When I used to think about small business owners I certainly didn't think of someone like myself. I spent most of my college years listening to bad jam bands and working in a printmaking studio trying to figure out how I'd make a living off of the semi-awful artwork I was producing. Three years later I found myself in Brooklyn running a website that somehow sprouted an e-commerce shop this year. I hardly made a business plan and certainly didn't think about how I should brand my company, but here I am, running a small (but successful) business from my apartment in Park Slope.

Working next to my cats on the couch one day I caught myself thinking of how I could expand my website (where I write about product and interior design) and it hit me- I was one of those people. Those people who ran their own companies, considered their business' future and thought about how best to please the consumer (in my case, my readers) and myself. As much as that thought used to send chills down my spine, it suddenly made sense. I was 24 and doing something I actually liked every day and finding a way to make a living at it. I figured maybe this whole small business thing wasn't actually such a bad idea.

Since I've learned to embrace the site (and myself in a sense) I've become more confident with my writing, the site's content and style and the way in which I run my small business. Design*Sponge may have started as a way to give my boyfriend a break from incessant design commentary, but it's become something that I am thoroughly proud of and thrilled to run every day.

Over the course of my posts here I'll be talking about what it's been like to be a young woman running a web-based business. Stay tuned for tales of scandal, intrigue, blogger back-stabbing and some of the most archaic ad sales managers in the history of the internet. Along the way I hope to help those starting a small business avoid some of the perils and pitfalls of going it on your own.

I just completed meetings with two Arizona state congressmen to discuss federal legislation that would encourage the use of residential wind energy systems in homes across the US. I’m now on my way to St. Louis where I’ll meet US Energy Secretary Bodman, several undersecretaries and perhaps, though briefly, President Bush. My goal is to build support for small-scale wind energy legislation.

My goodness. We’ve come a long way from our beginning in late 1986. My business partner, David Calley, and I started Southwest Windpower in a garage some 40 miles outside of Flagstaff, Arizona (seems like many good ideas start this way). This place was so remote. It had no electricity, no phone. We made our first wind generators to charge batteries, to run our equipment, so we cold build more wind generators.

Today, Southwest Windpower is the world’s leading producer of small (400-3000 watt) wind generators. During our 20 years in business, we have produced over 100,000 small-scale wind machines, today found in over 120 countries. Our wind generators are primarily used in remote (off the power grid) areas of the world to make electricity for water pumping, homes, telecommunication transmitters, off-shore plat forms or even sailboats. Our dream began with a simple idea, “change the world through the use of low-cost small wind systems.” After realizing the world is really quite big, we’re still out to change it, just one step at a time. When we started, David and I had no money to speak of. We didn’t even have higher-level education. Success came through none other than hard work. We also endured low pay for the first 10 years of our company’s existence.

Fast forward to today. This month we will introduce our newest product, called Skystream. This is the world’s first fully-integrated small wind generator designed for the grid-connected home (www.skystreamenergy.com). This product embodies our dream, “to change the world,” that started 20 years ago.

If I used this blog to share every experience I’ve had since founding Southwest Windpower, it would easily become a novel. Looking back over the company’s history, I see some key things that have been critical to success:

o Eternal Optimism – No matter how difficult have become, we’ve always looked ahead and believed in success.
o Lasting Hunger – Some say “penny wise, pound foolish.” In reality, every investment, from a desk to a computer, must be considered carefully. We’ve been known to visit buy desks at auctions for $10!
o Global Aspirations – Our first sale ever was in Michigan, our second sale ever was in England. We have distributors in 88 countries and half our business is in exports. We’ve never been afraid to think globally.
o Strong Financials – This might cost a bit more in the beginning, but when you need that loan or are ready to talk to venture capitalists, you want your papers in order. Take the time to do so from the beginning, no matter how painful. Stay organized.

Today we have 85 employees, a sales office in Australia and a new warehouse in Germany. Although twenty years has taught me a lot about making small business work, I still can’t say “I’ve seen it all.” Each day brings new challenges.

My next blog will likely be about money. Money is the grease that makes everything happen.

Thanks for your time. I welcome comments from you, the reader.