Alumni-owned business spotlight: Samantha Jones (B.A.’10, B.S.‘10)
VCU Alumni is highlighting Ram entrepreneurs listed in our alumni-owned business directory. Learn business tips from Samantha Jones (B.A.’10, B.S.‘10), owner of The Kitchen on Wellington in Richmond.
What tools helped you the most when you started out?
When I first started out, tools and resources like the local Small Business Development Center and business webinars by SCORE, a small business mentorship organization, really helped me out. Also, the Community Business Academy by the Jackson Ward Collective Foundation was an invaluable tool. All of these tools and organizations helped me create a good business foundation that has helped me to see sustained growth.
What was the biggest challenge to maintaining your business?
The biggest challenge so far has been just trying to juggle everything. Oftentimes, I have to jump from accounting tasks to marketing tasks to customer service tasks all within the same hour. It is a lot to keep up with everything but it is well worth it.
What advice do you have for people considering starting a business?
I would advise people who are considering starting a business to set realistic expectations and to learn to be comfortable with playing the long game. Of course, there will be some overnight successes, but for most of us, growth will take a while, and the earlier you realize that, the better off you will be.