Built to Enjoy in Utah: Jana Francis, Founder, Steals.com (Part 2)

Sramana: Is that what drove you to become an entrepreneur?

Jana: As I drove away, I realized that I was a capable, smart girl who had been through harder things in life. I was perfectly capable of coming up with something that I would be able to do from home and make enough of an income to support the family. Once I had that realization, the ideas started to flow. I was not trying to think of an idea, they just came in the back of my mind. I also really wanted to spoil my little girl. The reality is that they have cuter things for baby girls than baby boys. I started looking online for all the cute things there were for girls.

I was almost overwhelmed because a lot of the e-commerce sites were very generic. There was a picture, the same canned description, and possibly some measurements. There was not much there that would explain why I wanted to buy that item. It did not tell me what problem it was going to solve, and it told me nothing about the brand.

My friends all called me the dot-com princess because online shopping was not mainstream in Utah, and I could always tell them where to go online to buy something for less. I have always been extremely frugal and I have always been looking for a deal. I have found ways to save money and make money. I went online to find the best things at the best prices.

I always assumed that there was a website that existed that spoon-fed you the latest and greatest. I assumed there was a website in the baby space that would tell you the story of the product, why you wanted it, and what problem it solved for you. Once I started to do some research, I realized that it did not exist. I decided I needed to create it, and I had a burning fire to do it. I could not stop thinking about it. It did take me 18 months to go from concept to creation because I had a full-time career and three kids, one of which was a newborn.

Sramana: Did you start the website while you were doing your full-time job?

Jana: Yes. I worked for KSL, the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City. I had been there for eight years at the point that I left. I was in sales management running the Internet sales for our dot-com. That was a demanding career, and that was one of the reasons it took me so long to make my dream a reality.

I did both for about five months. I really was the breadwinner in the family. My husband had graduated from chiropractic school, but he was still getting his business going. I did not have the ability to just quit my job and start a business.

Sramana: In our program, we encourage people to start businesses while holding onto a job. It takes a while for businesses to start generating income. Bills have to be paid. Starting a business on the side is a perfect way to bootstrap.

Jana: I agree. I had to leave five months into the business to focus on my startup.

This segment is part 2 in the series : Built to Enjoy in Utah: Jana Francis, Founder, Steals.com
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