Meet The Boss Lady
In our first installment of “Getting to Know HQO” we are sitting down with the founder and owner of the company, Rebekah Owings for a short Q&A. You may not come away knowing her favorite color or spirit animal, but hopefully this will provide an insight into the person behind the company you have come to rely upon.
Sarah: Let’s start at the beginning - What is HQO?
Rebekah: That’s a broad question! Professionally, HQO is a business that helps immigration firms complete their PERM recruitment. We offer a service that saves them time and money, placing recruitment ads in a variety of media, and providing documentation. Personally, HQO is an opportunity for nontraditional workers - in the sense that, most of us are “stay at home moms” and the business model provides for a flexible workplace.
Sarah: What inspired you to found HQO Advertising and what do you love about owning the company?
Rebekah: Well, I had been working in retail as a department manager and preparing to start maternity leave. I really didn’t believe I could return to the job considering the inconsistency of the schedule. It was shift work. It also wasn’t a career; more of a fill-in between my earlier teaching career and whatever came next. I wasn’t going to be able to find the flexibility or childcare for the hours I would need, and no way would I be able to cover the cost of childcare. At that time, my husband was working as an immigration paralegal. He had a vendor for placing recruitment advertising but wasn’t satisfied with the upcharges to the cost of the ads, and in general, the professionalism wasn’t to par. He said one day, “You know, you could do this.”
So, the idea was born. I started researching and putting a plan together - by the time maternity leave was over I had a business plan and my first client and decided to give it a shot. This was in 2008. The reality of the Great Recession had really hit, and banks weren’t offering loans. I managed to make ends meet by the skin of my teeth until we started to turn a profit.
I stuck to a small commission, and since there wasn’t overhead, I could save my clients money while also supporting my own family. Also, I was always quick to respond - which is one of our primary goals at HQO - acknowledging receipt as quickly as possible.
Then the company grew organically, employees were added as clients were added. There is a lot we do now that wouldn’t have been possible before. I think my favorite thing about owning this business is my daily interactions with my employees. When you work at home, it can get lonely. But we problem-solve together, and it feels like a support system. Despite the physical distance, I think we are a pretty close-knit group.
Sarah: If you could speak to your younger self, just starting out, what advice would you give her?
Rebekah: Don’t wait so long to get an accountant! It is worth every penny. Also, I spent a lot of time in the beginning worrying about lots of things. I was nervous about making calls and big decisions. I would tell my younger self: “You do have the skills to make this work and it’s going to be okay.”
Sarah: What is your main role in the everyday operations of the business?
Rebekah: Management and Billing, mainly. Which includes employee management, managing our projects, and planning for new projects. I also handle all of client billing and some bookkeeping, including vendor payments. And if there is a problem, I jump in where I need to.
Sarah: How do you personally define business success?
Rebekah: A good reputation. Delivering on our promises. A happy workforce. And I think the latter directly supports the former. We’re a very collaborative organization. If there’s a need, I try to meet it -- supplies, equipment, software, etc. Like last year, when we introduced Smartsheet, I listened to employee input on innovating our process and it’s made an enormous difference in everyone’s workday.
Sarah: What is it like being a female business owner? Are there challenges? Rewards?
Rebekah: In this industry, being a female business owner is an asset because a majority of paralegals and attorneys we work directly with are also women. And I think there’s an advantage to being a “women run” advertising vendor when we get recommended to other potential clients.
Sarah: What are some challenges that plague new business owners in general? Do you have any advice for someone starting out?
Rebekah: It’s been a long time, but I think the biggest obstacle is startup funds. I was fortunate enough in the beginning that I had one client and worked from home - not a lot of overhead. I was able to handle the expenses and balance until I saved up to add more clients. For this type of business, the cash flow is a real challenge. Because we do a lot of prepaying for ad buys, while our clients are on a net 30 schedule, getting people to pay in a timely fashion is crucial. When they don’t; we lose money financing late payments.
One of the things that has benefited us, and that I would definitely recommend someone starting a service-type business, is to get to know the people who will be your customers. Listen to what they want and develop your model around what fits well with their needs.
Sarah: Do you have a personal hero or mentor that has helped inspire you throughout your venture? Is there anything you read for inspiration and education?
Rebekah: Growing up, my heroes were my sisters. I’m the youngest of three, and watched them as they went off to college and created amazing things. I saw they were accomplished and determined, and that’s what I wanted to be. Even though I went in a different direction career-wise, all three of us are currently or have been business owners. So we all understand what it feels like to hold the responsibility for the success of a company.
I didn’t go to business school, so all that I’ve learned about business has been mostly “on the job training.” I’ve been fortunate to have people around me with experience to ask questions. If I am seeking out a particular answer I do that research, but the thought of sitting down and reading a book about business makes me want to fall asleep right here. On the other hand, I am a dedicated fiction reader!
Sarah: Looking back, are there any indications from childhood that foreshadowed your becoming an entrepreneur? Do you ever think about starting another business?
Rebekah: Like I said, I’m not really an entrepreneur at heart. The only thing I ever sold was Girl Scout cookies. I was treasurer of the Math League in high school ... I am very much an "in-the-background" kind of person. It sometimes surprises me that HQO Advertising is mine.
If I wasn’t doing this, I’d probably be working for someone else. That was the alternative when I was on maternity leave. I thought maybe I could go back to school; go into a new field. I considered a creative field. I also briefly considered becoming a librarian. I have a BS Ed, but teaching wasn’t for me - children are scary! Almost as terrifying as their parents!
Sarah: Do you feel that you maintain a good work-life balance?
Rebekah: I do now, much better than in the beginning. I learned to change my notifications so that I’m not distracted by work when I’m away from my desk. When the kids were little and my schedule less predictable, I’d be working whenever I had a moment, but now I don’t check work email at all after 6:00pm. I give myself permission to take breaks when I need a break. I encourage my employees to do the same.
I do follow a daily schedule - although it’s a little different every day. Each day, I lay out all my tasks on a calendar or bullet journal and then I stick to my schedule. If I do it that way I make sure things get done during the work day, and I don’t end up overworking later. It’s important to stick to your boundaries.
Sarah: And, just so we know… what is your favorite color?
Rebekah: Oh, it’s green. Although my children would say purple - where they got that from I have no idea!
Thank you for joining us for our first segment of “Getting to Know HQO.” Let us know if there are more things you’d like to hear about in our upcoming discussions - we’d love to hear from you!
Written By: Sarah Cayson, Assistant Ad Manager at HQO Advertising, LLC