We were lucky to catch up with ShaRhonda Hill-Heggie recently and have shared our conversation below.

ShaRhonda , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love for you to start by sharing your thoughts about the pros and cons of family businesses.

I come from a very creative family. My mother is a pianist/vocalist. I have a brother who works for Crayola in the education department. As for family businesses, 2 of my siblings own businesses. They actually inspired me to pursue my entrepreneurial journey. To be successful it is important to have a strong team to support your vision for your business. Family makes up most of the team for both of their businesses. We collaborate whenever the opportunities are presented and support one another. Also family businesses allow the opportunity to create legacies and generational wealth.

ShaRhonda , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My business name was inspired by my daughters, Harper and Elle. I started in the balloon business after deciding to decorate on my own for Harper’s 1st birthday party. The first place I went was YouTube and watched a few tutorials, then I figured I could make it work. My brother, who owns a design/event planning business, suggested that I should start a balloon décor business because he was very impress by my work at the party. So I launched my business, Harper E Designs in 2021 and here I am a year later still working, learning and designing! My business offers custom balloon design for any event. Balloon Decor is very fun and creative. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that networking and getting to know other creative partners in this industry is a must. I’ve met some really amazing people who are supportive and very helpful. I love a good collaboration! I always strive to make a client’s vision for their event come true and provide a great experience.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Networking and Social Media platforms. I try to attend any entrepreneur events to network and get to know people in event business. Also, you should have constant social media presence. This is something that I struggle with and I’m still navigating but I’ve found it is very effective with engaging new clients.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Currently I still work a full-time job along with running my business. I’ve only been in business a year so it is still growing. I hope to eventually be able to have my business as a full time career.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: harperedesignsco
• Facebook: HarperEDesignsCo
• Other: [email protected]