Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Meghan Burton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Meghan, appreciate you joining us today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?

As a small business owner and a “one woman operation,” finding the balance between life, business, and taking time for myself has been a difficult journey. It is important to me to find time during vacations or busy seasons of life to be intentional about keeping in communication with my customers and completing necessary tasks. When I am able to connect with a new or existing customer and provide them with a realistic expectation of completion timeline it allows me to then take a step back and relax without worrying about the projects I have waiting for me when I return.

Meghan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For many years now, I have found myself drawn to doing crafty things. I have loved getting lost in things like painting or refinishing furniture but struggled to find the time to do those things. The majority of my adult life has been spent working for non-profit organizations which have allowed me to interact with so many amazing people. When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I chose to make the change for me to be a stay-at-home parent. We have since had two more children and I have been so blessed to get to spend time with them and be involved in their daily activities. My desire to begin working again has always been in the back of my mind, but it is also so difficult to give up those moments with my kids. Over the past couple of years, I have also endured some medical events which took up a good portion of my time. For so long now, my goal has been to find work that allows me to be involved in my children’s lives as well as have flexibility in my schedule. My husband and I have discussed for several years the idea of owning our own business and what that would look like but never seemed to find the right fit. A family friend of ours was considering stepping back from her work in embroidery and was so wonderful and willing to work with me and train me as we started the process of building this business. This change is allowing me to have more of that flexibility in my day-to-day life while also providing that creative outlet for me that I have always sought. In January 2023, I started Collierville Embroidery with the intention of taking on small jobs doing mainly personalization and monogramming. Throughout this year, the business has grown more than I could have expected. Not only do I get the privilege of creating special individualized items for customers, I also have been given several opportunities to expand into contract work from local businesses which I have enjoyed.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I was lucky to have a wonderful mentor prior to beginning my business, who helped me so much through training and being available to answer any questions that arose. In addition to her, I have found that there are so many small business owners locally that are willing to share their insight and experience. The support I have received from them and their willingness to walk me through things as I continued to learn is likely one of the greatest resources I have discovered. It is important to have the desire to continue learning and take the guidance that is offered to you.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I take a lot of pride in creating good quality work. I believe that is one of the most important things when building a reputation in business. In addition to that, I truly think it is so meaningful to customers to have positive interactions with me throughout the process. Being kind can take you a long way in business and creating a good reputation. Of course, having a quick turnaround, competitive pricing, and being willing to find solutions that work for everyone involved are also helpful. Quality, transparent communication, and kindness are what I look for as a customer and I do my best to provide that in my own business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.colliervilleembroidery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colliervilleembroidery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089183993401