Today we’d like to introduce you to Helene Liatsos.
Helene, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a child of an immigrant family, the message I got was to get a good education and a good job. So, I did just that – right after college I got a job with TWA. My entire family rejoiced! Staying in the travel industry I moved up several times working for a variety of travel related companies such as The Sheraton Corporation. About 10 years later I had enough of the corporate world; didn’t like the limitations, the politics and the pay scale.
Spend about six months thinking about what I really, really wanted to do. In talking with my father one day, I realized that he had his own business, making his own decisions and giving himself a raise once in a while! Hmmmm, I thought – if he could do it, coming to this country with minimal skills, language and money, then what is holding me back? I concluded that nothing was holding me back except for my own initiative.
And so, I began. Creating a company focusing on my business skills was key; instead of using them for a corporation, I would offer them to small businesses who needed someone to look at their business with a fresh approach and change things for the better. My Business Management company was launched in 1987. Since then I added start-up services, bookkeeping, marketing and office organization to the roster of services provided. I wrote a manual on how to do certain tasks. That manual grew into a class offered at local colleges, then onto an international, online course. Several years later I produced a DVD and an e-book followed shortly thereafter. Although my focus was primarily on home-based businesses, the services I provide also apply to small businesses as well. I believe that small businesses are the back-bone of the economy – think about how many people own a small business across the country.
These people are the true pioneers; the risk their energy, their time and their money to give us what we need daily: dry-cleaning, haircuts, restaurants, grocery stores, nail salons, shoe repair, etc. What would we do without them?
Has it been a smooth road?
The struggle was balancing the 3 aspects of being an entrepreneur: you have to be the doer – actually doing the work, you have to be the manager – administrative and clerical and you have to be the planner – how do you make your business grow? Sometimes I was so focused on earning the income I needed to pay my bills all I did was the work.
Management suffered and growth was non-existent. But over the years, I developed better skills in managing all three. I use this example to help others truly understand what it takes to run a successful business.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My specialty is home-based businesses. My nickname is The Home-Based Business Expert. A client of mine said she took my online course…. then, several months later she was looking for a business consultant for her start-up.
Her online research got her to my business, she recognized my name and contacted me.
From start-up to re-organizing, services I offer are management oriented. So many people know how to make a product or provide a service, but they don’t know how to manage their business and that is why they fail. They don’t know enough about running a business, such as payroll and related taxes, insurance, cash flow, etc. This overwhelms them; so many lose their business or close the doors. It is so much better to know and understand these things before a budding entrepreneur makes the decision to start a business.
My proudest moment was when I student in one of my classes, went on to start his business, write a book about it and dedicate the book to me!
I consult, teach and train using stories: how I got started, how I handled certain situations, how other clients went through the same thing, etc. Stories make things human and people can relate to them.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Our city is ripe for entrepreneurs! My business is B2B, so yes, reaching out to these entrepreneurs is what I do. I know I can help them get started and/or grow their business.
I always suggest to people who want to start a business is to find a niche…. find out what people need to buy, not necessarily what they want to buy. Items are wanted are not always purchased, but items that are needed are bought more often.
The diversity of this city is an amazing marketplace. People have all kinds of tastes and styles so the opportunity to market your product/service is huge.
This city can be kinder to the business owner by reducing/eliminating business taxes. More people would start a business her (or keep a business here) …and that stimulate the economy.
Contact Info:
- Address: 18653 Ventura Boulevard,
# 186 - Website: www.thehome-office.com
- Phone: 818-888-3398
- Email: helene@thehome-office.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/HomeOfficeManagementExperts
- Twitter: twitter.com/homeofficemanagement
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
