Elaine Biss
Our very first Ms. Biz feature is Elaine Biss of Elaine Biss Designs and Divapreneur!
Q: What kind of business do you have? (what you sell, service provided, etc.)
Elaine: I am the founder of Elaine Biss Designs, formerly Hip-n-Chic, a full service commercial design company specializing in corporate identities, web design, illustrations and stationary. Additionally, I am the founding President of Divapreneur, an online community dedicated to the empowerment of female entrepreneurs, the Creative Art Director of Breathe Media Communications, a full service media communications agency and I am the author of Girly Up the Web, as well as teaching design and contributing to several other blogs about style and design business advice.
Q: How did you come up with the name?
Elaine: Naming my blog Girly up the Web was a natural for me, after witnessing how much of the web is predominately male and not trendy, it seemed like it was time to make a feminine mark. I use the blog as a place for me to write about design trends, business advice and sources of inspiration. As for Hip-n-Chic, I was at a place where I wanted to embrace all things related to trend and style, regardless of how the trends may sway.
Q: When and why did you start your business(es)?
Elaine: There was a time that I was considering a career in healthcare, however, my work was being featured in several galleries along the East Coast and garnered me some much needed exposure. With that, a degree in Commercial Art and the desire to maintain my status as ‘work-at-home-mom’ I saw design as a way to capitalize on my skills and meet all of my objectives. After taking more web designing courses, I went onto an auction site and sold my services to gain visibility on the web, from there I opened my own online store front and my clientele from the auction site followed.
Q: What was the biggest obstacle you faced?
Elaine: My first noticeable obstacle was other designers and not knowing all of the nuances of the industry. Designers are very protective of their work, conscious of other designers who share a similar style and some are very quick to let you know that they’re not going to share their spotlight with you. The next obstacle was justifying the time I spent working on getting business together before any sizable amounts of money were flowing in. Working from home, my family, household and pets always seemed to require my attention and making everyone understand that even though I was home, I was really at work, was a challenge. Once the money started flowing nicely, it was no longer a problem.
I’d say my biggest challenge now is keeping a pulse on the next trend in design, whether its websites, illustrations or anticipating the client’s needs, I’ve got to stay on top of my game.
Q: What motivates you to keep going?
Elaine: I take great pride in being my own boss and calling the shots of my design studio. It is a great accomplishment and privilege to be in a place where opportunities are finding me and I get to pick and choose.
One of my biggest motivations at the moment, out side of being able to support my family well is empowering other women to go after their dreams, which is why I founded Divapreneur.
Q: Do you have any advice for other women wanting to start their own business?
Elaine: Develop a clear idea for what you want your business to look like when it reaches a notable level of success and then create a strategic plan to get there. Treat the business like a job, create a schedule, be accountable to a certain amount of hours to get it up and running, and do small things like have a dedicated email or business line, that you don’t answer outside of business hours. You are your best advocate, so if you don’t know the answer to something or you want to keep up with the competition, research your trade and try to keep yourself educated as to current industry practices. Also, try to remember you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself, there are networks like Divapreneur.org that can help you with resources, advice and support.
Q: What would you like for the readers to know about you? (Your background, hobbies, the little things you find important, etc)
Elaine: I am a native Puerto Rican, but just by birth, I’m part of the nationality blending of “Generation X” with a dash of Chinese, a dollop of Cuban and Brazilian and a Spanish descent. I collect things like pens, notebooks and old French Magazines, they bring out the ‘girly’ in me. As a commercial artist, I have been trained in just about every design medium from fonts to fabric prints and have won design contracts in Paris , London , Hamburg and China . I am also a published photographer and have been featured in several magazines and books, and even though I can do corporate identities for any type of company, I am happiest doing my feminine designs, which you can find on the web at www.elainebiss.com.
Thank you, Elaine, for being our first Ms. Biz feature! You are wonderful!
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I have only know of Elaine Biss for a short while, but she has captured my attention with the force of a category five storm, her credentials has impressed me beyond measures. Her skill sets and her design vision are off the charts, the more I read about her, the more I wish to know, it is as if I have discovered a graphic designer that is contagious. Elaine\’s focus, mind set, intensity in the development of her Girly featured series is brilliant. I have only play in the world of graphic art, photo display and web disign as a self-trained novice, but after having stepped into the world of Elaine Biss Designs, life will never be the same.