5 Ways I Set Up My Business For Free or With Little Money

In Late 2016 I was in an interesting place. I was feeling desperate and at the end of my rope about my business. I was looking up places to Vend when I stumbled across an article that suggested creating a website of my own on a free host. I wanted a website and a .com but it was hard trying to figure out how I could do all of the set up for it without a working computer, and without a lot of money so I often turned away from that being an option for me until this particular night. I said something only someone as desperate as me would say. "I'll do it if I can build it on my cell phone!" And that's when the journey began to go completely mobile!

1. Find where you want to build your website.
The first thing I did was research where I could build and update my own website by phone, and computer for FREE. I had no access to a computer a good majority of the time and I was trying to figure out how I was going to build my website even in my downtime at home. When I put in my needs in google I found www.freewebstore.com . I signed up for free, and got my free website after I designed it to my liking.
I also liked a lot of the features on freewebstore and one of those features was that they allowed me to link my website store with my Kana Wear facebook page to create a storefront. Now when I make a product update on my website it automatically links to my facebook page. If you'd like to see my storefront go to www.facebook.com/KanaWear. Most of the other features that I like are that all of my social media pages are directly connected to my website. I know that sounds kind of lame because mostly all create-a-website sites offer an option to hook up your social media, but after I hooked up my social media I had an option to make an Instagram gallery, and my instagram is filled with tons of pictures of my work and efforts. That took the hassle out of having to upload pictures for a gallery, and since I'm always posting my work on Instagram it changes and makes updates as I do so my followers can always see new content. There may be some features that are unavailable without having to pay, but it's always optional and you can continue using the free version until you upgrade to a premium account. You can click here to visit My Online Store. To build your own website using the free web host of Freewebstore Click here!

This is a screenshot of what my website looked like when I first started out. 

These are screenshots from what I did after I changed my template, and added a few things to the slide show. I took pictures of me and my oldest daughter (who acts as my assistant designer), and I found an interesting background to place our images on top of using Photoshop. Finally I uploaded these photo's to the slide show on my website therefore giving it a more professional look. 

My second website is more so for information and signing up for services since it costs a little money to add these features on freewebstore. Click Here to see my second website for services that I offer!

2. Buying your URL.
When signing up to make a free website you also have to have a free url, but that url is a backslash url. In order to have your own domain you have to pay out of pocket which is why those free urls are convenient if you happened to not have any money at the time. I used to have a domain for 14.99 with GoDaddy years ago, and because I couldn't keep paying to hold onto it I lost it. I was determined I wasn't going to pay that much, so I looked up cheap domains and came across google domains. Google Domains only charges $12/yr. That's $1/month if you want to be literal. I knew that $12 wasn't a lot of money compared to a monthly rate or anything so the next time I had money-(cash) I ended up paying my husband that $12 in exchange for him swiping his card. Having a .com was on my list for my Business Plan that year and I actually achieved that rather cheaply. So technically I only paid $12 for my whole website because I built the whole thing for free, and just paid for my url. I now have 2 google domains and I renew them annually and I even have the option of placing a renewal on there for much longer if I wanted to. 

3. Free Business Card Apps
When I first started out as a teenage entrepreneur I had vistaprint cards my mom helped me purchase. I still love vistaprint, however I don't always have the money to replenish my stash of cards, or to make my own anymore. I'm really good at Microsoft programs like Word and Power Point so creating them is not the issue, but having the money to buy the card stock is, as well as where I'd print them.
I wanted something I could share in emails, or with a simple text so I went and looked for an app that was FREE, and came across the Inigo Cards app. Set up was rather easy to do, and all I had to do is sign up with my gmail and they sent a confirmation email to confirm. At first I thought it was cool because the business card itself was through a link with my downloadable card which was then added to the persons contacts once downloaded! It had links to my websites and social media as well, and sometimes it helped me gain followers if I was speaking to someone and telling them about my business. What I didn't realize is that being redirected to a site to download something is oftentimes frowned upon because they may regard it as spam, or something that can cause viruses. 

This is a screenshot of my old inigo card.

Today I have a different business card app because Inigo no longer provides this free service after merging with another company. I downloaded Business Card Maker by Bhima Apps on the Google Play App. 

This is a more recent business card that I created using that app! I must admit the templates were very beautifully designed and practical😍. It made picking the perfect design that much harder because of it. 

It's just a regular 2D card that you can customize to your liking and share as a picture. Might not be as cool as downloading all the information about my business all at once, but it sure does come off less threatening. Not to mention that it gives the person my direct contact information and I can highlight only the social media pages where I post most often! You can never go wrong with a straight forward approach! Some things are just tried and true and you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You would probably snap a picture of a physical card to share anyway, so it's probably in your best interest to create a digital image to simplify things.

4. Google Voice
Google voice may seem like a very old program, but it's worth a shot especially since it's FREE. If you're that kind of person who wants to separate clientele from personal friends and family then this might be a great option for you. I can easily call and text my clients as long as they are within the US, and I don't have to pay unless I'm calling long distance. I usually send my cards to my clients using this app, and even though it seems like that's just a whole lot I'd rather keep my personal life and business life separate. What I like about Google Voice is that I can use the same phone and service but have a different number without having to pay extra for new service. All I had to do was connect it to my email, and my device number and that was it. I did need to do this on a computer since the option to sign up with a mobile phone is unavailable at the time.

5. Pay Pal Here
I've always had a FREE Pay Pal Account, however I did not have a FREE Pay Pal Here, and that's different. First I had to register for an account and then be called by a consultant. This person probably called maybe a day later and asked me a series of questions about my business like "what product are you selling?" , and why do you want a Pay Pal here?" So after I was done with all of this they then told me I'd receive my FREE credit card reader in the mail in a matter of days. When it came in the mail I was so elated because they not only sent me 1 but 2. So some of the features of the Pay Pal Here app consists of listing your products, and sending a receipt to your customers after a sale. Your card reader can hook up to your cell phone, and now you will be able to process payments right on your mobile phone. They do make their deductions for swiping a card but it's a rather small deduction, and I'm sure your customers wouldn't mind having a little "tax". Now if you happen to have to process a card that should be swiped manually then it's a little more that comes with that. Not only will they be taxed but your money won't come onto your card until 3 days later. You can also sign up for a business debit card with Pay Pal here, and your money can go directly to that, but you cannot accept direct deposits or anything from an employer on this card or anything like that. You'd have to sign up for their Prepaid card in order to set that up, and any of your cards can connect to your Pay Pal account so you can send your money to whichever card you please, and it doesn't have to be a Pay Pal Card.

Conclusion...
There is no better way than starting off the new year with a doable plan, and by doable I mean S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) I was on a live broadcast with Mrs. Keischa Bradley one Monday for Millenial Masterminds. What I liked about this live broadcast was that she applied spiritual principles from the Word of God to entrepreneurship and business, then she he began putting people on the spot asking them questions about how they started and what practical advice we could give to others. I didn't know if what I had to say was relevant or not, all I knew is this is what worked for me. Since I didn't have much time to give people much of a breakdown of how I started I decided to make this a post with detailed steps on how I set up. You can view the facebook replay below if you'd like to hear some of my comments as well as the other entrepreneurs ideas click the video below.



You can also follow Keischa Bradley on facebook or Instagram (@keischabradley) who is also an entrepreneur herself and has founded several ministries including the girls group PUSH (Position Ur Self Higher), and she also has a ministry where she feeds the homeless. She sells real estate and has a plethora of different skills you could learn and benefit from.

I hope that this post has helped someone get an idea of simple steps they can use to start their own business. My goal is for you to see that your dreams are possible and you can do it from right where you are.

Please tell me in the comments which of these 5 Steps helped you take flight New Creatures! And remember to subscribe to my blog for more content like this! 

Liturgical Dancewear Dream Revival

Hello New Creatures, it's been a while since I've actually written in this blog. Today I'm going to be showing you a small collection of things I made, starting in March. 

If you are not NEW here then you know that I'm a designer. I went to school for it, and got my Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design and Marketing. You would also know that this has not been an easy journey. Balancing family, health and more has always been a lot in the midst of that, but it seems that in the last few months, I've found myself back at a dream through an old passion. 

Recently I joined a church home and one Sunday I saw a very exuberant dancer. I danced from my seat and she called me up. The connection was instant! We exchanged numbers and began the dance ministry at our new church. I had no dance garments at the time, and she loaned a dance garment to me. She didn't know though that I had a plan. I didn't want to KEEP the dress and actually I gave that dress to my daughter who is about to begin her dance journey. 

Shortly after, I began making overlays. My first few overlays were just an experiment. I just wanted to see if the concept and function was what I thought it would be. Since I was limited with fabric I decided that I'd use what I had and that was primarily cotton I bought rather cheaply from Walmart. The overlays were just a test for my patterns to see if they actually work, and I intended on creating something different right away after seeing if my design idea could come together. 

Here are some photos of how that experiment went. 

I don't think anyone was prepared for me to be so serious about this, and create the designs I did later on. Something unlocked in me after making these overlays and I overcame the fear of trying to make the designs I come up with. I was fine with trial and error. I felt the confidence and curiosity I used to when I was pursuing my college degree except this time I had a purpose to go ahead and do what I was doing. If not for an entire dance ministry, then for myself at least. I'm realizing that my curiosity is what drives me to get results. The fact that I'm a nerd 🤓 in real life, who researches everything is helpful so trial and error wasn't done without many YouTube tutorials and watching things online. 

After we moved into our new home, my husband bought my sewing armoire and craft table. I made it my business to be as creative as possible. Understand that I've already made all my patterns for Liturgical Dancewear and some of them are from 2020. I made a collection for my senior project called "Healing in Color" and I KNEW that learning how to handle knits was a journey that I needed to take in order to complete this collection. 

This was the front cover of my collection presentation. 

Anyway, the idea of "being in debt" to a friend with a loaner dress bugged me so badly that I began taking whatever money I was given and making my own designs using these old patterns. I made whatever adjustments I needed to for my Palazzo pants but the leotard was so hard. Understand that in 2020 I had a baby, and then in the following 2 years I had another so my patterns were in need of serious change. I didn't know what the problem was with my leotard though and why there was this gape in the back of my leotards where it wouldn't lay on my back properly! I got so desperate I prayed God send me an angel that would tell me what to do and give me direction (cause you can do that). Well, one day I took my daughter to the doctor and the angel came through the Lyft driver! 🙌🏾 She said she had a friend who had a design business and the trick was to take it in by at least an inch on the knits. So when I got home I took out my pattern, and I cut an inch or 3/4" off the sides. After that, my leotards laid well in the back and I was so happy!!! 😩🙌🏾 I was so excited that I did a TikTok of me showing the various leotard and Palazzo pants sets I made at the time. 

I also began dancing immediately in my garments at a women's conference we held in April. There was a video reel of me even clapping during praise and worship during a warfare song. 🤦🏾‍♀️🫣 I was literally trying to RUN from the camera lady Liturgical Dance style🤣, but wherever I turned or twirled away, she was there 😩🤣. God Bless the film crews in churches we know you are just doing your job, but SHEESH! 🙄🤣 I have to give Bernise her props though, she totally nailed it okay! 😩🤣 The reels she made for the Women's Refresh conference are amazing. As you can see this is the one where I'm clapping in the beginning and she did some beautiful film edits. 

I'm still exploring various fabrics and designs to create for my dance wardrobe. It's up to 4 leotard and Palazzo Pants sets, with at least 6 overlays, and I've made some of the most beautiful combinations with these on Sundays while I dance for praise and worship. 

Before you think I'm bragging about my work, I'm actually not. I'm more so amazed because sometimes I spend a lot of time sketching out designs. I usually feel sad and hurt because I can't make what I envision all the time. This was one of the times I did make what I envisioned. Before I forget, let me add that a friend of mine actually helped me finance some of my projects. I let her know that I was selling some of my handcrafted jewelry one Sunday because my goal was to make what I saw in my head. She then handed me $100 and I went right away to buy my materials for my garments. I miss my friend! I haven't seen her in church lately. I think she went out of town to help her mom. We usually link up after church and just chit-chat. She's more on the introvert side and I didn't say her name outright because I didn't ask her for permission🤷🏾‍♀️. 

I recently posted on my TikTok about the projects I made because I don't take the time to really breathe about how much I've actually created. I kind of move from project-to-project without actually appreciating my work. And because I was in such a hurry to use the things I made, that I didn't pay attention at all to how much time I dedicated to that work. I'm learning to take it all in and have gratitude. This keeps me from losing confidence, and it helps me make a note of my accomplishments without discrediting myself, or being overly critical of my work. 

I don't know if I said this but I bought a sewing machine back in 2020 and I named her Power. I did that because after losing a sewing machine and serger when my things got towed in our old car; I was angry enough to use some of my money to purchase a new sewing machine. My Stepdad bought me an overlock machine as well to replace it and I was able to use that to my benefit in these projects. This journey has been a long one with tons of hardships and unfortunate events. 

In addition to this a lady I know had 3 sewing machines which she gave away to me last year. ❤️ Sometimes God will allow people to bless you although they say some really horrid things to you. I don't want to get into too many details about that, but let's just say I called her after she had an EMERGENCY surgery and she didn't care about the fact that I told her I cared about her and called to ask if she was okay. In fact she took that opportunity to demean me about something else off topic. 

All I realized from that experience is that if God is obligating someone to bless me, then who am I to refuse Him? Some people are seasonal in your life and that's that. I can't control their opinion of me or God's favor for me. I think it's a lot that he would even allow my enemies to be a blessing to me. 🤷🏾‍♀️ Saying that is really hard to digest because we come across some very rotten people in our lifetimes but God reigns on the just and the unjust. Also the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just. So I'm Just collecting what God laid up for me! 🙌🏾

Power has been having a few troubles so those sewing machines I have as a spare have come in handy. ❤️ I've still been able to be productive and hopeful while I try to get Power fixed. Glory is in full action and I need to see if she needs any cleaning. 

Here are some pictures of my work. 

These are only a few of my designs, and I have plenty others that I've worn during service. 

This one was one of my more simple designs and Lady Jackie gave me compliments on them after service that Sunday. I had actually made that overlay in 2020 but without the presence of my serger I lost confidence and actually just tossed it aside. After that I just never picked it up even after having my serger. When I began making my leotards and Palazzo pants, I pulled it out of the fabric bin I had stored everything in and I serged the ends as well as installed the elastic. After I completed the black base set I coupled it with the camouflage overlay and then BOOM. 

I also made an actual camouflage, gold, and black dress. It isn't something I favored the most because I made a pattern mistake. Only I know of this pattern mistake and I can see it, so I haven't worn it in a while. 

I'm trying to see how I would market my products in a way where I can sell them on my website. My concern right now is supply and demand, and I'm hoping that coming into this will provide a way for me. 

Tell me whether you think my designs should be on my online website. 🤔 I DO want to sell them but I want to feel confident knowing that I can meet supply and demand. 🤷🏾‍♀️ What do you think? Leave a comment, and tell me your thoughts.