Two Women Entrepreneurs Share the Hardest Part of Growing Fast

Bottle and Bottega business partners Stephanie King-Myers and Nancy Bigley say that the hardest part about turning a small business into a franchise is finding the right people.

"You have to be diligent about saying, 'no.' There are people who will want to buy into your brand, but we say 'no' more often than we say 'yes,'" Bigley said. "It has to be the right person, and if we're not comfortable with that person, it's better to say no for the long-term. That's tough when you're trying to build."

Started by King-Myers as a mobile model in 2009, Bottle & Bottega brings art lessons and wine together in a single space (Bottega is an Italian word for a studio where a master artist paints and students come to learn).

The start-up quickly hired Bigley, a franchise industry veteran who has worked for corporations like Dunkin' Donuts and The Dwyer Group.

Within two years, Bottle & Bottega had undergone a name change (previously "Bottle & Brushes"), started franchising, and hugely over-performed: their three-year business projection paled in comparison to their actual growth.

Though the duo has eight -- soon to be nine -- franchise and corporate studios under their belt, they continue to pursue "slow, but aggressive growth."

King-Myers also weighed in on the challenges of working remotely, a trend gaining traction in some workplaces and losing ground in others.

Source: entrepreneur