Doer of the Week: Kelly Lyden

What were you doing when you decided to create your own business?
I had worked as a retail clothing buyer for six years, focusing on merchandising and product development. When the economy took a nosedive, my position was eliminated.

When did you start your business?
The Party Dress was launched in February 2009, and WH Hostess launched in March 2010.

When did you know that you could really make a go of this?
The Party Dress traffic grew very quickly. My readers were actually the ones who encouraged me to start WH Hostess. I started with a few collections on Etsy.com, but quickly realized that my own e-commerce site was the way to go. I knew after the first month that I could grow this into my dream business.

How did you turn your dream into a business plan?
I decided to start with a couple of key collections and survey the consumers' reaction to my products before I fully expanded into the line we offer today.

What was your start-up cost? How did you get the money, and what did you use it for?
Luckily, there wasn't a huge start-up cost. The money came from our personal savings. The biggest expenses were the websites and initial product samples. My husband is a software engineer, and he helped me to create both the blog and e-commerce sites, so we spent a lot of time instead of a lot of money developing them. We were profitable our first month of business.

What was the biggest obstacle?
In the party-blog world, staying fresh and different from everyone else is a challenge. There's always someone new on the scene. As for the WH Hostess, setting us apart from the growing printable-party market is hard. Printables are a huge trend right now, but it's just not what we're about.

Did your friends and family support your dream?
Absolutely -- my husband and family have always encouraged me. My parents are thrilled that I'm finally using my graphic design education! But my biggest cheerleader is my best friend, Teresa, who introduced me to the Dreamers into Doers community.

How did you maintain your confidence when doors were closed in your face, when people didn't get it or said "No"?
I try to focus on what I'm doing and the opportunities that have been presented, instead of focusing on what others are doing. The party world is pretty saturated now, so it's important to keep a clear head and stick to the plan!

What's the hardest part of what you do?
I have a hard time saying no. Every customer has unique needs and wants -- I never want to disappoint them. I also have a hard time ending my workday. Working from home, it's very easy to work into the night.

You have two businesses -- which creates more profit?
WH Hostess creates more profit, but The Party Dress has a larger audience and drives half of my daily traffic to WH Hostess, so it's incredibly important.

Do you think you would have ever created your business without having been laid off?
I honestly don't know. I knew that at some point in my life I was going to have to make an adjustment to my career. Traveling and working as a retail buyer would not have been conducive to having a family, which I hope to do in the near future. That being said, I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason. If life throws you a curveball, you can find a new dream along the way -- you just have to be open to letting it unfold. Although devastating at the time, getting laid off was the best thing that could have happened to me.

What's your favorite part about being your own boss?
I love seeing the full cycle of a product -- from conception and design to the party photos that happy customers send me! I also love the flexibility of my schedule. I dictate what is going to get done that day or week, and can schedule accordingly.

Where do you work from?
I work from home! I have a darling little office on the second floor of my home, and it's a very colorful, fresh, inspiring work environment.

Do you have employees?
 I have a few "interns," an amazing printer who manages the quality of our printed goods and brings me new opportunities, and a fabulous husband who frequently acts as my IT guy.

Do you have entrepreneurial role models? What's so inspiring about them?
I come from a family of entrepreneurial women -- both my mother and aunt own their own companies and have shown me that you can have a successful career and family life on your own terms.

How did you learn and acquire the skills you use to make your business successful? How do you continue to grow and learn?
I studied graphic design in college and ended up transferring to pursue a business marketing degree with a retail management focus. My years as a retail buyer helped form my visions of a solid merchandising plan, and taught me how to analyze business and react to trends.

What's the best piece of business advice you ever received?
Always stay true to yourself and your brand.

If you had it to do over again, what, if anything, would you do differently?
I would have more focused on the business end in the beginning -- setting up procedures, bookkeeping, and other administrative things. It's so much harder to do when you're busy!

What is your best selling item/service?
Our Modern Train Party Collection! It was one of my first collections, and is STILL a best-seller! Most parties start with the invitation and then add on the coordinating accessories.

What advice would you give to Dreamers who haven't become Doers yet?
Follow your dreams, but take the time to really plan it out before you jump in with both feet.

Keep Up with Kelly Lyden, The Party Dress Blog, and WH Hostess Social Stationery
WHHostess.com

ThePartyDress.net
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