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Who’s the typical Outright user? The best answer is – there isn’t one! Everyone from eBay sellers to web design maestros to consultants on canine behavior have embraced Outright as their small business bookkeeping solution. What all Outright users seem to have in common is an entrepreneurial spirit, love for what they do, and a lot more to do than manage their books.
Outright user Lisa Marie Grillos founded Hambone Designs along with her brother, Hernan. One year, thanks to a holiday stipulation that had the family giving only handmade holiday presents, Hernan dreamed up the VeloPocket, a bag that fits around a bicycle’s top tube so that riders can keep track of their wallets, cell phones and other effects. Better yet, when off the bike, Hambone Designs’ bags translate into a stylish accessory. Now Lisa Marie, who lives in San Francisco, and Hernan, who resides in Santa Monica, run Hambone Designs together.
Unintentional Entrepreneur
Like many Outright users and “unintentional entrepreneurs,” Lisa Marie always dreamed of being her own boss, but it wasn’t until she found herself out of work that she felt she was ready to go for it. Lisa Marie’s business philosophy is “you can sleep when you die,” and she has worked hard setting launching the business. One thing she wasn’t prepared for, though, were all the details that go along with business ownership. “I definitely wasn’t prepared as far as paperwork and legalities were concerned.”
Bookkeeping was an issue, until she found Outright. “Before I found Outright, I was stuffing receipts in a shoe box to worry about later. Now I automatically have information brought into my Outright account either from my check card or my Paypal account.” Integration with Paypal and eBay are both relatively new features on Outright, and one that has made it easier than ever for entrepreneurs to manage their bookkeeping without expensive computer programs or ledgers.
When asked for her advice to other small business owners, Lisa Marie advises getting involved in the community. “Being active online is great, but there’s nothing like real personal interaction.” For owners of craft businesses, Lisa Marie recommends the book Craft, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco. And Lisa Marie must be doing something right – Hambone is moving into the wholesale arena, and has already been approached by a whole host of stores in the U.S. and overseas that want to carry their designs.
Shop with Etsy
San Franciscans can pick up a custom made VeloPocket or Balzac at the Handmade Ho Down Thursday December 3rd at 1015 Folsom, and at Renegade Holiday Craft Fair Saturday and Sunday December 19 & 20 at Fort Mason. For everybody else, Hambone Designs is on Etsy.com, and they take customer orders to match all your most stylish riding gear.
