those numbers are far lower, possibly in single digits. Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 17 percent between the decade of 2008 and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations.

“Professionally, being an independent pharmacy owner has afforded me the opportunity to serve my patients as a highly clinical retail pharmacist. Personally, it has given me the flexibility to be an active and involved parent to my children,” said Kathy M. Campbell, PharmD, and owner of Medicap Pharmacy and OMC Pharmacy in Owasso, OK. “It is my hope that my involvement in the Women in Pharmacy Initiative will empower and educate women throughout pharmacy to see ownership as a rewarding and preferred career path.”

Cardinal Health’s Pharmacy Ownership and Transition Strategies team runs a complementary program that works with pharmacy schools around the country to provide support to students interested in owning pharmacies. In 2011, Cardinal Health also launched a $1.1 million scholarship program, directed primarily toward schools that offer curricula focused on operating independent pharmacies.

Resource Websites:

Cardinal Health www.cardinalhealth.com 

National Community Pharmacists Association www.ncpanet.org 

In Her Business is an article series published by The Women's Book.  It shares news, brief tips and inspiration for innovative and growth-oriented women business owners. Do you know someone who would make a great profile? Got a tip to share? Contact us.

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