Alita Kelly and Khara DeWit are the co-founders of South East Market, a grocery market with a mission to increase access to healthy food options through dignified means.

How old were your children when you started your business?

A: My daughter was 9 when South East Market got underway but she’s been watching me engage with my entrepreneurial spirit her entire life. She pretends to set up a play store in her room and she asks me questions about how Khara and I manage the work together.  She’s definitely watching closely the nuances of the market being built. She’s not short on suggestions for the market either!

K: My 3 sons were 12,10, and 6 when I accepted partnership to begin South East Market. A new school year had begun via virtual school as well. They each contributed to the set up of the store-building wire shelves, sweeping and mopping floors, stocking shelves, and lending their design layout opinions. They give the best critique of the market and our products and are the best young advocates for the work. 

What are the biggest challenges in your life as a business owner and mother? 

K+A: We started this business out of our care for others and a big part of that is because of our mothering, nurturing energy. It can be hard for our children to understand that caring for the community means we don’t have as much time and energy to be the moms they want us to be. Finding balance is so hard but one of the things we try to do is to include our children into the work and let them be close to it because we want them to truly understand why mom didn’t make it to dinner or why mom fell asleep during the movie. Knowing that they will understand why we do what we do one day doesn’t always make it easy in the present disappointment of the moment.

 What inspires you in those really challenging moments?

K+A: Seeing how our children get excited or have keen insight into the work we’re doing makes all the difference. Also, the beauty that exists between the partnership of mothers and women helping each other is so powerful.

As mothers, we are able to be understanding of our family’s needs and that gives us the energy to do the hard work of building a business. Things get hard and we have to be agile to support our family and business at the same time. We are in a community with a lot of other brilliant, powerful and supportive mommas and it is an endless source of inspiration for us.

How does your role as a mother inform you as a business owner, and vise versa? It seems that the same skills can come in very handy for both roles.

K+A: We both call the store “our baby” and in many ways it’s just like having a child. Sleep is compromised, lots of cleaning and logistics to navigate, expensive…there are so many parallels. One of the most rewarding parts of being a mother is to see all of the love, care and attention you pour into a child take root in their soul and watch them go off and be great with it. While our store is still in its infancy stages, we’re so proud of how far it has come. Similar to raising children, the philosophy of  “It takes a village” applies here as well. Part of our role as mothers is to surrender to the shape that the child must take on their own and watching the market evolve through our community is one of the greatest gifts.

What do you love about being a business owner who is also a mom?

K+A: We love how supportive and optimistic our children are with how far we can take our business. We’re normalizing for them that women are not just mothers but leaders, business owners, creators, trailblazers. We are capable of so much when given the space and opportunity to make moves in our community. They’ll go off to understand how possible it is to have a family and run a business. Additionally, it doesn’t require sacrificing our responsibility to advocate for others along the way. When women are given the opportunity to lead, the whole community flourishes. We’re grateful that our children get to be close to that truth.

What advice would you give other business owners who are also moms?

A: You can’t do it all. Asking for help does not make you weak. Being kind to yourself and exercising self compassion are not just essential for navigating motherhood as a business owner and vice versa but it is one of the best gifts you can give to your children and staff. Something my grandma said that always stuck with me was that children are not the icing on top, they are the cake. The space you make in your life for family should reflect that, emails can wait but their childhood is over in the blink of an eye.

K: Feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and overwhelm will be a part of being a working mom, in or out of the home. It’s inescapable. You can never be 100% as a mom and 100% at work, a 100% daughter or partner, and that is okay. Perfectionism is crippling. Giving compassion to yourself (in the same generous way you give it to others) can be an antidote to our self-imposed and loud inner critic, it will keep us motivated, and help us be more supportive and caring in all the roles we carry.  And every new day we get to begin again. 

The post Business Partners Alita Kelly and Khara DeWit Discuss Motherhood appeared first on Grow.

When it comes to finding success for your business, the careful creation of your business plan is a crucial part of that journey. Your business plan is a living document that should project a three- to five-year plan and outline the blueprint for your organization to grow its revenue. Should your organization need to apply for a loan or microloan, it’s important to have an updated business plan and all of your financial documents ready for your application.

While every business plan will be unique, we’ve outlined below the necessary elements of any business plan. You can also find great resources online, like a business plan template from the Small Business Administration.

1. Executive Summary: Your executive summary acts a snapshot of your business plan as a whole. The executive summary should explain your company profile and goals. This is one of the most important parts of your business plan and should tell your reader what your business is about, where you plan to take it in the future, and why your ideas for growth are good ideas for your business. While the executive summary appears first in the business plan, it’s often best to write it last, as you want to highlight the strengths of the plan you have for your business.
2. Company Description: The company description of your business plan should read similarly to an extended elevator pitch. It should explain the nature of your business, which marketplace needs your business satisfies, and how your business has a competitive advantage that will bring value to your customers.
3. Market Analysis: The market analysis section of your business plan includes knowledge of your target market, including its size and needs, along with projected market share and pricing structure. Additionally, your market analysis should include any potential regulatory restrictions your business may face, along with a thorough competitive analysis within the market.
4. Organization and Management: Following the market analysis section, you’ll want to include a section on organization and management. For this, you’ll need to include your company’s organizational structure, ownership details, and information on your management team. Identify the team that has helped your business find success and will continue to be a part of that journey.
5. Service or Product Line: What is it exactly that your organization does or sells? Here, you’ll want to explain what your service or product is, how it provides a benefit to current and potential clients, and why there is a need for your product or service.
6. Marketing and Sales: For this section create and include an overall marketing strategy and a sales strategy. Your marketing strategy should include a market penetration strategy, a growth strategy, channels of distribution, and a communication plan. Your sales strategy should include the sales activities or tactics you plan to implement.
7. Funding Request: If you are seeking funding for your business, this is where you outline your funding request. You should formally include your funding request, explain how that money will be used, describe any other anticipated funding requests over the next five years, and outline your overall financial plans for your organization.
8. Financial Projections: If you are applying for funding and have included a funding request, you will also need a section with your financial projections, which should include your historical and prospective financial data, a short analysis of financial information, and a ratio and trend analysis for all of the financial statements included in your business plan.
9. Appendix: Use the appendix option for your business only if you feel it is needed. The appendix can include additional financial data, letters of reference, product pictures, permits or patents, legal documents, contracts, and so on.

When compiling your business plan, it’s important to stay true to the identity and brand of your organization. What makes your company unique? How do you stand out? Determining what makes you and your organization special will make your business plan stronger, thus showing others why your organization will inevitably find its desired success.

When making your business plan, it’s important to know you’re not alone. At GROW, we offer numerous training programs and classes, along with one-on-one business counseling, to help you build your business plan and get the necessary financial documents in order.

You can see our list of upcoming programs on our events calendar now, or learn more about the individual programs here.

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