by Emily Ley of Emily Ley Paper

Many entrepreneurs (myself included) start their businesses in the wee hours of the morning, when the little ones are tucked away (and for me, by little ones, I mean my sweet 130lb Bull Mastiff, Briggs, and 15lb Boston Terrier, Harley Bogart), the house is cleaned and the day-job is completed for the time being. A need for a creative outlet, a passion to live what they love and desire to be able to spend more time with family – all many reasons entrepreneurs find the courage to follow their dream.

Is it easy? Nope. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Navigating the waters of having TWO full time jobs is exhausting and at times just downright painful. (read more…)

by Emily Ley of Emily Ley Paper

Hello! I’m so excited to be joining the Oh My! Handmade Goodness columnists to share business tips and inspiration. I started my business, Emily Ley Paper, in late 2008 and have learned so much along the way.

My biggest learning experience (a.k.a. failure – I tend to learn by trial and error) began when I started to struggle with my business name. I was uncomfortable naming my company after myself (besides, who is Emily Ley anyway?) and fell in love with the name “Goodpaper”. I knew that because the name was not my own legal name, I’d need to apply for a trademark. But what would that entail? How much would it cost? I knew it was necessary but was a little overwhelmed with all of the information out there. (read more…)