3 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Do

Just five months ago, 23-year-old Mallory Brown started a new company called World Clothes Line. Already, business is good and seems to be getting better by the day. It's a company who's time has come. People today want the brands they buy to be good corporate citizens and give back to the world around them. Brown decided that idea wouldn't be a part of her business, it would BE her business. It's a business model base on philanthropic giving.

World Clothing Line sells clothes, oddly enough. For every item you buy, an identical one is given to someone in need of clothing in one of three countries: the U.S., Peru and Indonesia. Brown has clothing designs that reflect the countries that she's giving in, So if you buy the Peru hoodie, one just like it is given to someone in Peru. Already World Clothing Line has given away clothing to two groups of needy people in Detroit. Soon, Brown plans to leave to take her first shipment to Peru. In fact there's a fund raiser to fund the trip tomorrow night.

Brown spoke at the Social Media Club Detroit monthly meeting last week and told her story about how she has seen this success almost completely through word of mouth and social media. When asked what three things she would tell a starting entrepreneur, this is what she said:

1. Celebrate the small victories. It's easy to focus on the big picture and the end goal. But you can drive yourself crazy or get discouraged that way, because it comes slowly. Instead look for small victories each day. Brown said her victory the day before was that she was talking to someone new and found out that they had heard of her company and knew what they were all about.

2. Tell your story as many times as you can. You never know who might be listening. She was talking with someone in a coffee shop about something she needed for her business and another person overheard. That person knew someone else who could help her with that exact issue.

3. Never underestimate anyone. Brown says that some of the most amazing help she's gotten have come from people she didn't expect anything from at all. Often when she goes to an event where she expects to meet a lot of people who can help her, nothing ever comes of it. But, its at those events and places that she has no expectations that she has often meet her strongest advocates.

Considering how far Miss Brown has come in such a short time, I'd recommend taking her advice.

Mike McClure, learning what Brown can do for me.

Photos by Jenni Murray