We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan DeCicco a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Megan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

When thinking back on the past five years since starting Solutions On 2nd, LLC, it’s hard to pick just one meaningful project to share with you because the milestones and meaning behind each are so different and so relevant to the specific challenges we help address.

Perhaps it was the first time I ran a fundraising campaign for a local nonprofit that exceeded it’s fundraising goals and more than doubled the funds raised from the previous year. That was really cool! Or maybe when a brand new business we built the brand and marketing materials for was voted best local provider in their field – after only 6 months of operation, with lots of local competition! That was simply amazing.

But if I had to pick one specific and recent moment in time that was meaningful in a new way: it would be helping a 10 year old company say goodbye to its fans and followers after more than a decade in business.

I had started working with the brand when they launched, and was good friends with the operator. A few years back when they found out I had started offering consulting services, they retained me to take over social and digital communications for the brand, and with our shared history and common goals it was a perfect fit.

After operating as an appointment only business for more than 7 years, they were finally able to open a storefront in late fall 2018. It took some time to get their legs under them and we were finally gaining momentum in the DTC arena when the pandemic halted everything. Both my client and I were devastated that after waiting so long to grow the business through the storefront, we were back to working without one.

I can’t share specific details about the brand or the steps leading to the closure, but a beautiful thing happened during the pandemic: people found them. First slowly, then as though a floodgate opened. And with a new online shop their sales soared well above the in-person performance of the storefront, because they were now regularly talking to a national audience instead of a local one.

But as with all small businesses, this one was hit hard by the pandemic and ultimately the decision to discontinue the business was made. So in January of 2022, the statements I drafted started getting released. The words I’d written were not only in every piece of communication going out from the business, but in press releases both locally and nationally. My words were everywhere.

As the brand started it’s life, so we closed its doors focusing on gratitude for the journey and a celebration of the friends we made along the way. Being able to help shape the narrative for a brand I was so personally invested in, and to be able to send it out in a way befitting its life was truly an incredible experience, and one I will never forget.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

When I started Solutions On 2nd, LLC, my goal was twofold: (1) to do work that I love (2) with businesses I am passionate about. Our team works as an extension of our clients, so if we aren’t aligned in our passion for the business it’s much harder to do what we do.

Having worked in marketing and advertising for more than a decade before starting this company, I’ve worked with a number of other agencies and consultants before and I was always a bit shocked and dismayed that no matter how close the relationship, these parties usually only have their own best interest at heart. They overcharge for services that can easily be handled client side; they offer solutions to problems that aren’t relevant to the primary concern, so on and so forth. So when I had the opportunity to design my own business plan I cut all of that out.

If we can teach our client to do the work we will. If they prefer that we handle it directly, we will. But all of the work we do starts with a clear understanding of the client’s goals, and whether or not we are the right partner to help reach them.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My husband and I made the decision to start Solutions On 2nd, LLC together. I was dealing with some medical issues and we knew the only way I’d be able to work comfortably was to do so as a consultant, working from home. So I did a lot of research into what types of permits and licenses I’d need, the different types of companies and their benefits, and put all of the start up costs into a spreadsheet for us to look over together.

We decided to go with the LLC, since neither of us had ever owned our own business before and we didn’t have any friends or family who had either that we could ask. To protect our family assets we thought this would be best, and it was by far our largest expense at about $800 through LegalZoom. The rest was small transactions for a new home office printer, a camera, and some office supplies and that was it. I used my old computer for the work that needed to be done, and since I worked from home I had no office overhead that we weren’t already paying for our home utilities.

I researched free and low cost design tools, took an online course here and there as funds allowed, and set myself a firm business budget so I knew exactly what I needed to charge, how much I needed to make, and how much I needed to save for tax payments.

When starting a more intellectual property-based business the start up is more manageable and you can invest in tools and resources along the way, which makes entering the arena much easier than an industry that requires physical business resources.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The business was doing well and my husband started getting involved in client work so I could take on more projects, and one thing I had to unlearn was typical office life. I’ve always been very good at compartmentalizing; so when I’m working I’m focused and when I’m not working I’m still working. (LOL) Seriously though, my husband never really had an office job, so he is used to regular banter while working, and setting up a home office that we both share has been trying at times.

Even a few years later and I still have to remind myself to stop and engage with him periodically, because while I have learned over many years in an office setting to tune things out when I’m trying to focus, it’s rude to tune out my husband! It’s something we still work on most days, but when it comes time to collaborate on projects or brainstorm ideas there is no one I’d rather be working with than him.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.solutionson2nd.com/
• Instagram: https://www.solutionson2nd.com/
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/solutionson2nd
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/megdecicco
• Other: http://buysmallsavesmall.com/

Image Credits
Megan DeCicco, #BuySmallSaveSmall