Highlighting up and coming small business owners.

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I was not a Business Major, so I had to take many courses to get a better understanding on how to run a business. The first year I had to learn all about business taxes, which was new to me. However, with much research and assistance, I was able to get it organized and better understand the process. Then there were all the legalities of trademarks, licenses in my state, my county, and my city. Each has a different law that I needed to familiarize myself with. Then there were selling permits and much more to ensure I was running a legal business and obeying all of the government requirements. Learning the entire business tax process was a challenge. What is considered a write off, what is not considered a write-off. Keeping good records of purchases and expenses. It took me a couple of years to learn how to better streamline the process.

Elk Grove, California – In a world where fast fashion often dominates, one boutique stands out for its commitment to offering personalized service, inclusivity, and a heartfelt dedication to its customers. Uylee’s Boutique, owned by Uylanda Dennis, isn’t just a clothing store; it’s a reflection of the owner’s passion, values, and dedication to making every woman feel beautiful.

All my life I wanted to start a business. As a little girl, I sold candy in the neighborhood from my home. As an adult, I always enjoyed selling things as a hobby on various platforms such as eBay and others. I worked all my secular life as an Executive Assistant, so selling items was just a side hobby. However, due to health, I was forced into an early retirement from work. This meant no longer having employment, which is something I’ve had since I was fourteen. So, I now had time to grow my side business and invest more time into it. In time, my small hobby turned into a small business. And after much hard work, we were able to trademark our brand, and we’ve been in business now for eight years.

If you can find a mentor going into this industry, I strongly suggest that you do so. I’ve learned so much about the small business industry over these past eight years through experience and courses. I try to pass my knowledge on to other new business owners. If I can somehow assist them from my experiences, I want to pass on that knowledge so that they don’t need to make the same mistakes I’ve made. Many wonder why would I assist my own competition. I don’t see it as assisting my competitors. With me, it’s cooperation over competition. There are enough people on the planet for all of us to share. We need to support and build up one another. That’s how we will all succeed. I truly believe in that, and I will continue to take in knowledge and I will continue to share that knowledge with those brand new in this business. We all need a helping hand getting started. We all need support in the beginning, and I will continue to provide that to my peers. I would have loved that in my early days! I love to collaborate with other small business owners. Currently, I am collaborating with a business called RJB Collections. This business is ran by an entire family, and they create the most amazing handmade jewelry. I have placed their items in our Shop for sale as a collaboration. I enjoy working with other brands and bringing their items into our Shop, and if possible, placing our items in their shops. Cooperation over competition helps us all to gain brand recognition and grow.

Alright, UYLEE thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story? - I can still remember my very first dollar earned as Uylee’s Boutique. I was still not sure that anyone would take my business serious. However, I recall thinking in my mind that “every business that currently exists has had a first sale at one point in their existence. So what is so different about my business?”

Uylee Dennis, owner of online fashion retailer Uylee’s Boutique, based in Elk Grove, Calif., decided she wanted to sleep better at night. “After years of stressing out at year-end, having to organize and calculate my receipts, I decided to get more organized on a monthly basis,” she said. Making sure to conduct regular updates “keeps me from frantically looking for receipts and numbers at the end of the year,” Dennis said. “I feel so much calmer knowing things are in proper order and ready to go.”

GUEST POSTING HAS MANY BENEFITS. NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE YOU MORE TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE, IT’S ALSO A GREAT WAY TO SHOW OFF YOUR WRITING SKILLS AND CONNECT WITH OTHER BLOGGERS IN YOUR FIELD. I’VE FOUND ONE GREAT WAY TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME A GUEST BLOGGER IS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. USING THE HASHTAG #GUESTBLOGGERNEEDED OR #GUESTBLOGGERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH COMPANIES AND SITES READY TO POST YOUR MOST RECENT BLOG. UYLEE DENNIS, OWNER AT UYLEE’S BOUTIQUE

We all absolutely love promoting our brands on social media. And it's one of the biggest ways to get exposure and gain brand recognition during this digital age. Whether it's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube, social media has become a leader in customer engagement. However, there are other ways to promote our brands outside of social media to help our business to grow and gain access to more Customers. Here are just a few.

During the pandemic, many individuals lost their jobs and developed several ways to expand their creativity with bringing in an income for their household. Though we are no longer in that stage of the pandemic, there may still be a need for individuals to find ways to become creative with bringing in an income. Perhaps there is an unexpected job loss, maybe an unexpected demotion, and an extra income is required, there are several reasons why we may find ourselves in need of creativity with working from home to bring in extra income. There are various side hustles that many people don’t consider. But these practical steps can keep the rent paid, food on the table, and clothes on the children. But just how can this be accomplished? Where does one begin to start or look? We have compiled a list of jobs that anyone can do from the comfort of their home to bring in extra income for their family when they find themselves in such a situation. We have tried and tested each and every one of these suggestions, and they have all worked for us.

My name is Uylanda, and I’m the Owner of 𝐔𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐞’𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞. I’m the mother of three adult sons, sister of seven siblings, grandmother of three beauties, and wife of a wonderful man that I still have a crush on. Uylee is a name given to me by my husband during our dating years. When looking for a name for the shop, he jokingly called it “Uylee’s Boutique”, and it stuck. In 2014, there was a change in my clothing size after losing 90 pounds, and I needed to clean out my closet. I knew nothing about selling clothing during this time. However, I used PoshMark.com and cleared everything out. I was shocked at how fast things sold, and how simple it was! PoshMark.com taught me everything I needed to know about selling clothes at the time. They taught me about pricing, packing, shipping, everything. To this day, I still have a PoshMark account that I sell from. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to take it to the next level. Hence, on January 2015, 𝐔𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐞’𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 was born!

We had the good fortune of connecting with Uylee Dennis and we’ve shared our conversation below. Hi Uylee, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business? - I have always had an entrepreneur’s mind since I was a child. As a youngster I sold popsicles and candy from my home during the summer months. And during the school months, I attempted sell and make my own brand of women’s perfume. The perfume didn’t sell, however I was still a hard working nine-year old that gave it a try! I have a strong drive to create and watch something grow from where nothing once stood. So when the opportunity arose to finally start my own business, I knew it was a taking a leap, but it was what I’ve always wanted to do in my heart. So I jumped in and I’ve never regretted it, nor have I ever looked back.