Donya Zimmerman is the principle owner of Powerful Biz Woman (DBA of FACMBC) and is a business consultant, aspiring author, and public speaker/trainer. Donya received her Juris Doctorate (JD) in Law from University of Baltimore Law School. Donya is a contributing writer with the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper, and has made article contributions to the Simply Inspirational Women in Business Journal for 2014 published by Dr. Cheryl Cottle. Donya has also conducted several workshops and speaking engagements on business startups and female entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneur Interview Q & A
1. What is your business/Business Name? What does your business do?
My business is Powerful Biz Woman (DBA of Family Law & Community Mediation and Business Consulting). Powerful Biz Woman provides business development, business consulting services, and guidance to women who have the dream and desire to start their own small business or non-profit organization. Our services are organized into three areas: business development, business consulting, and workshops/training seminars geared towards women who desire to start their own business. Also, we conduct speaking engagements on the following topics: aspiring women business owners, female entrepreneurship and spirituality, how to start a business, and legal aspects of starting a business.
2. Why did you get into this field? What opportunities did you see?
I decided to go into business consulting, business development, and training development because I wanted to teach others how to properly set up a small business or non-profit organization. Powerful Biz Woman and FACMBC is my second business. My first business I had to close because of financial issues, mismanagement, and lack of support.
The opportunities I see with my new businesses is that I can assist women from 30 to 60 years old with starting their own business or non-profit organization.
I found that there was a great need for business development and business consulting services in the Baltimore, MD metro area for women in this age bracket. And there is a great need to provide valuable resources and guidance to women who would like a second chance in life. I wish I had these resources available to me when my first business was in operation.
3. What have been your biggest challenges?
My first biggest challenge was trying to sell my services to my targeted customers. I had to figure out a way to offer my services to potential customers. I had to revise my marketing plan to think of resourceful ways to market my services to my ideal customers.
I realized that I had good services to provide to customers, but no products to go with the services. I had to figure out the best products to develop to show off the services offered by Powerful Biz Woman. By drafting a marketing plan, I was able to determine the best products to market the services offered by Powerful Biz Woman.
The two products that I discovered would be beneficial to marketing and promoting my business were books and training materials. The books and training materials would be beneficial because they are something tangible that customers can have and use as references. Also, with books and training materials, I can create workshops on the topics discussed in the books and training materials.
I have completed two marketing plans regarding workshops and publishing books.
4. What has been your greatest reward?
My greatest reward so far has been doing the marketing plans to grow the business, implementing those plans, and seeing the results from them.
5. If you could change something, what would it be?
There is nothing I would change in this process of starting a new business. I would just ensure that I have the right team of individuals to assist me with running my new business.
6. If you could give a new entrepreneur advice, what would it be?
The best advice I give to new entrepreneurs is to ensure that they have a plan written out, have the right support team, and the tenacity to stay with it. They should stay the course no matter what issues or problems may come up when starting a new business.
7. Social Media. Yay or Nay?
Social media is key to running a successful business.
8. How do you market your products?
I market my products and services by promoting them on my different social media platforms. I do guest spots on other entrepreneurs’ radio shows, TV shows, and Internet shows. Also, I am a contributing writer to various newsletters and magazines. Plus I have my own blog site to promote my business.
9. Is your business a service or a product? If you are a product, how do you handle production?
The business is mainly a service oriented business that provides products to promote my business services. The products are mainly books and training materials.
10. What is unique about your business?
What is unique about my business is that I understand the journey my ideal customers face with starting a new business. I understand the journey, because I have been through it and I am still going through it right now.
11. Sell me your product/service.
At Powerful Biz Woman, we assist women with making their dreams of starting a business a possibility and reality. If you have the desire to start your own business or non-profit organization, we will provide you with the tools and resources needed to make it a reality.
12. How can people get in touch with you? What’s your website/Contact information?
Powerful Biz Woman
- Office: (443) 635-4557
- Email: dzimmerman36@gmail.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/PowerfulBizWoman
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/FACMBC
- Websites:
