Makeup Artistry by Tracie in the Top 100 and in the Top 10 of the “Most Glamorous & Savviest In Social Media Categories”
Congratulations to Makeup Artistry by Tracie (you have just GOT to check out the website – awesome!), located in Miami, Florida, for being named in the Top 100 for 2014 Home-Based 100 Business Winners and in the Top 10 of the Most Glamorous and Savviest in Social Media Categories. We caught up with business owner and entrepreneur Tracie Morales and asked her to answer some questions and share some words of advice and inspiration with our StartupNation audience.
Tell Us About Your Journey
StartupNation: What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Tracie: Being an Entrepreneur gives me the freedom to do what I love and still be a hands on mom. I am very fortunate to have the best of both worlds an amazing career and being able to attend all of the school events.
StartupNation: To what do you attribute your success as an entrepreneur and business owner?
Tracie: My success is my passion for what I do! I love my business and that love drives me to be successful and to excel in my profession and the business.
StartupNation: What ignited the spark in you to start/select your particular business as an entrepreneur?
Tracie: I have always loved makeup and being a people person the two go hand in hand to be a makeup artist. I found that clients would prefer to have an artist come to them or a photo shoot location and thus the idea of being a mobile makeup salon seemed like the answer to my business and their needs.
StartupNation: What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Tracie: Determination is a must have to be successful as it is not always easy and in the beginning it seems like an uphill battle. The second skill is organization. You need to be as organized as possible, as you are juggling so many pieces of the business, the actual work, scheduling, managing, and more. Innovation. You have to be creative in creating your business, your brand, your PR, it is one that you have to use your creativity to get your message out and impact potential clients and peers. Innovation will keep you and your business fresh and alive.
Words of Wisdom – Inspiration for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
StartupNation: If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be?
Tracie: If you believe in your business and have a solid foundation, than never listen to those that are wishing you failure.
Inspiration
StartupNation: Where do you find your greatest inspiration?
Tracie: My inspiration comes from those around me, the world and creating looks that reflect it.
StartupNation: What is your favorite motivational/business quote as an entrepreneur?
Tracie: What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
StartupNation: A motto you live by?
Tracie: “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped”
Tell Us About Your Business, Experiences, & Funding Your Startup
StartupNation: How did you get funding for your startup?
Tracie:My funding to start my company came from my savings.
StartupNation: Recommendations for others starting out?
Tracie: I would suggest looking into a loan and finding one that offers a reasonable interest rate. While I went with savings and you could go that route as well, it does put more pressure to make money immediately as you have a lot riding on it.
Marketing and Building Their Customer Base
StartupNation: How do you market and build your customer base?
Tracie: I market and build my customer base with a three prong approach. The first is customer referrals. This is by far the easiest and most rewarding, it is one that showcases your hard work and excellent customer service as they trust you with their friends and family. The second prong is my business referrals and connections. I have made connections with businesses that compliment by business and that we can work together. For example, photographers are a perfect connection for me. The third prong is my social media and public relations. I showcase my work, events and share tips on social media. I find that it gets me noticed and opportunities.
StartupNation: Recommendations for others starting out?
Tracie: Make connections with potential customers and partners. Start with your first clients and build on their happiness to get the referrals. I also would tell anyone that if you can get your name out there and donate raffle, silent auction items to charities and organizations. The more people see your business the more that you become in the front of their mind.
Changes in the Business Market
StartupNation: What changes have you seen in your business market since starting?
Tracie: In my business market, blogging was not as prominent in the beginning and now it is a huge driving force in the beauty industry. It is a must have and it really does drive your credibility. I also have seen a rise in the freelance makeup artist business versus in a salon.
StartupNation: What do you see coming that will impact your business?
Tracie: The beauty industry is always moving forward in ways of products, technology and in marketing. It is one that you must stay current and relevant with both the television and film industry as technology affects the makeup artists and the way we work.
StartupNation: Have a funny story about a client or business transaction that you want to share along with a key lesson learned?
Tracie: I was asked to do a magazine photo shoot makeup job, so I created fresh-faced, beautiful classic looks for the bridal shoot. The photographer asked me a few times are you sure about this. To which I replied, I am positive and I promise it will be perfect. To which she said okay and after the first click and look in her camera she said, Tracie you were right this is amazing. From that point on she began referring her brides and other clients to me saying that I knew what I was doing and that with the right technique you could achieve an amazing look, without being overly done, and still have beautiful pictures. The lesson that day was be confident in your skills and be professional and those around you will see it and it will help you gain credibility and clients.
Learn more about Tracie’s business and view other businesses that entered and placed in the competition by clicking here for the top ten and a full list 2014 Home-Based 100 Business Winners and entrants.
Do you have a startup? Are you a passionate entrepreneur with an idea that has taken off and want to share your success with others? Would you like your business to receive priceless exposure in the media and be positioned to take your business to the next level? Then join us this fall for the 8th Annual StartupNation Home-Based 100 Competition which ranks outstanding home-based businesses and the amazing people behind them! Watch for your change to enter! In the meantime, be sure to visit us daily for new content to support and grow your business!
