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Celebrate Taco Day

4 Oct

Happy Taco Day on October 4th.

I am fascinated by the growth of Torchy’s Tacos. I live in the North Dallas area and there are so many places to eat tacos that you might think it’s not worth the competition. Well, you are wrong. It is thriving. What are they doing that you can learn from?

Passion

A personal friend first spoke to us about Torchy’s Tacos about six years ago. They had started in Austin and were branching out to the Dallas area. He was working for them and loved their approach to doing business. He felt excited to be a part. The founder, Michael Rypka, started out as a fry cook at Popeye’s. He wanted to elevate the level of tacos available. He started small and handed out samples to all who would take them.

Hope Tip

As you grow, make sure everyone retains the passion of the founder.

A fresh approach

These are not your tia’s tacos. They are unique and delicious. They have weird names like Tipsy Chick, The Democrat, The Republican, Trailer Park, etc. The ingredients are fresh and made to order. For that reason, it can take a little longer than some places, but it is worth the wait.

Hope Tip

Take a fresh approach to your branding and product.

Great customer service

One of the most refreshing parts of going to Torchy’s is that the people who work there seem to like doing so. They were crazy busy when we were there and yet kept checking on us. Even when they make a mistake, they correct it.

Hope Tip

Provide superior customer service consistently.

Personal recommendation

I am always looking for tacos because it was my first husband’s last meal before he had to go on a feeding tube. Now, if you ever needed to have an excuse to eat tacos – I just gave you one. Here we are celebrating his birthday at Torchy’s.

If you have a Torchy’s Tacos in your area, do yourself a favor and go visit them. You will not be disappointed. What is your favorite place to eat tacos? Why?

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world.

 

Happy Friday

21 Oct

happy-national-pumpkin-cheesecake-day-1Today is another foodie national holiday! Are you ready for this one? National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. Now I can certainly get on board with that one – for sure!

Here I go sharing another ridiculous national holiday to celebrate the fact that it is fall, it is Friday and it is fun!

Here are some questions to think about when you are looking at your ideal customer:

  1. What would attract them most?

I have noticed the increase of pictures in menus because the visual appeal of the food items can certainly make our mouths water.

2. What are the good experiences they have had before?

Find ways to capture feedback from our customers and share it freely on Social Media and other ways.

3. What’s something extra that you offer that your competition does not?

This does not have to complicated or expensive. It’s the small things that matter the most.

Please join the discussion to answer these questions. It will be fun to see what you are doing.

While you are pondering these questions go order a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake. After all, it’s your duty since this a National Holiday. Check it out! I didn’t make this one up.

Karen Sebastian is an author, blogger, corporate trainer and gifted speaker who transparently shares the hope she has found in the darkest times of her life.  She is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded HOPEpreneurs, a consulting firm dedicated to helping women succeed personally and professionally. Karen is known as The Hope Lady because she  takes every opportunity to inspire hope by sharing her rich life experience with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. 

 

How to Succeed in a Niche Market

31 Jan

Shirley Fisher entrepreneur with successful handpainted cards

Shirley Fisher is our guest blogger. She shares how she found the niche for her beautiful hand painted inspirational cards that are available at www.fishprintgifts.info .

What inspired you to start your business?

In a nutshell, it was my passion to find a unique platform to share the heart of God. I found this outlet as I began to write phrases and words of encouragement. Before long, I realized that I was writing poetry. I wanted to find a way to share what I had written so others could be blessed by it.
My husband and I had already started a printing and publishing company called Accent Digital Publishing. I started putting all the poetry in greeting card form. I wanted to paint even though I had never done it before. It looked so easy, yet I wasn’t sure how to do it. One night, in a dream, the Lord showed me the exact strokes I needed to use. I have been painting flowers and writing poetry ever since.

What did you do to market your cards?

I found the first opportunity I could, which at that time was our local farmer’s market. I simply started painting the cards and discovered that people were fascinated and wanted to watch me paint them.  People were very receptive to a hand painted card. Some wanted specific poems for encouragement and some just wanted blank cards so they could to put their own words in. The fact remains that in some special way, people are being touched by the love of God.

How do you generate income?

I make my money through the custom work I do for weddings or special occasions, the original design cards, hand painted book marks, custom book marks and other specialty custom designs. You can see many other gift ideas on my website www.fishprintgifts.info.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a business like yours?

Dream bigger, because you can. We all have a voice. Start with what is in your hand to do. Influence the ONE first.

What pitfalls should those looking for a niche market avoid?

Getting too busy. When that happens I lose the focus of my original dream or the original intent.

How do you handle discouragement?

Recognize it for what it is and where it came from.  Be honest with myself and God. It’s okay to let Him  know you’re discouraged. I think He already knows anyway. After I pour my heart out to Him, I close the door to any other discouraging thoughts that may come and then I do the right thing. If I rest in His presence and read His Word I can enjoy peace.

What inspires you to keep going?

That’s easy to answer. When I see the smiles on people’s faces as they receive the hand painted greeting card I am motivated to keep going.

How do you keep the passion alive?

Ten years have now passed and the passion is still very much alive. I could not stop if I wanted to. I have painted and given away so many cards I have lost count. The opportunities are endless. One of my latest pleasures was to paint cards for the staff at our local women’s refuge facility. Other ministries have asked me to do the same for them also. This is a gift from the heart. Very few people will turn away a free hand painted greeting card.  The heart of giving is one of the ways God shows His love.

Like the motto on the back of my cards says:
 Fishprint – A Lasting Impression Through Art & Poetry
Each day we have the opportunity to make an impression on someone; my prayer is that I make it count. Whether it’s painting flowers in a decorative style, writing poetry or speaking, my focus is the same:
To reflect God’s glory in all that I do.
“Let me be a flower in Your Garden of Worship.”
Karen Sebastian is a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed in your business. Please email her at hopepreneurs@gmail.com if you would like to receive one-on-one coaching. Subscribe to this blog for more inspiration on how to become a HOPEpreneur.

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